Nov. 27, 1929 - Oct. 6, 2006
LITCHFIELD -- LaVon Porter Grotto, 76, of Hawaii, formerly of Grove City and Litchfield, died Friday after a brief battle with cancer.
There will be a service Friday at Waikaloa Community Church in Waikaloa, Hawaii, and at 10 a.m. Oct. 19 at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Burial will be at Lake Ripley Cemetery in Litchfield.
Memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society or Hospice of Hilo in Hawaii.
He was born Nov. 27, 1929, in Brown County to Gilbert and Ruth (Kolstad) Grotto. The family moved to Grove City in 1940. He graduated from Grove City High School in 1947.
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He invented the "Cozy Cab", the first completely enclosed tractor cab, in the 1960s. It was manufactured at Custom Products in Litchfield in the 1960s and 1970s. Other inventions include the Dusti Do, Action Auger, and Snowver. He farmed in the Grove City and Litchfield areas for 45 years. He retired from farming and moved to Hawaii.
He was active in the Mannanah and Litchfield snowmobile clubs, and finished 18th in the "Winniped (to St. Paul) 500 Race." He was on the board of directors at Center National Bank in Litchfield for several years.
He is survived by his children: Dennis (and Donna) Grotto, Von (and Kris) Grotto, all of Litchfield, Kathy Grotto of Hailey, Idaho, Lori (and Ed) Pound of Stowe, Vt., Jill (and Randy) Worden of Litchfield; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and one sister: Frances (and Paul) Lundeen of Hutchinson.
He was preceded in death by two grandchildren.
