Mons C. Grove left Norway for the United States in 1850 at 20 years of age. He stayed a short while in Chicago, then moved to Kendall County, Ill. In 1855 he joined a group who came to Iowa to buy land, and returned to Illinois. He returned to Howard township in 1858 to settle on a 200 acre tract which he bought for $1.25 per acre, later trading 40 acres to Oliver Thompson for a white horse.
In 1859 he married Anna Sheldahl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rasmus Sheldahl, and they lived on their farm one mile south of Roland for 38 years. They were parents of nine children, six of whom grew to maturity: Lorenda, Mary (Mrs. Knut Teig), Emma (Mrs. Earl McCord), Edward, Martin, and Oscar.
In 1891, Mr. Grove and his son Martin bought the hardware store from Duea & Stole. In 1897, Oscar bought his father's share and the business became known as Grove Brothers" Hardware.
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