Emil J. Groth

Emil Groth, beloved father, husband, brother, coach, teacher, and friend, passed away on Monday, July 30, 2018, at St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, Minn. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, August 3, 2018 at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN. Burial will take place in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery north of Little Falls, MN. A visitation will be held from 4-8 P.M. on Thursday at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN and from 10-11 A.M. on Friday at the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN. Military honors are provided by the Little Falls American Legion Post #46. Arrangements are with the Shelley Funeral Chapel. A longtime resident of Little Falls, Emil was born in Hartley (O’Brien County), Iowa, on August 30, 1933, to German immigrant Ernest Groth and Marion (Meinel) Groth of Illinois. Emil was baptized and confirmed at the age of 18 at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Worthington, Minn. During his youth, when he wasn't working on the family farm in Worthington, Emil enjoyed participating in sports. Most notably, he played football (lineman, #61) at Worthington High School, where he earned his diploma in 1953. Later that year, Emil enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served for two years as an infantryman. He was promoted to the rank of corporal, and earned a National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1955, he served in the Army Reserve and enrolled in Worthington Junior College. He transferred to Mankato State Teachers College (now MSU-Mankato) in 1958. Emil always said football saved him by ensuring he acquired an education. He played football in the position of tackle for the Mankato State Indians during their 1959 conference championship-winning season, under the renowned Mankato State Head Coach Bob Otto. Through his studies at Mankato State, Emil gained a passion for teaching. He earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education in 1961. Emil got his first teaching job at Spearfish High School in South Dakota, where he served as B-squad football coach and assistant wrestling coach during the team’s wrestling state-title winning seasons in 1962 and 1963. Emil left Spearfish in 1963 to become a teacher and coach at Alexander High School in Nekoosa, Wisc. He taught U.S. history and a class called “modern problems,” and coached varsity wrestling and junior high football. At Nakoosa, Emil met the love of his life, Judith Gale Symes, who also was a teacher at Alexander High. Judy won Emil’s heart by merely accepting his invitation for their first date, which involved scouting football talent at a nearby school. Emil and Judy were married in Milwaukee on June 6, 1964. That year, they both attended summer school at Mankato State, with the support of scholarships awarded by the Nekoosa-Edwards Foundation. The following year, the couple left Nekoosa and relocated to Cosmos, Minn., where they both taught at Cosmos High School. Emil earned a master of science degree in school guidance counseling from Mankato State in 1966. Judy gave birth to their first daughter, Jennifer (Burr) in 1968. The family moved to Little Falls in the summer of 1969, and Emil began his 23-year career as a faculty member in the Little Falls school district, serving as guidance counselor, phy-ed and health teacher, and coach. In 1970 Emil and Judy welcomed their second daughter, Mary, and Emil began serving as assistant football coach. He coached both offensive and defensive lines for the Flyers varsity football team until his retirement in 1993 -- and even for a few years afterward. He helped lead the Flyers to many winning seasons, including the Central Lakes Conference Championship in 1985. He also helped out with the Flyers varsity wrestling program in its early days. Outside of school, Emil enjoyed working his farm north of Little Falls, where over the years he raised pigs, chickens, and cows, and cultivated corn, oats, and hay. Emil continued farming after his retirement from teaching. He loved making hay, and despite his declining mobility, he was determined to continue working the fields as long as he could. Emil’s family, friends, and former students and athletes will remember him as a man with inexhaustible kindness, empathy, and generosity, as well as an indomitable spirit and enthusiasm for life. Emil was seldom seen without a grin on his face, especially in his final years, when he had the opportunity to spend every day with his beloved family, and to be an important part of their lives. Emil was preceded in death by his wife Judy, his sisters Lola (Peterson) and Audrey (Slone), his parents Ernest and Marion, and many other relatives and friends. He is survived by his daughters, Mary, Jennifer (Burr), son-in-law Michael Burr, grandchildren, Mitchell, Lucas, and Violet, many nieces, nephews, and close friends, as well as Milo the cat. His final resting place is adjacent to Judy’s at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley.

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Emil J. Groth

August 30, 1933 - July 30, 2018