Arlow W. Grabau, 93, of Spring Valley, Minn., formerly of Wykoff, Minn. died Monday afternoon, April 9, 2012.

Arlow was born July 19, 1918, in Forestville Township, Fillmore County, Minn., the son of Adolph and Anna (Groth) Grabau. He attended country school and farmed with his family until he served with the U.S. Army from March 17, 1941, through Oct. 21, 1945, in the European Theatre of World War II. He married Betty Lou Bender Sept. 30, 1950, in Spring Valley. The couple made their home on a farm in Forestville Township until they retired in 2004 and moved into Spring Valley. Betty died Jan. 5, 2011.

Arlow was a member of the Spring Valley and Wykoff American Legions and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Spring Valley. He served on the Forestville Township Board from 1966 to 1996. He was a former member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wykoff. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gardening and his family.

He is survived by two daughters, Sally Grabau of Austin, Minn. and Teresa (James) Heimsness of Oronoco, Minn.; three grandchildren, Molly Grabau, Kalli Heimsness and Tyler Heimsness; four brothers, Elmer Grabau of Spring Valley, Raymond (Mildred) Grabau of Wykoff, Curtis Grabau of Rochester, Minn. and Lyndon “Butch” (Helen) Grabau of Austin; one sister, Eunice Thompson of Spring Valley; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife; four brothers, Elden, Gerhardt “Slim”, Reuben and Gerald; and one sister, Bernice Scheevel.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, April 13, 2012, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church with the Reverends Dennis Timmerman and Laura Fladten co-officiating. Burial with military graveside rites will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at Thauwald Funeral Home in Spring Valley 4:30-8 p.m. Thursday and at the church on Friday an hour before services.

Online condolences may be left on www.thauwaldfuneralhomes.com.