Peter B. GROVES was born October 20, 1827. He married Sarah Ann FOSTER in 1854. They came to Iowa from Ohio in 1861, and settled near Kellerton, Iowa. In 1890, they came to Benton in Ringgold County. The SALTZMAN; Thomas, who married Nancy ARGABRIGHT; James, who married Mary BURNS; Udahl and Ed, who never married; and Cora, who died at the age of 10 years. Peter died in 1896. Tom moved to the CROUCH farm south of Benton.

Maude Ann GROVES was born in Benton, Iowa on August 6, 1904, to Thomas Oscar and Nancy Almeda GROVES. She was one of ten children d, of which only five lived to adulthood. They were Carl, Ira, Ezra, Mae, and Maude. They all attended school in the old school and the new one. When going to school, they walked up the railroad track. If a train came, they got off the track and waited for the train to go by.

Ira died at the age of twenty-one. Carl was in the service during World War I. He returned from the war to Benton and married Iona STACEY. They farmed the family farm. Ezra and Mae graduated in 1921. Ezra married Ava WALLACE, a teacher at the Benton school. They moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where he worked in the post office. Mae married Paul MICHAEL, and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Paul worked in the post office.

Maude Ann graduated from high school in 1923. Later, she married Perle J. ANDREWS from Lincoln Township. They lived in Lincoln Township until they moved back to Benton on a farm north of Benton. They had four boys: Robert Lee, born on September 3, 1928; William Dale, born September 17, 1929; Richard Perle, born June 18, 1931 and lived to the age of six weeks; and Kenny Max, born February 2, 1934. All three boys attended and graduated from Benton school. Bob and Bill graduated in 1947 and Kennethy in 1952.

Robert married Rose COURTNEY,a teacher in the primary grades in Benton. Bill married Phyllis HAMMOND of Diagonal. Kenneth married Glea REES of Mount Ayr and works for Iowa Southern Utilities.

Bill and Phyllis have one daughter, Teresa, who is married to Curt WILKEY. Curt and Teresa are the parents of a daughter, Amanda, who was born April 23, 1984.

Kenneth and Glea have three sons: Keven, married to Brenda NOBLE; Kelly; and Kent. Keven and Brenda

SOURCE: 1887 - Benton, Iowa Centennial - 1987. Pp. 174-75. Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library, Mount Ayr IA

Transcriptions and notes by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012

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