January 2025
Nathaniel Mark Grunst passed away peacefully in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at the age of 84. Born on October 27, 1939, in Joliet, Illinois. Nathaniel was the son of Erwin Carl Christian Grunst and Gertrude Louise (Zielke) Grunst.
Nat’s life was marked by a deep commitment to education and a love for learning. He attended Concordia College in River Forest, Illinois, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Latin from DePaul University in Chicago, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Administration from the National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois. His passion for teaching led him to a career at Luther High School North, where he served as a high school teacher for almost three decades. He taught Latin, English, Literature, Old Testament, Economics, and Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations. He later transitioned to administrative roles, serving as vice principal and then as superintendent until his retirement near the age of 64. He and his wife retired to Albuquerque, NM where he had spent a portion of his youth.
Nat was blessed with a loving family. He met the love of his life, Cornelia Feiertag, at Concordia. Together, they raised their son, Marty, and daughter, Cynthia, and spent many vacations visiting extended family. Later in life his greatest joy was his four grandchildren. He also enjoyed traveling with his brother-in-law, Paul.
For the last 12 years of his life, Nat lived at Montereau in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he developed many friendships. He formed and led book and poetry study groups, sharing the beauty within great literature. He really liked the workers at Montereau and was elated to see how many of them had immigrated from a wide variety of other countries, from Ukraine to the Philippines to Myanmar to various parts of the Americas. As a result, he formed a group of residents to volunteer teaching English as a second language to any worker interested. He was able to make a difference for each of them while also learning about their languages and cultures and food!
Nathaniel was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Cornelia Grunst, and his parents, Erwin and Gertrude Grunst. He is survived by his son Marty Grunst (Karen) plus grandsons Henry and Ethan, and his daughter Cynthia Bednarz (Greg) plus granddaughters Ellie and Daphne. He is also survived by his sister Carol McEndree, her children Kathie Preece and Mark McEndree, and her grandchildren and great grandchildren. He leaves a legacy of love, and interacting with people in a kind and non-judgmental manner that will continue to inspire those who knew him. This was his way of spreading the redemptive blessing of Christ. He was truly a child of God.
A memorial service was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday, January 3, 2025 at Sunset Memorial Park.