Jerrold E. “Jerry” Groves (1931 – 2026)

Jerrold E. Groves passed away on Friday, March 13, at the age of 94, in Winchester, Virginia. He was born April 12, 1931, in Lorraine, New York, to Edward and Iva Groves. The first in his family to attend college, he eventually graduated from Cornell University with a degree in horticulture and from Dubuque Theological Seminary with a divinity degree.

Jerrold E. “Jerry” Groves

In 1952, he met his future wife, Clara May “Sally” McConnell, while working on a wheat-harvesting crew in Nebraska. They married on June 23, 1954. Jerry served three years in the U.S. Army, including one year in Korea. He then supported his family through outside employment while also serving as a minister and Bible teacher, a pattern he valued throughout his life. He served churches in Washington, Nebraska, Iowa, and Ontario, Canada, retiring in 1995. He and Sally spent their retirement years in Arizona, Colorado, and Virginia.

Jerry was devoted to his family and is survived by his six children, Jeffrey (Valerie), Curtis (Xiaohui), Jonathan, Melinda, Clark (Linda), and Eric; 20 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed.

The funeral will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at 11:00 am at Rockland Community Church, 2921 Rockland Rd, Front Royal, VA 22630.