Lifelong Sacred Heart and Konawa resident Joseph William Grove, 85, passed away Friday, January 5, at Shawnee Care Center in Shawnee.

Joseph was born September 25, 1921, on the family farm in Konawa to Arthur Patrick and Anna Catherine Kuestersteffen Grove.

He attended Saint 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 September 2, 1952. He later married Geraldine Lehman on May 15, 1993 at Sacred Heart.

Joseph worked in the greater area oilfields more than thirty years as a roughneck and roustabout for St. Louis Well Service and also 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.

Preceding him in death were his parents and his first wife, Iva on July 6, 1989; one son, Joseph Patrick Grove; one brother, Chris Grove; three sisters, Emma Semtner, Monica Moran and Sister Mary Tarsicius, R.S.M.

Survivors include 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, Texas; and Maggie Snider of Midwest City; three grandchildren, Stephen Beesley of St. Louis, Oklahoma; Victor Beesley of Shawnee; and Tamryn Beesley of Shawnee; two great-grandchildren, Travis Doiron of Shawnee; and Zoe Boyce of St. Louis, Oklahoma; numerous nieces, nephews and a host of other family and friends.

A Rosary will be held 7:00 p.m. today at Swearingen Funeral Home Chapel in Konawa.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Matthew Brown, OSB 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.

Published January 9, 2007.