George Svatos, 85, Grand Rapids

George Edmund Svatos, born February 1, 1936, passed away on Friday, March 12, 2021, at Garden Court Chateau in Grand Rapids.
George was born to Charles and Rose (Skalicky) Svatos, the youngest and last surviving of 11 children. He attended District 57 Elementary at Litomysl and Owatonna High School. George served in the United States Navy from November 1955 through October 1958. He was in the Seabees Division stationed at Guantanamo Bay and then served in the United States Naval Reserves until November 1961.
George farmed and was an accomplished construction worker involved in building/remodeling many homes throughout Steele County. He was a member of the Blooming Prairie Knights of Columbus. George lived on the home farm across from Litomysl until moving his new home on Sand Lake, north of Deer River. It was here that he met his lifelong friend and wife, Shirley Schmidt. George and Shirley enjoyed visiting Texas over the winters and loved to dance. They were crowned King/Queen of the North Dakota Polka in 2007-2009. They also belonged to the Heartland Swingers Polka Club.
Preceded in death by his parents; siblings, Georgine, Raymond, Roselle, Charles, Martha, Agnes, Margaret, Joseph, Josephine, and Bernadette.
George is survived by his wife, Shirley; sister-in-law, Lucille Svatos; and many nieces and nephews.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Litomysl on Saturday, June 19, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. with a visitation starting at 10 a.m. and burial following at the Litomysl Cemetery.
Arrangements are with Rowe Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Grand Rapids. To   sign   the   online   guestbook   or   send   condolences   visit   www.rowefuneralhomeandcrematory.com.