Warren Grist

Grist, Warren William, 92, passed away on December 20, 2015 in Wichita, KS. He was born on March 24, 1923 in Blair, KS to Walter Wesley and Minnie Almira (Johnston) Grist. Warren grew up in El Dorado, KS and graduated from El Dorado High School. After high school he attended post secondary schooling at El Dorado Junior College and Kansas University in Lawrence, KS where he received a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1949, with a Professional Engineer license and was a lifelong inventor. Warren enlisted in the military service in February 1943 at Ft Leavenworth, Kansas and served in the Army Air Corps during WW II in the Asiatic Pacific theatre. He was a weather equipment technician and weather observer installing and operating meteorological instruments and equipment, and performing advanced maintenance on the equipment. He was stationed in the South Pacific and participated in the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea and Luzon battles and campaigns. Warren obtained the rank of sergeant and was released from service in December 1946. Warren worked as a design engineer designing snow plows, automated road construction machinery, and was the research and design manager for development of various contractor items in the concrete building trade. He was the designer of the first large round hay bailer for Hesston Corporation in Hesston, KS and holds several patents on various machines. Warren married Naomi June (Pond) Grist on August 24, 1947 for life at the El Dorado Methodist Church in El Dorado, Kansas. They were happily married for 68 years and were blessed with 3 children. Warren was a member of the Loyal Order of the Masons. He loved playing tennis and helped found the Yukon Tennis Association in Yukon, Oklahoma and the Mesa Verde Tennis Association in Cortez, Colorado. He also played basketball in high school, the military and in Junior College. He was a Scoutmaster in Augusta, KS, for many years while his sons were active. His hobbies included camping, travel, fishing, tennis and hiking. He was involved in the Victory Church (Jenks, OK) Seniors Men’s Group, a volunteer docent (shark expert) at the Oklahoma Aquarium (Jenks, OK) and the Mt. Vernon Methodist Men’s Group, Wichita, KS. Warren comes from a family of 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls; all of whom were very successful. He was recently preceded in death by his twin brother Walter of Minneapolis, MN; and previously by Anna (Allen) Ayres of Augusta, KS; George Grist of Wichita, KS; Mary Snodgrass of Andover, KS; John Grist of Kansas City, MO; Marion Christy of Augusta, KS; and Paul Grist of Kansas City, MO. Sisters, Winnie Reed of Decatur, AL and Ruth Evans of Wichita, KS are still surviving. Warren was a devoted Christian family man and is survived by his spouse, June, of Wichita, his son, Bill (Lisa) of Upland, CA, Tom (Jeanette) of Wichita, and daughter Barbara from Cortez, Colorado. He was blessed with 6 grandchildren Evan (Whitney) and Ian (Danielle)Grist of San Diego, CA, Kyle (Mindy) Grist of Austin, TX, Kelsey (Avery) Woodard of Kansas City, MO, Arista (John) Petillo of Littleton, CO and Mary (Dan) Raunig of Severance, CO. A memorial service will be held at a future date with interment at Sunset Lawns in El Dorado, KS. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to Mt Vernon United Methodist Church, 5701 East Mt. Vernon Street, Wichita, KS 67218. Condolences may be left on Warren William Grist’s online guest book at www.CozineMemorial.com or with the family. Services by Broadway Mortuary.

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