Glenn Allan “Sonny” Grantz was born December 19, 1947 to Guy Albert Grantz and Olive Fern (Reed) Grantz in Covington, OK and went to meet his Lord and Savior on November 13, 2020 at the age of 72.
Allan grew up in Douglas and graduated from Covington-Douglas High School in 1966. He married the love of his life, Susan Jean Swaim, in 1967 in Enid, OK. He worked as a radio dispatcher for the Department of Public Safety Oklahoma Highway Patrol until 2000 when he retired with 32 years of service. He retired from the Covington Volunteer Fire Department after 20 years of service. Allan also helped Susan run the Covington Dairy Sweet for 26 years, but he really loved his cattle. He knew each cow by number (and sometimes name!). He was an active member of the Covington United Methodist Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings: Harold Ray Grantz, Lynette Faye Grantz, and Darrel Lee Grantz.
Allan is survived by his wife, Susan, and four children: Arron Douglas Grantz (Jami) of Meeker, OK and their children Brettney and Austin Graham of Pawnee, Garrett, Emma of Meeker, OK; Brian Allan Grantz (Pam) of Covington, OK and their son Riley; Amy Lynnette Hoffman (Pete) of Perry, OK and their children Grant and Makenna; Derrick Hoy Grantz of Covington, OK and fiancé Sarah Moore of Rose Hill, KS and his daughter Kiley, and step-children Austin and Amaya of Enid, OK. He is also survived by his sister Guyla Fern Stonehocker and husband David of Enid, OK; and brother Albert Melvin “Spanky” Grantz and wife Kathy of Covington, OK; brother in law; Hoy Swaim and wife Robbin and several nieces and nephews and cousins.
Memorials can be made to the Covington United Methodist Church or the Tri-County Senior Citizens’ Center.
A Celebration of Life service for Allan will be 10 am Wednesday at the Covington United Methodist Church with Rev. Tom Donaldson and Rev. Sean Boehm officiating. Burial will follow in the Covington Cemetery under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home. Condolences may be made online and the service may be viewed online at www.ladusauevans.com.
In his own words….(and a little bit of ours)
I was born on December 19, 1947 in a farmhouse 5 miles north and 4 ½ miles east of Covington, OK. Six weeks later there was a snowstorm that was one of the worst that the area had ever seen. The snow was fence-post deep, and roads were blocked for days.
My Grandma Reed seemed to think everyone needed a nickname. So she named me “Sonny,” and it pretty well stuck. My Granddad Reed’s name was Glenn so mom and dad planned on calling me Allan. Sonny was the only name my cousins, aunts, uncles, and other close friends of the family knew me by.
I lived in Douglas on the wrong side of the tracks from the time I was 5 until the summer of 1956 when I moved 2 miles east of Douglas and a ¼ mile north (on the east side of the road) on a farm owned by Bert Page. I lived there until I got married and moved to Edmond.
I went to school at Douglas for the First through Eighth grades and was the only boy in my class. I went to Covington for High School, graduating in May of 1966, and found the love of my life, classmate and 1966 graduating class Salutatorian, Susan Swaim.
After graduation, I went to Edmond to Central State College and Susan went to Tonkawa to Northern Oklahoma Junior College. We decided we were too much in love to be apart, and we got married on February 13, 1967 at my Grandparent’s home east of Enid. My uncle Ovid Granz officiated. I continued going to college for 2 more semesters. I needed to go to work to pay our bills, and I ended up getting a job as radio dispatcher for Edmond Police Department in April 1967. The man that hired me there liked me, and he also worked as a dispatcher for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. He talked me into trying to go work for them. I went to work as a radio dispatcher (or “radio ditch patcher” as Amy used to say), for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in Oklahoma City on February 1, 1968. Three of our kids, Arron, Brian, and Amy, were born in Edmond. I transferred to Enid in 1974, and we moved back to Covington. After the death of Susan’s sister, we purchased and moved into the Easterly house with Susan’s nephews, adding 3 teenagers to the mix. Our youngest son, Derrick was born in 1977.
In August of 1983 I was promoted to Chief Dispatcher at the Highway Patrol. I almost tried to make a career out of this job retiring May 31, 2000. From 2000 to 2020 I have tended both mine and Brian’s cattle and baled over 60,000 big round bales working with Brian. Susan and I attend football games, softball games, band concerts, and
I have 4 wonderful kids, 9 terrific grandkids. And I wouldn’t change anything.