Norman Grover

No one doubted that Norman was devoted to his wife and daughter. It was evident in the way he expressed his love with in both words and actions. His friends and family, too, knew that Norman was an incredibly kind and generous man. His life is a testament to this fact, as Norman continually proved himself to be an honorable man who kept his family close to his heart.

Norman L. Grover was born on February 24, 1918. He became the seventh child of Ben and Ada (Major) Grover, whose family would eventually grow to include eight children. Ben Grover provided for his family by being an electrician. It was a highly demanding profession at the time considering that America was the most modern country in the world. Such a demanding career required Ben to move quite frequently, as more and more people wanted to use electricity to make their lives easier. Moving from place to place with eight children was not easy, but eventually the Grovers settled in the town of Three Rivers, Michigan.

After graduating from Three Rivers High School, Norman looked forward to beginning a family of his own. It was an awkward time, however, to focus on romance. World War II was already consuming everyone’s attention, and soon America would be joining the fight. Norman could not help but fall in love, however, with a beautiful woman named Dorothy Jane Freeman. They married on June 13, 1942. Five Days later, Norman left to begin serving his country. He was proud to be part of the war effort and he earned a Good Conduct Medal for his work as an Army automotive mechanic.

By the time he was discharged from the Army in 1945, Norman was ready to start a family. Though he and Dotty were unsuccessful in having a baby of their own, they were incredibly excited when they adopted a daughter in 1955. The moment Cheri Lynn came into Norman’s life, she became the center of his world. Norman worked as a painter at the Upjohn company, but every spare moment he had was spent with Cheri and Dotty.

In the 1960s, the family moved into a house in Vicksburg, where Norman would live until his health began to fail early in 2004. Since this home was where his family was, it was always Norman’s favorite place to be. He would often go fishing with Dotty and Cheri and together they would enjoy being in nature. Norman was an avid outdoorsman. Besides fishing, he liked hunting rabbits and pheasant or going skeet shooting in Three Rivers. Norman usually took his faithful dog Cookie along on his outdoor adventures. Cookie had been part of the family even before Cheri arrived. Even so, Cookie knew it was her job to protect the new addition to the family. Norman loved Cookie for being as protective of Cheri as he was. He was always thinking of his daughter’s happiness, and often times, if he bought something for himself that his daughter liked, he would hand it over to her without a second thought.

Dotty was also an important part of Norman’s life. They liked to travel together or simply spend countless hours in the kitchen canning their homegrown vegetables and peaches. Norman took great pride in his big vegetable garden, where he grew tomatoes, Rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, and beans (among other things). Tending the garden became a ritual, as did playing Pinnacle every Saturday night with Dotty’s sister and brother-in-law. This tradition continued until Dotty’s death in 1972. The event broke Norman’s heart, but his beloved daughter Cheri was able to ease his pain. She was a constant source of support and Norman was incredibly thankful to have her in his life. His proudest day was walking her down the aisle on April 3, 1982. As he passed her hand to Carl Barton’s, he knew Cheri was making the right choice. Norman was so enthusiastic about the union that he saved his boutonniere so he could always remember that special day.

After retiring from Upjohn in 1980, Norman took time to enjoy the things he had not had much time for in the past. Bowling was one of his favorite pastimes. He usually went to Airway Lanes where he could get one of their hot beef sandwiches. He also enjoyed just driving around in the countryside, where there was no traffic or chaos to detract from the natural surroundings. Although he never had any grandchildren, Norman more or less adopted a grandson, a young man by the name of Antown Hunter (Buster). He looked up to Norman, and Norman, too, admired this energetic young man.

Whatever difficulties Norman had in his life, he never let them interfere with the way he treated the people around him. His quiet kindness was powerful and made an impression on many lives. Norman’s friends and family will miss him dearly, yet they will always keep his memory alive in their hearts.

Norman L. Grover died June 9, 2004. Norman’s beloved wife, Dorothy, preceded him in death in 1972. Members of his family who survive him include: his daughter and son-in-law Cheri & Carl Barton of Portage, a special friend whom he loved like a grandchild Antwon Hunter (Buster), and several nieces and nephews. Learn more about Norman, view his Life Story film, and visit with his family and friends Saturday from 1-3 and 5-7 p.m. at the Rupert, Durham, Marshall & Gren Life Story Funeral Home, Portage Chapel, 5975 Lovers Lane. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the same location. Please visit Norman’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read his life story, archive a favorite memory, order flowers or make a memorial donation to his family or to Hospice of Greater Kalamazoo.