Elizabeth Ruth Groth, 78, of Zumbrota, formally of Kenyon, peacefully passed away Sunday, May 15 2022 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, surrounded by family.
She was born September 29, 1943 in Hayward, Wisconsin, the daughter of Raymond and Hazel (Roberts) Hams. Liz grew up in Maplewood, MN and graduated from North St. Paul High School in 1961. She then continued her education at the Methodist Kahler School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse. While in nursing school she met Lew at the Skyline Ballroom, and on October 3, 1964 the couple were united in marriage at Central Park Methodist Church, St. Paul, MN. Liz worked at various hospitals, and then at Kenyon Nursing Home before she and Lew started Groth Implement in 1974. While working at the shop and raising their children, Liz decided to learn enough about flying to safely land the plane if something happened to Lew. This started her passion for flying. Not only did she get her pilot’s license, but also achieved her Instrument rating, and purchased their Beechcraft “99LG”. Liz served as President of the Minnesota Ninety-Nines where she flew blood for the Red Cross and Daffodils for the American Cancer Society. The couple took many vacations in their airplane over the years, including flying in and camping out at Oshkosh Fly-In for several years, and to warmer weather in the winter. Liz continued to work at the shop even after Lew retired, working for her son until his retirement. She loved visiting with and getting ribbed by the customers and keeping busy with the book work.
Liz was an avid genealogist and took many trips with her daughter to various parts of the country tracing family history, visiting family, cemeteries and courthouses. She loved to knit, read, and kept her mind sharp working various types of crossword puzzles.
Liz loved her family and was happiest to be in the middle of all their activity. She loved the mini-golf and Door County vacations with the grandchildren, baking and cooking days with the girls, making the big breakfasts for hunting days, and cookie-making with the kids. She was known for her Chocolate Chip Cookies and her Pecan Pie, but the kids and grandkids fought over her Grandma’s Molasses Dunking Cookies every Christmas.
She is survived by her husband Lew Groth of Zumbrota; daughter Barbara Groth of Kenyon, son Brian (Mirela) Groth of Pahrump, NV; Grandchildren Stephanie (Derik) Quam of Red Wing, Eddie Matul of Kenyon, Erin (Trent) Brossard of South Bend, IN, Megan Groth (Colton) of Lake Crystal; great granddaughter Ellie Quam, sister Marilyn Michaelson of Sun City, AZ, brother Perry Hams of Rice, in-laws, nieces and nephews.
Liz was preceded in death by her parents, brother Bob Hams, son-in-law Edward Matul, nephew Steve Groth, and neice Jane Wood.
There was a visitation at Michaelson Funeral Home in Kenyon on Wednesday, May 18th, 2022 from 4PM to 7PM. Funeral services were held at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenyon on Thursday, May 19th, 2022 at 11AM with a visitation one hour prior. Interment was in the Wanamingo Trinity Lutheran Cemetery.
Memorials are preferred to the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenyon.
