F. Gene Gruber 1944-2021 Monday, January 3, 2022

On December 26, 2021, F Gene Gruber, 77, of Meadowlakes, Texas and Scranton, North Dakota was called to join his late wife Gail in Heavenly Grace. Gene was born to Frank and Eveline Gruber, of Haley, North Dakota on January 31, 1944, in Buffalo, South Dakota.

Gene was raised on the family farm in the Haley area, attended high school in Bowman and went on to attend the University of North Dakota for his undergraduate degree. While at the University, he pledged the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and remained a proud member his entire life.

After graduation, Gene received the same message that many young men in 1966 received. He was drafted into the United States Army but was fortunate enough to spend his entire time stateside where after basic training he taught use of early computer aided artillery targeting systems at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

After the Army, Gene returned to the University of North Dakota for Law School. While in Law School, he met Gail Griffith, a Grand Forks native who was attending the University of Washington at the time. Gene married Gail on November 27, 1971. In 1974, they moved to the Gruber family farm south of Scranton.

Gene did double duty while raising his young family as a farmer and rancher while also practicing law as an attorney. Gene was elected to the office of States Attorney for Bowman County from 1977-1980 and later elected to the seat of Judge over Bowman, Slope, Hettinger, and Adams Counties from 1983-1990.

When the family moved to Texas, Gene practiced law in El Paso for a short time and then opened a law office in Silver City, New Mexico. In addition to practicing law out of his Silver City office, he also served as the Special Master for Grant County until his retirement in 2009. Gene enjoyed retirement. He loved to fish, golf, and hunt. He loved to spend time with his kids, granddaughters and was always on the go. He especially loved to take his grand-dog Duke on rides on his Polaris Ranger. Gene’s family will forever treasure the adventures that Papa would take them on.

Gene is survived by his children Anne and Kurt, Kurt’s wife Christie, and granddaughters Lauren, Hannah, and Emma, and his grand-dogs Duke and Gryff.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Texas Longhorn Foundation’s Longhorn Excellence Fund (https://texassports.com/donate) or to The University of North Dakota Alumni Foundation (https://undalumni.org/und) or the charity of your choice.

The family will be having multiple celebrations of Gene’s life, one in the Marble Falls area on January 11th, at 2pm at The Church in Horseshoe Bay and one in North Dakota in the summer.

Arrangements made by Putnam Funeral Home and Crematory, 145 Texas Avenue, Kingsland, Texas 78639. (325)388-0008.

Funeral Home Link: https://www.putnamcares.com/obituary/f-gene-gruber