Later they attended a Lutheran Church where John was on the Board and Marilyn taught Sunday School.

 

For twenty-five years they owned their own farm and grew corn, soybeans and popcorn.  This was dry land farming.  They also had a herd of forty cattle.  Marilyn not only was a homemaker but drove tractor, built fences, and whatever else a hired hand does.

 

Grabills have a son Randy, born in 1951.  Randy, health wise and by inclination, was not destined to take over the family farm, so when he was old enough, Dad bought him a ticket to Oregon where his Uncle (who was like a brother to him), had settled in Hillsboro.

 

In 1973, John and Marilyn sold their farm and moved to Hillsboro also.  They bought a house on Lincoln Street and went to work for the school district.  John worked as handyman for the Hillsboro Elementary School and later for Tom Hering, who was a building contractor in town.  Marilyn worked as a cook for David Hill School, and then transferred to the Educations Service Department working in the shipping area for fifteen years.

 

When they retired, they moved to the “Homestead” mobile park in Forest Grove, bought a motor home and traveled extensively for ten years.  They spent two winters in Arizona and visited most of the states west of the Mississippi.

 

Our lives seem to move in eras, and about the time traveling had lost its appeal, a home next to their son’s came on the market.  So they now live next door to Randy.

 

Marilyn has volunteered over 2000 hours at Tuality Hospital.  Now she spends her spare time with her lovely flowers and yard.

 

John has a shop in the backyard and he spends at least one day a week working with his son who has an Appliance Recycling business.

 

Plus, they enjoy having a garage sale once in a while.