Adolph G. Grams passed away Tuesday, March 10, 2020, at 101 years of age in Yakima, Washington. Adolph was born on Feb. 24, 1919, in Ralston, Washington, to German immigrant parents Reinhold and Mary Grams. He attended elementary school in Ralston and one semester at Harrington High School, graduating from Ritzville High School in 1938.
After a stint working at the Ritzville hardware store and farming, Adolph joined the United States Armed Forces in July 1943. Following basic training at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, Adolph graduated from Officer Candidate School and graduated as a commissioned second lieutenant.
To his delight, Adolph discovered that Winifred Jean Williams, a Women's Army Auxiliary Corps girl he had dated back home in Washington state, was serving as company clerk at Edgewood Arsenal, also in Maryland. They married at Fort Lewis in October 1943 and enjoyed 64 years of marriage together.
Subsequently, Adolph was deployed to Europe, traveling with his 44th Infantry Division on the fastest surface ship afloat, the Queen Elizabeth. After debarking at Gourack, Scotland, the division moved by train to southern England and ultimately landed on Omaha Beach. While stationed in the Alsace-Lorraine area, Adolph received a telegram announcing the birth of his son, David Lee.
Because Adolph grew up in an immigrant family where English was not spoken at home, he was bilingual in German and English. His immigrant language heritage became useful to his country, and he was chosen to be the translator and liaison at the disarmament of the 19th German Mountain Army near Reutte, Austria, in May 1945. Returning to New York harbor on the Queen Elizabeth with 17,000 other soldiers for a 30-day home leave, Adolph was preparing for deployment to the Pacific theater when the war ended. Adolph opted to return to farming, serving as manager of his uncle’s 2,000 acre wheat farm near Harrington, Washington.
Adolph’s daughter, Cynthia Ann, was born in Spokane in 1947. Teen nephews Roger and Richard Williams also joined Adolph and Jean’s family for several years.
Sometime in 1951, Bill Loveless and Sunny Liu held their first evangelistic meeting at Moses Lake, Washington. Jean had recently become a Seventh-day Adventist, and Adolph attended the evangelistic meetings with her. At the conclusion of the meetings, Adolph accepted Christ as his Savior and became a Seventh-day Adventist. To our knowledge, Adolph and Jean became the first Seventh-day Adventists in Lincoln County.
In 1954, Adolph became farm manager of Upper Columbia Academy. The family moved to Michigan several years later, where Adolph graduated from Andrews University with a science major in 1961. Returning to Washington, Adolph taught biology and history at Columbia Adventist Academy, where he also served as dean of boys.
From 1967 to 1984, Adolph was dean of men at Pacific Union College in northern California. During those years, he earned his master’s in education and counseling at Oregon State University. He was a great mentor to hundreds of college students as well as a systematic and capable administrator. He served as an elder and head elder in various Adventist churches for over 60 years.
In retirement, Adolph remained active in leadership in the church, as well as playing his harmonica and German accordion at many venues. He particularly enjoyed bringing joy and humor to the residents of retirement homes and nursing facilities.
Adolph enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They remember him fondly as a man who lived his faith and loved his family. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, David and Cheryl Grams of Rapidan, Virginia; his daughter and son-in-law, Cynthia and Ulrich Tutsch of Yakima, Washington; his sister, Rita Imler of Tacoma, Washington; sister and brother-in-law, Juanita and Gil Sharp of Las Vegas, Nevada; six grandchildren and their spouses, Kevin Grams of Appleton, Minnesota; Lynn and Sam Tooley of Tacoma, Washington; Lori Grams of Appleton; Elisabeth Tutsch and Greg Nelson of Yakima; Karl and Alycia Tutsch of Portland, Oregon; Mikki and Joni Tutsch of Onalaska, Washington; and six great-grandchildren, as well as cousins, nieces and nephews.
