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Friday, November 30th, 2012

Memories burn brightly

Community remembers murdered father, daughter

By Margie Wuebker
Photo by Daily Standard Staff

Memories of happier times flowed and candles in all shapes and sizes flickered Thursday night as relatives and friends gathered at St. Joseph Catholic Church to remember Robert "Bob" and Colleen Grube.

ST. JOE - Memories of happier times flowed and candles in all shapes and sizes flickered Thursday night as relatives and friends gathered at St. Joseph Catholic Church to remember Robert "Bob" and Colleen Grube.
The 70-year-old father and his 47-year-old daughter were found one year ago today bound with duct tape and shot to death at their Burrville Road home in rural Fort Recovery.
Master of ceremonies Ted Shuttleworth, a retired Fort Recovery principal, music teacher and band director, asked the 90 people in attendance to pray for new evidence that will provide authorities with a much-needed break in the case.
"You need to know you are in the hearts, minds and prayers of this community and all communities in western Ohio," Shuttleworth said looking toward the pew where family members sat. "We pray for a solution to a crime that has all of us wondering 'Why, Why, Why?' "
Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey at a press conference on Thursday said investigators believe they are heading down the right path and have a few people about whom they are "very curious." He would not call them suspects. He also has said that items were strewn about the house during the crime and a laptop was stolen.
At the memorial ceremony, Shuttleworth smiled, recalling how he had all six of Bob Grube's children in the band.
"I remember Bob and his wife Alice scooping a lot of ice cream and making a lot of pizza and burritos as part of fund-raising activities," he said. "Bob was such a gentle man ... I don't recall a time when he raised his voice."
Shuttleworth asked others to share memories, with one woman recounting how Bob had made rosaries for her. He finally agreed to accept payment for materials but refused any compensation for his labor.
"He told me to pray a rosary for him and that would be suitable payment," she said.
Another woman - a local bus driver - recalled seeing Colleen at the door smiling and waving. Colleen, a former nanny who never married, doted on her nieces and nephews. Their names are etched on the back of her grave marker.
Bob formerly served as a lector and communion distributor at St. Joe until his health declined. He then came to church in a wheelchair, pushed by Colleen.
"He was such a good gentleman and a humble servant first at Fort Recovery Industries and later at Cheryl Ann Programs," Shuttleworth said. "He loved the Cheryl Ann clients, and they loved him."
Another woman stood up with lighted candle in hand, calling Bob the most gentle man she has had the good fortune to know.
"He always had a big smile, and he was an encourager of everything," she added.
His sister-in-law, Elaine Grube, said she missed the family gatherings and Sunday meals at Wendeln Tavern.
"We just kept adding chairs and pushing tables together as more relatives showed up," she said.
Photos and other mementos of her brother-in-law and niece are stowed away in a box beneath her bed.
The service ended with organ music and the singing of Bob's two favorite songs - "How Great Though Art" and "Silent Night." Many of those in attendance hugged his daughter Michelle Stammen, who stood in the center aisle with other family members. She left church with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Family members have been traumatized in recent weeks by Facebook messages that appear to be sent from Colleen's account. Elaine fears the people who took her niece's laptop computer have started to use it and send correspondence to those listed as friends.
Grey does not believe this is the case, explaining some accounts automatically begin issuing messages after periods of inactivity.
"Why would someone who has escaped capture for a year suddenly fire up a stolen laptop?" he said. "It just doesn't make sense."
Bob's son Adrian Grube did not attend the service but spoke with The Daily Standard earlier in the day.
"Sometimes it seems like an eternity since their bodies were found," he said. "And sometimes it seems like everything took place yesterday. We want the people responsible caught and prosecuted."
He believes the death penalty would be a fitting sentence for the culprits.
"Some days are harder than others," he said. "All of us still catch ourselves thinking or saying we have to remember to tell Dad and Colleen, and then reality sets in."
Additional online story on this date
Earlier this year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association Board of Directors adopted a proposal that increases the high school basketball regular season from 20 games to 22 games beginning this winter. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
FORT RECOVERY - Shauna Rose, a waitress at the North End Bar and Grill, moved here from Dayton because she wanted a safer environment.
The unsolved murders of Robert "Bob" and Colleen Grube have her wandering whether that sense of security will ever return.
