John E. Gruber

John E. Gruber, age 71 of Wahoo, died Thursday, December 30, 2021 in Lincoln. He was born November 1, 1950 in Lincoln to John Jr. and Evelyn (Addyman) Gruber. John was observed to have a tough exterior, yet anyone who really knew him experienced him as a soft hearted, caring man. His grandchildren and great-grandson especially knew that they were loved. As an avid Husker fan, John enjoyed watching their games almost as much as he enjoyed watching his grandchildren play sports. He was a “Master Tinkerer” who was not afraid to tackle any project and was always eager to help people in whatever way they needed. He is survived by his wife Lori Gruber of Wahoo; children Jon (DeDe) Gruber of Lincoln, Tracy Dedick of Malcolm; step-children Brandi (Bil) Johnson of Wahoo, Doug (Dianne) Polacek of Wahoo; grandchildren Jon and Justin Gruber of Lincoln, Mason and Shelby Dedick of Lincoln, Kylie Dedick of Bennett, Dawson Dedick of Malcolm, Jackson and Samuel Johnson of Wahoo, Hannah Polacek of Lincoln, Noah, Luke, Elijah, Jacob and Addi Polacek of Wahoo, and great grandchild Maverick Harris of Bennett; brothers Bob (Carol) Gruber of Manley, Mike (Linda) Gruber of Douglas, Larry Gruber, Bryan (Mickey) Doty of Denver; sisters Judy (Ray) Mummenthaller of Pea Ridge, AR, Rhonda Doty of Pueblo, CO. John was preceded in death by his parents; sisters Nancy Gruber, Janice Hodges, Linda Hoffman; brother Steve Gruber; brother-in-law Jim Hodges. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 am Friday, January 14, at the First United Methodist Church. Memorials may be directed to the family for future designations. John