Ralph A. Luebben, 88, of Grinnell died October 19, 2009, at the Mayflower Community in Grinnell. A graveside service and burial will be held 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 21, at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell with Rev. Kathryn Roys, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, officiating. Memorial contributions may be directed to Grinnell Regional Hospice, Mayflower Community, or St. John's Lutheran Church in Grinnell. Ralph was born February 14, 1921, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Gerhard and Katherine Weber Luebben. He studied engineering at Purdue University. During World War II, he served with a field artillery observation battalion in the European Theatre and, following the German surrender, was reassigned to an engineering unit in the Army of Occupation. On August 30, 1947, he was united in marriage to Janell Lied. Later, degrees in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico and Cornell University led to an academic career, most of which was spent at Grinnell College. His archeological and ethnological interests were primarily in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. Survivors include his wife, Janell of Grinnell. He was preceded in death by his parents.