Evelyn Joy (Brown) Groom, 95, Grant City, Missouri, passed to her heavenly home on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at the Worth County Convalescent Center, in Grant City.
Evelyn was born on August 19, 1930 in a farmhouse three miles north of Allendale, Missouri near Lotts Grove. It was owned by her grandfather Aaron Edward Brown. She was the daughter of Dale (Thrasher) Brown and Wesley Weldon Brown, the oldest of eight children. The others were Ellen Jean, Elva Jewel, Donald Wesley, Betty Kay, twins Marilyn Dale and Madelyn Dean, and Rhonda Sue.
Evelyn helped her mother take care of her younger siblings, the housework, gardening, cooking and sewing.
Evelyn attended Eureka School north of Allendale with Eunice Dawson as her teacher and the McKeano School with Jesse Blake as her teacher through the 8th grade. After graduating from high school in May of 1948 as the class Valedictorian, she prepared for her career in teaching. Evelyn took a test at the County Superintendent’s office then attended eight weeks of summer school at Northwest Missouri State University.
Her first teaching assignment was a one room country school at Center East near Allendale, Missouri. This included a salary of $125 per month. Evelyn went on to teach elementary school in Worth County school system for 41 ½ years retiring in May of 1992, having taught more than 800 students. Evelyn said one of the biggest changes she had in teaching was when coming to Worth County School, going from a one-room school teaching many different grades to just one grade. She said it became a lot easier when she only had to prepare one lesson plan compared to lesson plans for several grade levels.
While still living with her grandpa, a young man named Gene Groom came to the house to see her.
They began dating and were later married on May 23, 1954 by Lewis Clark at the Darlington Baptist Church. To this union two children were born Michael Kevin and Lisa Michelle.
After retiring from Worth County in 1992, Evelyn moved to Nixa, Missouri in 1996 where she found a tight-knit congregation at Ozark Baptist Church, six miles east of Nixa. While at Nixa she joined the Christian County Teachers Association, where she was the historian and photographer. She also served as the homeowners’ association as president of her subdivision.
Any place Evelyn lived wanted to have a garden, fruit trees and flowers. Evelyn was truly blessed with a green thumb being able to grow almost anything. Her subdivision in Nixa was the only one that had a garden spot, which amazed all the other residents. They all watched closely as to what she would raise. She truly enjoyed sharing with the neighbors all her crops and flowers that she grew.
Evelyn loved outings going any and everywhere. She was always the first to arrive and the last to leave the annual Allendale 4th July Breakfast. She was the true definition of a “social butterfly” Evelyn said the way to live longer is to think positive. She always hoped for many years to help people and live for as long as she could be of use to others.
Preceding her in death were her husband Raymond Eugene Groom, age 53 (Jan. 21, 1975), mother Dale (Thrasher) Brown, father Wesley Weldon Brown, son-in-law David Perry, age 65 (Jan. 13, 2023), brother Donald Wesley Brown and a sister Ellen Jean Rinehart, brothers-in-law Jim Marcum, Kenny Smith, Wayne Brooke and Roy Lee Rinehart and sister-in-law Carleta Foreman.
Her survivors include her children, son Michael Kevin (Kay Manthe) Groom, Galesburg, Illinois, and daughter Lisa Michelle Perry, Grant City, Missouri, Sisters, Elva Jewell Marcum, Loveland, New Mexico, Betty Kay Smith, Allendale, Missouri, Marilyn Dale (Dan) Maudlin, West Burlington, Iowa, Madelyn Dean Brooke, Raytown, Missouri, Rhonda Sue Moore, Belton, Missouri, Grandchildren Brandon Taylor Groom, St. James, Missouri, Cassandra Monae` (Rafael) Geronimo, Ames, Iowa, nieces and nephews. Evelyn also had a host of other friends and former students of which she loved to reminisce of days gone by.
Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, Thursday, April 2, 2026 at the Hann Funeral Home, Grant City, Missouri, where family visitation will be held from 9:00-10:30 AM prior to the services.
Burial will be in the Kirk Cemetery, Allendale, Missouri.
Memorial: Mission Possible Food Pantry, Grant City, Missouri
Arrangements: Hann Funeral Home, Grant City
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