Rev. John Daniel Groff

Dan Groff was born in Jefferson Township, Huntington County to Russell and Hazel (Hawkins) Groff on May 24, 1911. He graduated from Clear Creek High School in 1927. He attended Huntington College and graduated from Manchester College in 1931. He taught school and coached three sports at Bippus High School starting in 1931; his team achieved a 17 and 2 record and Chris Schenkel began his sports casting career calling the games at Bippus. He received his coaching certification from Northwestern University and his Masters in Education from Indiana University. While at Bippus he taught with Helen Eberhart---they were married in 1941. Following the wedding, Dan enrolled in Yale Divinity School, graduating with a Masters in Divinity in 1943. His first pastoral assignment was in San Antonio, Texas for one year, then the couple moved to Fort Worth where he was senior pastor at Arlington Heights Christian Church. Both of his children were born in Texas. While in Fort Worth, he was President of the Tarrant County Ministerial Association and was spokesman for the associated churches in the effort to desegregate the public schools of Fort Worth despite multiple threats to himself and his family. He also taught Christian Ethics at TCU. In 1953 the family moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan to be nearer their parents who resided in Huntington County. As president of the Berrien County Council of Churches he championed the cause of improving the living and working conditions of migrant workers employed in the fruit and vegetable fields of Southern Michigan. In 1959 the family returned to Huntington County for health reasons. He served at Bethesda E.U.B. on Bracken Road until he returned to full time teaching at Columbia City High School. He retired from CCHS at age 66. He continued working on the family farm into his mid 90’s. In 1993, following the death of Helen Groff, he married Mary Myerly Reece and moved to Claypool, near Warsaw, where he resided until age 100. His last year was spent in Huntington, living with his daughter and son-in-law. He was a life-long member of Kiwanis and the Masonic Lodge of Mount Etna. He is survived by a daughter, Elizabeth (Marshall) Sanders, a son, Daniel E. (Lynn) Groff, four grandchildren, Daniel Nelson (West Virginia), Rebecca (Bill) Whitlock (Indianapolis), John Daniel (Kayla) Groff (Minnesota), Jim Groff (Chicago) and one step-great grandson, Dalton Whitlock. In lieu of flowers, preferred memorials are Claypool United Methodist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, Huntington and Manchester University in care of Bailey-Love Mortuary, 35 West Park Drive, Huntington, IN 46750. Visitation will be held 2-7 p.m. Sunday (November 4, 2012) at Bailey-Love Mortuary, 35 West Park Drive, Huntington Indiana. Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday (November 5, 2012) at Trinity United Methodist Church, 530 Guilford, Huntington, Indiana with an hour visitation prior to the service. Pastor Robert Land and Pastor Evelyn Taylor Haney will be officiating. Burial will be held in the Clear Creek Cemetery, Huntington.

Rev. John Daniel Groff

May 24, 1911 - October 31, 2012