Mildred W. Grove
HERSHEY - Mildred Rebecca Williams Grove, 95, entered into the presence of her Lord on January 28, 2024.
She was born in Mechanicsburg, PA, on December 16, 1928 to Blanche K. and Claude Manly Williams. She was a member of the Mechanicsburg First Church of God and attended Mechanicsburg High School. After graduation, she worked at the Bell Telephone Company in Harrisburg in the map department, until she married her husband, Evan Eugene Grove, of Hershey, in 1949.
She and Evan raised a family of three children: David Eugene (Sarah), of Juneau, AK; Karen Irene, of Elizabethtown, PA; and Earl Ellis, of Hershey, PA.
Mildred was cofounder, along with Evan, of Groves’ Brittle Works, a family-run candy company in Hershey. They started the business in 1956, initially as a fundraiser for the Heifer Project, in which their church was participating at the time. They then decided to continue as a business. In recent years, while she was still able, Mildred continued her involvement with the candy business. She frequently greeted and waited on customers.
She was a long-time member of Spring Creek Church of the Brethren, where she was very active in a ministry of music. She had a lyric soprano voice and sang-- frequently performing solos-- in the Sr. Choir (which later became the Sanctuary Choir), and a women’s ensemble (which later became the Melody Choir). She particularly enjoyed working with children, and frequently directed the Jr. Choir (a children’s choir which later became the Carol Choir). Mildred also taught Sunday School classes for many years, as well as hosted a chapter of the Child Evangelism Fellowship’s “Good News Clubs” in her home.
Mildred was also an award-winning sales rep for World Book Encyclopedia for about 10 years.
Mildred is survived by her children (listed above), a brother, Dr. Claude Manly Williams (ret.), of Media, PA, and by many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews, and great grand nieces and nephews, of various locations around the U.S. and the world.
A viewing is scheduled for 6:00 – 8:00 PM Friday, February 2, 2024 and 11:30 AM – 12:00 Noon Saturday, February 3, 2024 with a celebration of life service at Noon on Saturday both at Spring Creek Church of the Brethren, 335 East Areba Avenue in Hershey, PA. A brief graveside committal will be held in Spring Creek Cemetery, immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Child Evangelism Fellowship, 4305 Winthrop Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112.
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