James Burton Groves was born on a home- stead near Ryegate, Montana, not far from Billings, MT on October 26, 1913.
His mother, Amanda Sofia Isaacs (originally Isaacson of Norwegian descent) had grown up in Forest City, IA but decided to become a homesteader in MT when she was in her mid twenties. She met my Grandfather, William Floyd Groves, there as he had gone to MT to work in the harvest. He had been born and reared on a homestead near North Platte, NE.
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| Bill & Amanda's wedding photo - November 28, 1910. |
Grandma Amanda had traveled to WI for the birth of their first son, Vernon. But because there were no complications with that birth, she gave birth to my father in MT. The family would continue to live in MT for the necessary five years in order to own their homestead. At the end of five years, they sold their land and the one room house in which they had lived. They moved to Minneapolis, MN for a short period of time and then to a farm near Viroqua, WI. My father's life continued in WI until 2006 when at the age of 92, he died.
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| Amanda and James |
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| Rustic life in MT... |
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| Vernon T. and James B. Groves |
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| Helping feed the chickens - very critical part of their survival... |
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| The ridge of rocks would later help my father locate the spot where their property had been. |
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| My father's family of origin: Mildred, Hubert, James & Vernon behind Bill and Amanda |
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| My father was the tallest and the handsomest... |
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| My quiet, serious, handsome, sweet father for high school graduation |
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| Thr Groves Quartet sang and played for many church and community occasions... |
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| This was probably my father's first accordian. It is now in my family. |
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| My father's first farm belonged to his Grandmother. He farmed with his brother, Hubert and his father. |
My Grandparents valued education and my father spent a year beyond high school being trained as a teacher. But his heart was in farming. He had excelled in high school in agriculture courses and represented his school in state livestock judging events. I would later sit beside him as he studied cattle in farm magazines. He would explain what characteristics made a good cow for milking purposes. I was not inclined toward farming myself but these conversations with Dad were a window into his world as a well respected dairy farmer.
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| My dapper Dad and the car the family had won selling subscriptions to the local newspaper. |
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| Dad was 27, Mom was 21... |
Edna Virgina Matson was the special gal who won my father's heart and lifetime commitment. They celebrated 65 years of marriage 2 months before his death. Mom lived another 3 years and died at age, 90. She had been born and raised in the Viroqua, WI area.
They lived on my Great- Grandmother's farm until 1948 when they moved 75 miles away to near Fountain City, WI. That is where I grew up.
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| My brother, Jim, Mom, Dad and me. |
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| Three more girls joined our family and Dad deeply loved us all. |
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| These might be the children who provided our parents with their gray hair! |
There for my birth and my wedding... I could not have asked for a more wonderful father. He loved me, was proud of me and made sure I was introduced to the person who could provide the most important thing a human needs - the life of redemption with Jesus Christ. I am grateful that God gave him to me as my father - and as grandfather to my 3 treasures.
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| Grandpa and Sarah... |
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| Grandpa and Johnny... |
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| Grandpa and Jamie... |
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| Celebrating with my 3... |
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| The Groves men love Old Spice... |
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| Helping Grandpa haul bales of hay... |
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| No wonder my 3 yr old grandson loves Bobcats so much... He inherited that from his Great Grandfather... |
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| Having a little concert... |
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| James, Mildred, Hubert - 3 life long friends and family... |
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| Great Grandchildren coming along... |
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| Celegrating at the Viroqua County Fair in their final year together. Faithful for 65 years. |
Thank you, Lord, for giving me a Father who knew you personally and wanted me to know you, too. Thank you for his faithfulness which is a model of how faithful you are to your children. And as he celebrates in your home today, let him know that I'm proud to be his daughter, and I'm passing on his legacy to the future generations in his linage. May I be found as faithful as he was. With a heart full of gratitude and love, Amen
There for my birth and my wedding... I could not have asked for a more wonderful father. He loved me, was proud of me and made sure I was introduced to the person who could provide the most important thing a human needs - the life of redemption with Jesus Christ. I am grateful that God gave him to me as my father - and as grandfather to my 3 treasures.
2 comments:
I loved reading this blog and seeing the pictures of the children I so remember. I even recognized a wreath we might have all made together. Beautiful tribute and you were so blessed to have a father like that.
Beautiful tribute, Lee! I love your detailed narration & pictures.
I, too, have been thinking of dad today, so it was a wonderful way in which to reflect on his life. We were very blessed to have him as our father and I'm grateful, too, for that 'special gal' that won his heart.
Thank-you so much for sharing so beautifully!
Love, Marge
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