Joseph Grove

Joseph William Grove, life-long Sacred Heart and Konawa area resident , passed away on Friday, January 5, 2007, at Shawnee Care Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma at the age of 85. He was born on September 25, 1921 on the family farm in Konawa to Arthur Patrick & Anna Catherine (Kuestersteffen) Grove. He attended St. Mary's Academy Grade School at Sacred Heart and graduated from Konawa High School in 1942. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a V-5 Cadet and received an honorable discharge on January 4, 1943. He married Iva Marie (Bourbonnais) on Sept. 2, 1952. She preceded him in death on July 6, 1989. He later married Geraldine (Lehman) on May 15, 1993 at Sacred Heart. Joseph worked in the greater area oilfields over 30 years as a roughneck and roustabout for St. Louis Well Service and Kennedy and Booth Well Service. He also farmed all of his life. He was a longtime member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and a lifetime member of the American Legion. rnJoseph is survived by his wife Geraldine Grove of Shawnee; one daughter, Diane Beesley of Shawnee; one brother, John Grove of Konawa; one sister, Teresa Sanders of Newcastle; brother-in-law, Roy Bourbonnais of Tecumseh; two sisters-in-law, Ann Hopkins and her husband Dean of Abilene, TX and Maggie Snider of Midwest City; three grandchildren, Stephen Beesley of St. Louis, OK, Victor Beesley of Shawnee and Tamryn Beesley of Shawnee; two great-grandchildren, Travis Doiron of Shawnee and Zoe Boyce of St. Louis, OK; numerous nieces and nephews and a host of other family and friends.rnHe was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Iva on July 6, 1989; one son, Joseph Patrick Grove; one brother, Chris Grove and three sisters, Emma Semtner, Monica Moran and Sister Mary Tarsicius, R.S.M. rnA Rosary will be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at 7:00 P.M. at Swearingen Funeral Home Chapel in Konawa. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 at 11:00 A.M. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Matthew Brown, O.S.B. officiating. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery. Serving as casket bearers will be Stephen Beesley, Victor Beesley, Joe Semtner, David Semtner, Steve Semtner and Mike Varnell. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church.rnServices are under the direction of Swearingen Funeral Home of Konawa. Funeral Information: January 9, 2007, 11:00 AM