header 1
header 2
header 3

In Memoriam

Laura Anne Woodworth (Grettenberger) - Class Of 1926

Laura Anne Woodworth (Grettenberger)

Laura Anne Woodworth, daughter of Philo R. (1880-1947) and Nettie V. (Spross) (1881-1952) Woodworth, was born 20 September 1908, Meridian Township, Ingham County, Michigan.  Laura graduated in 1926 from Okemos High School.

Laura married 1926 OHS graduate Orin K. "O.K." Grettenberger 10 August 1930, Okemos, Ingham County.  She and O.K. had a long life, 60 years, together.  Laura served as Postmaster in Okemos during the 1940's and 1950's.  She was also very involved in breeding and racing Standardbred horses on their 160 acre farm in Ingham County.

Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Friday 6 September 1968

GRETTENBERGER FARM - LIKE A BIT OF KENTUCKY

OK's Laura danced home a winner the other night at Hazel Park and the good filly's namesake lamented with mingled emotions.

"We started in this horse racing and breeding business 20 years too late," regretted the former Laura Woodworth who has tumbled head over heels in harness racing.

Laura and her husband, Orin K. Grettenberger, are mistress and master of one of Michigan's prime Standardbred farms, nestled in the verdant, rolling countryside south of Mason.

They have been in the trotting horse game for several decades but it was only two years ago the Grettenbergers established their showplace as a version in Ingham County of what you would find rounding a bend in the bluegrass country of Kentucky.

Many a time O.K. and Laura Grettenberger attended the Lexington Standardbred Sales and often have they taken mares to the great Castleton Farm for breeding and foaling.

What they saw they duplicated on 160 acres of the old Bitzer Place with spacious new barns, a second home for themselves and quarters for their hired hands.  Even a half-mile training track was incorporated into the farm, and when it was completed two years ago, O.K. Grettenberger sold his drug store at Okemos and was in racing fulltime.

She is every bit a horse-woman, enthusiastic as her husband, a student of bloodlines, patient in breaking and training each year's crop of young horses and an irrepressible rooter at the track when one of the Grettenberger horses is in the thick of the race.

"Breeding race horses is a tricky business, and it's a long road from the foaling barn to the starting gate but when one of your own wins it's a thrill that's hard to match," she said after OK's Laura brought home $7,000 worth of bacon in the recent Michigan Colt Stakes pace for two-year-old fillies at Hazel Park.

OK's Laura is by Keystoner of Castleton Farms out of the Grettenberger mare Boston Bell by Lord Volomite, making the young filly a full sister to OK's Velvet.

All the Grettenberger home-breds carry the OK name, most of them are kept and raced by the farm.  As the name gets around and becomes synonymous with winning, buyers have started showing up, and this fall some of the yearlings will go over the block at the Michigan Standardbred Sale to be held next month in Adrian.

"Right now we're operating on several fronts," Laura Grettenberger says.  "Baldy Utter from Fowlerville has three of the horses at Hazel Park - OK's Lady, OK's Velvet and Lula Rutledge.

"Our regular trainer Ed Novak, who moved up from a groom, has a string on the fair circuit and will probably drive OK's Laura next week at Allegan," she said.

One of the best of the entourage, OK's Chief, is home, turned out to pasture, resting after a hard campaign.  Plans are to have the swift old gelding ready for a fall campaign, maybe starting at Jackson and dodging snowflakes during the winter at Chicago.

Both O.K. and Laura Grettenberger are lifelong Ingham County residents and are proud of putting the horse before the cart in a big way right on their home grounds.

When he is away Laura looks after the farm and seldom misses a night at the track when they have a horse going.  She is usually in the same box with daughter Mrs. Ann Shaver of Holt and Ann's husband, Darwin, who married into horses and likes to speed around the jogging track when he's not driving an Ingham County deputy sheriffs squad car.

"If you put anything in the paper," she said, "don't forget to mention Doc Brahman.  He is our barn supervisor and takes care of the brood mares and young colts.  There's a lot to it, you known, feeding and all that, and Mr. Brahman deserves credit for whatever success we might have."

Orin, was born 19 April 1908, Okemos.  He died 31 January 1990, Lansing, Ingham County.  Laura died 30 March 1991, Lansing.  Orin and Laura were interred Glendale Cemetery, Okemos.

Lansing State Journal (Lansing, Michigan) Monday 1 April 1991

LAURA A. GRETTENBERGER

OKEMOS

Age 82, died March 30, 1991.  Mrs. Grettenberger was born September 20, 1908 in Okemos, where she was a lifelong resident.  She was a life member of Okemos Chapter #267 O.E.S.; a member of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Mason, and she served as Postmistress to Okemos in the 40's and 50's.  She and her late husband were very active in the State Democratic Party and were life members of the Michigan Harness Horsemen Association and the U.S. Trotting Association.  She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Orin K., on January 31, 1990.  Surviving are 1 daughter, Mrs. Ann (Darwin) Shaver of Mason; 1 son John (Jane) Grettenberger of East Lansing, 5 grandchildren, Elizabeth Thelen, Laura Shaver, Ann Orr, John O. Grettenberger, Krista Forbush; 2 great grandchildren, Jillian Orr and Kelsy Orr; 2 sisters, Mrs. Roland (Ruth) Howes of Mason and Mrs. Redmond (Edna) Cotter of Mason; and several nieces and nephews.  Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church, 546 W. South Street, Mason, with the Rev. Dr. Gerald W. Smith, Vicar, officiating.  Interment will follow in Glendale Cemetery, Okemos.