On April 19, 2026, Oliver Grammer, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully at the age of 97 at the Illinois Veterans Nursing Home in Anna, Illinois, with military honors. He was born in Pomona, Illinois, on June 24, 1928, to Ardell and Dora (Fleming) Grammer.

Grammer graduated from University High School in Carbondale, Illinois, in 1947. He initially worked on his father’s farm near Pomona before joining the U.S. Army in 1950 during the Korean War. He served in the 990th Signal Operations Corps at Camp Gordon near Augusta, Georgia, and was honorably discharged in 1952.

Following his military service, Grammer worked in a variety of roles that utilized his mechanical skills before beginning a long career with General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) as a transmission technician. After obtaining his Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license, he specialized in electronics repair and design, working through major technological changes from landline telephone systems to microwave transmission and eventually cellular communications. He earned a reputation among colleagues for being able to fix nearly anything and was known as a perfectionist with exceptional attention to detail.

In 1957, Grammer obtained his amateur “ham” radio license, assigned call sign K9KZC. He remained active in the hobby throughout his life, building and designing radio systems in various settings and communicating with operators locally and around the world.

In the mid-1960s, he earned his pilot’s license and purchased an airplane, which he enjoyed for many years before selling it as he and his wife, Martha, prepared to build their home in the country south of Murphysboro. He also restored tractors, excavators, and other machinery, relying on his self-taught knowledge of mechanical and electrical systems.

Grammer also enjoyed playing electric and steel guitar and singing, often performing classic country songs by artists such as Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and Waylon Jennings. He continued playing music into his 90s.

He married Martha Jane Nausley of Murphysboro on July 10, 1954. Together they raised one son, Daryl. The couple enjoyed camping, fishing, watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, classic western television shows, and Sunday sermons. They were lifelong dog lovers and always had a dog as part of their family, including their miniature black poodle, Muffin.

Grammer shared his love of camping with his grandchildren, Madison and Marshall, and met his great-grandson, Sawyer Scott Overby, in December 2022.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Martha Jane Grammer; his parents, Ardell and Dora Grammer; his brother Ray Grammer; and his sisters Delores Stearns, Sybil Littlejohn, and Marie Grammer.

He is survived by his son, Daryl; daughter-in-law, Teri (Tish) Grammer; granddaughter Madison Overby and her husband Bradford of Benton, Kentucky; grandson Marshall Grammer and his wife Carlye of Benton, Kentucky; great-grandson Sawyer Scott Overby; nephew Gary Grammer; and nieces Pamela LaReau of Plano, Texas, and Pat Scott of Pineville, Louisiana.

A memorial service will be held April 30, 2026, at Crain Pleasant Grove–Murdale Funeral Home in Murphysboro, Illinois. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 12 p.m., with interment immediately afterward.

Titus 3:5 states: “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”