Mary Ellen Groves, 91, formerly of Wellsville, NY passed away peacefully on December 26, 2025 after a brief illness.
Mary was born August 27th 1934 while her parents were on a fishing trip in Walker, Minnesota. When she was young her parents used to tell her that they fished her out of the lake on that day. She loved that story and was disappointed when she found out it wasn’t true.
Mary grew up in Kingsley, Iowa with her parents Avery and Ellen Thomson and older brother Max. They lived on a farm when she was young and later moved to town into a house that her father built. She played basketball in High school and graduated with honors. Upon graduation she went to Iowa State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Art and Education. It was there that she met her future husband, James Groves.
They were married in 1958 in Kingsley and shortly after moved to Wellsville, NY. Mary was a substitute teacher for Allentown schools for a brief time before raising her 3 children Anne, John and George. Mary and Jim were members of the Nancy Howe Players in the early years in Wellsville and also members of the First Congregational Church.
Mary enjoyed various artistic hobbies such as theorem painting, rug hooking, rug braiding, batik, wood working and refinishing and sewing. For several years she was a member of the Jones Memorial Hospital Twig and made wonderful crafts to sell at the Country Fair. Mary and her husband Jim enjoyed traveling the NY countryside in search of antiques. She was an avid collector.
Mary was predeceased by her husband Jim in 2015 and her youngest son George in 2017 , brother Max in 1992 and her parents.
She is survived by daughter Anne, son John and wife Colleen, daughter in law Laura Groves and granddaughter Caroline and several nieces and nephews and their families.
Remembrances in her name can be made to a charity of choice.
A Celebration of Life and burial will be at a later time in Webster City, IA
