Nina Groves, 94 of rural New Sharon passed away Wednesday evening, October 28, 2020 at the Oskaloosa Care Center. Graveside funeral services will begin at 10:30 am Monday, November 2, 2020 at the Union Mills Cemetery at Union Mills. A funeral procession will form at the funeral home at 10:15 am to go to the cemetery. Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 1, 2020 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in New Sharon where the family will not be present. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Stephens Animal Shelter in Oskaloosa. Holland-Coble Funeral Home of New Sharon is in charge of arrangements

Nina Jane (Cox)Groves was born at home in Poweshiek County to Harvey and Elsie (Steele) Cox on May 25, 1926. Following graduation from Montezuma High School, she held a secretarial position for William Bonhan in Montezuma and later Maytag in Newton. Through a mutual friend, she met Herbert Groves, the love of her life. They were married on June 3, 1946, at the Christian Church in Oskaloosa. To this union one daughter was born, Marsha Ann on October 6, 1952.

Nina grew up on a farm in Poweshiek County, helping her dad till the ground with teams of horses. She loved farming with Herbert, always tirelessly by his side, whether planting or harvesting crops, or tending to their livestock. She loved her garden, cooed to her baby chicks when they arrived via the mailman in March, then dressed them in May for the best grilled and fried chicken around. Her garden was amazing, albeit right beside honey bee hives to pollinate their large apple orchard. Her daughter made many a screaming run to the house with honey bees in tow only to be laughingly told don't run, they won't sting you! Sure! They enjoyed fishing on the North Skunk River where Nina was VERY protective of her "feeshing" holes! Woe be to anyone who encroached on those! She and Herbert took many numerous fall fishing trips to Canada and Minnesota with their neighbors. She enjoyed her neighborhood monthly club meetings and she and Herbert's morning card games and coffee time with their neighbors.

Nina and Herbert so enjoyed attending almost all the activities their three grandchildren participated in, i.e. baseball, softball, football, track, volleyball, choir, band and jazz band. They continued to attend their three grandchildren's activities at Iowa State University. He and Nina took great delight in their eight great grandchildren.

After retirement in the late 1980's, you would find Herbert and Nina taking their daily pickup drives around the neighborhood to check on the crops and observe the farmers during the planting and harvest season, or make trips to the New Sharon Dairy Crème to get Nina an ice cream cone. Nina was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and the progression of the disease necessitated she become a resident at the Oskaloosa Care Center for two and a half years, then recently tested positive for Covid.

Nina's is survived by her beloved family, daughter Marsha (Allen) Haworth; her grandchildren, Troy (Deidra) Haworth of Snohomish, WA, Adam (JoAnn) Haworth of Louisville, NE and Lara (Chris) Widdig of Cambridge, NY; along with her eight great grandchildren, Chloe, Blake and Luke Haworth; Waylan and Holly Haworth; and Crew, Wade and Sky Widdig. She is also survived by three nieces, Carole Tindle of Montezuma, Dorothy Upton of Phoenix, AZ and Rebecca Eddy of Marshall, MO.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Herbert; her father and mother-in-law, W.T. and Effie Groves, sister and brother-in-law, Lucille and Harry Ketels; two nephews, Greg Springer and Norman Ketels; a niece, Janice Ketels; sister-in-law, Wilma (George) Springer, four step sisters, Bertha Grace (Larry) Sharpe, Alice (Robert) Moren, Lena (Harlan) Butcher and Ida (David) Reynolds and a step brother, Francis Watson.