Mercer County
GRAND LAKE - Mercer County Commissioners are moving forward to purchase 40 acres of land adjacent to Aqua View Estates in Montezuma for Grand Lake improvement purposes.
Auglaize County
WAPAKONETA - Climbing costs and falling revenues likely will lead to just one major road project in Auglaize County next year.
Auglaize County Engi
FORT RECOVERY - The village has shifted its focus from organizing summer ball leagues to improving and maintaing the playing fields.
MAC Athletics
CARTHAGENA - Deb Brookhart of Carthagena said she didn't know what to say when a local man surprised her last week by handing her the 1981 St. Henry High School class ring she lost 31 years ago.
CELINA - The Celina girls basketball team shrugged off a sluggish start and used a strong performance in the second quarter to retake the lead and hold off Tiffin Calvert for a 59-53 win on Thursday night at the Fieldhouse.
ST. MARYS - As St. Marys' head coach Kelly Fulmer dissected her stat sheets following the Roughriders girls' basketball game against Kalida on Thursday night, it didn't take her long to pinpoint the major reason why her girls were on the losing end of a 49-44 defeat on their homecourt.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Bath pulled away from Coldwater in the second half to hand the Cavaliers their first loss of the season as the Wildkittens won 50-39 on Thursday night at Bath High School.
CELINA - The Celina boys' basketball team struggled through a 9-12 campaign last year for their first losing campaign since 2007-08, but the return of five letterwinners has Bulldogs' head coach Chris Bihn optimistic as this season begins.
CELINA - The expectations are high this season for the Celina girls' basketball team with a roster that features six seniors from last year's seven-girl rotation that finished with a 19-5 record.
COLDWATER - Mike Bruns is used to the waiting game.
As Coldwater's boys basketball head coach, and a long-time Cavs' assistant prior to that, Brun
COLDWATER - After finishing last year with a record of 15-9 and advancing to the Division III district final, Coldwater's girls basketball program is looking to reload this season.
FORT RECOVERY - Indians' veteran head coach Brian Patch welcomes back plenty of experienced firepower from last year's 20-3 squad that won the Midwest Athletic Conference title.
FORT RECOVERY - The Indians enjoyed a 16-7 campaign last season, but Fort Recovery's girls basketball coach Doug Bihn has a tough task ahead trying to repeat the success from a year ago with an overall lack of experience.
MARIA STEIN - The Marion Local Flyers' boys basketball team will have a young and talented roster on the hardwood this season, but they will be lacking quite a bit in the experience department.
Despite all the returning contributors, though, the Flyers will be without four-year starter Margaret Wuebker, who is now playing hoops at the Univer
MINSTER - With four starters returning from a season ago, Minster's boys basketball fans are optimistically waiting for the start to the 2012-13 hoops season in hopes the team surpasses their 10-12 record from last winter.
MINSTER - As veteran head coach Nann Stechschulte examines her girls' basketball roster for the upcoming season, the most glaring aspect is that just four returning lettermen.
NEW BREMEN - Despite an inexperienced roster, New Bremen's boys basketball head coach Adam Dougherty saw enough potential from his team over the summer to believe that the Cardinals can have a successful season.
NEW BREMEN - First-year New Bremen girls' basketball coach Chris Burden is optimistic for this season after the Cardinals had no seniors on last year's team that won six games.
NEW KNOXVILLE - The Rangers have had a steady flow of strong post players in recent years, but that won't be the case this year for New Knoxville's boys basketball coach Kort Fledderjohann.
NEW KNOXVILLE - Although New Knoxville's girls basketball team will be the youngest in the Grand Lake area, there is certainly reason for optimism for the Rangers this winter.
ROCKFORD - Parkway's boys basketball coach Will Snyder is feeling optimistic for the start of the upcoming season.
Although the Panthers were just
ROCKFORD - After coaching Parkway's junior varsity girls' basketball team a year ago, Lynn Hughes takes over the varsity duties this season in place of Jeff Kallas.
ST. HENRY - Even though St. Henry's boys basketball coach Eric Rosenbeck has only had his entire squad available for practice since Nov. 21st, the fourth-year Redskins' coach is optimistic about the potential of his team.
ST. HENRY - Kurt Huelsman is willing to admit that it has been a challenging adjustment for him to step in as the head coach of St. Henry's girls basketball program.
ST. MARYS - Following a 5-16 record last year, St. Marys' boys basketball coach Dan Hegemier is hoping his team can provide Roughriders' fans with a little more excitement with a few more games swinging in their favor this season.
ST. MARYS - With four of five starters and eight letterwinners back on the floor this year for St. Marys' girls basketball team, Roughriders' fans are hoping to reverse their fortunes from a year ago when they suffered through their first losing season in three years.