Rowley Funeral Home

Francis 'Frank' Jospeh Gruss

July 4, 2025 - May 15, 2025

Francis ‘Frank’ Joseph Gruss, 85, of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, passed away on Wednesday, May 15, 2025 at his home. Frank was born on July 4, 2025 near Beal City, Michigan the son of Franklin Peter and Clementine Ida (Albar) Gruss. On December 3, 1982, he married Hilda Rose Utterback in Mt. Pleasant.

Frank was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church for many years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, stationed on the island of Okinawa from 1945 until his discharge in 1947. A man of many talents, Frank worked for the Lincoln Mercury dealership for twenty years, and then went to work for the Isabella County Road Commission, retiring after ten years of service. He was a member of the Greasy Fingers Two Cylinder Club and various other tractor clubs, and a member of the King Midget International Club.

Survivors include his wife Hilda, children: Rick and Deb, Harold and Judy, Rose and Garry Cowden, Tim and Amy, Dan and Mary, Calvin, Karen and Greg Tibor, Chris and Sherry and Beth and Dan Pescoe. Also surviving are three step-children, twenty seven grandchildren, and thirteen plus great grandchildren, a brother Tim Gruss and a sister Eileen Burnham. Frank was preceded in death by his first wife, Rita and two sisters, Helen McConnell and Rosemarie Campbell.

Mass of the Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2025 at 12 noon from St. Henry’s Catholic Church north of Rosebush with Father William J. Rutkowski serving as celebrant. Interment will follow the service in St. Henry’s Cemetery. Friends and family will gather on Friday, May 17 from 5-9 p.m. at the Rowley Funeral Home and again on Saturday from 11 a.m. until time of the service at the church. A Vigil Service will be held on Friday, May 17, at 7:00 P.M. with Sister Joanne leading the Vigil. Memorial contributions have been suggested by the family to St. Charles Catholic Church. Envelopes are available at the Rowley Funeral Home and St. Henry’s Catholic Church.