Grant was a star basketball and baseball player in high school in Arlington, Nebraska. Played basketball on Arlington highschool team 1912, (picture) . Military service record: Enlisted in 6th Nebraska National Guard, June 6th, 1917, stationed in Omaha, NE. Guard Unit was federalized June 26, 1917 and in July of 1917 his unit was transfered to Camp Cody, Deming N.M. as 109th Military police, 34th division of the U.S. Regualr Army. He was married to Genevieve Christensen on December 27th, 1917. He was a member of Company B, Serial No. 139666. His father died in January, 1918 and his mother died in May. The military would not let him take leave to attend his fathers funeral and consequently lost all his possessions and inheritance during his absence. He was ordered to Fort Dix, N.J., Aug 4, 1918, embarcation point for European front WWI. Meanwhile he had taken an engineering exam from El Paso,TX while at Camp Cody and was called out of ranks to join 3rd Co. EO45 Engineer Training School at Camp A .A. Humphreys. His duty was as attendant to the sick and the delivery of bodies of servicemen, who had died from Spanish Flu, to respective families. His unit was disbanded following Armistice (Nov.25, 1918) and he was honorably discharged as a private 1st class on Nov. 27, 1918. He reenlisted Sept. 25, 1920 at Camp Lewis, WA. with the 3rd Co. Cov. Eng. Off. Trng. School, 78th Field Artillery. Honorably discharged after 11 months and 2 days with the rank of Sargeant R-139666 on Aug. 27, 1921 at Camp Grant, Illinois.

Employment record: listed occupation as salesman for M.E. Smith & Co. of Omaha upon enlistment in 6th Nebraska N.G. in June 1917. Also worked for his father who was a prominent construction contractor in Omaha and Arlington. Raised chickens in Horton, Kansas and Sheridan, Wyoming. Worked on the water supply engineering in Sheridan. Civil engineer, Ft. Francis E. Warren, Cheyenne Wy. Retired as Chief Civil Engineer, on November 30, 1956 after 15 years of service. He loved fishing, especially in the North Platte river. He built a retirement home in Saratoga, first a cabin, Happy Landing, at the States home on the banks of the North Platte River. Then he built a larger home on the hill above the Saratoga Hot Springs, and on an adjacent lot, another house for a rental. He had a heart attack while fishing on the railroad tressle, an event that curtailed his fishing expeditions. They enjoyed the long-time friendship of Ray and Mildred Hickman of Cheyenne, who were originally from Valentine. They moved to Apache Junction, AZ where they were in a mobile home park, and later became the first residents of Payson North, a retirement development in Payson AZ. Both he and Genevieve are buried in Payson.

From Arlington Review Herald. Jan. 9, 1918:Grant Gilfry who came home on sick leave from Camp Cody, New Mexico, a couple of weeks ago to visit with his parents at Omaha surprised his many friends by being quietly married to Miss Genevieve Christensen of Valentine, Nebraska at Omaha Dec. 27. Mrs. Gilfry is holding a fine position in Lincoln. Their announcement read "At Home After the War".130