Allan Leverne Grage, age 83, of Benson, passed away on Thursday, May 8, 2014, at the Golden Living Center - Meadow Lane in Benson, Minnesota. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, May 16, 2014, at 1:00 p.m., at the West Zion Lutheran Church in rural Hancock, with Rev. Jacqueline Harvestine officiating. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service at the church. A reception will be held at 2:00 p.m. at the Benson Golf Club in Benson, Minnesota. Allan Grage was born October 27, 1930, in Barnard, SD. He moved, with his parents, to Aberdeen, SD, where he attended 2nd grade through High School graduation. He lettered in baseball, football, track and participated in Legion baseball. The football team won the conference title one year. The Legion baseball team won the State title twice and were runners-up once. He attended Indiana University his freshman year in college and earned a freshman numeral in baseball. Transferred to Northern in Aberdeen, SD, where he earned a B.S. in Education. While at Northern, he lettered in football and track, was homecoming marshall, in Who's Who in Colleges and Universities, and senior class president. He was in the U.S.A.F. from 1952 to 1956. He married Mary Ann Carlson in 1953 and they lived in Biloxi, MS, for three years. In 1957 he earned his M.S. in Education from Northern. In the early sixties, he did an additional year of graduate study. He taught physical education and coached football, basketball and baseball at Benson High School, Benson, MN. His football team won two conference titles. His baseball team won district and regional titles and participated in the State Tourney. They moved to Wahpeton in 1968 where he taught physical education, coached football and tennis at North Dakota State College of Science. Both teams tied for conference championships. In 1990, he taught physical education and coached football at Mankato State University until his retirement, in 1991, when they moved to rural Clontarf, Minnesota. Allan passed away on Thursday, May 8, 2014, at the Golden Living Center - Meadow Lane in Benson, Minnesota. He attained 83 years, 6 months and 11 days of age. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann; four children: Kristie (George) Todd Reisnour of Bismarck, ND, Kurtis (Nancy) Grage of Pittsford, NY, Karla (John) Sayler of Bismarck, ND, and Kevin (Marette) Grage of Brandon, SD; eleven grandchildren: Becky (Morgan Edmundson) Todd, Michelle (Thoralf) Thompson, Stephanie (Greg) Eslinger, Danielle Grage, Brittany Grage, Shannon Grage, Lauren Sayler, Rachael Sayler, Briana Grage, Spencer Grage, and Brooklyn Grage; nine great-grandchildren: Asya Jama, Ibrahim Jama, Yusuf Jama, Abbigail Snyder, Weston Snyder, TJ Thompson, Easton Eslinger, Grant Eslinger, and Heath Eslinger; and sister, Anita (Doug) Eilers of Aberdeen, SD. He was preceded in death by his parents, Allie W. and Dorothy Ruperta (Walworth) Grage.
