Polk County GaArchives Obituaries.....George Washington  Groce 1917
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(Cedartown Standard, September 20, 1917) 
Rev. George Washington Groce, a former beloved preacher here, died Sept. 5th at 
Shawnee, Okla., and his many old friends here regret his death. His daughter, 
Miss Ila, writes: "He enjoyed reading The Standard so much, and during his last 
illness he spoke of his many friends in Cedartown." The following record of his 
useful life was published in the Shawnee News: The subject of this sketch, Rev. 
George Washington Groce, born in Carroll county, Ga., Dec. 2, 1859, died at 
Shawnee, Okla., Sept. 5, 1917 being 67 years, 9 months and 3 days old. He was 
first married Dec. 11, 1879, to Miss Nancy Ann Boyd. To this union seven 
children were born, five of whom survive, viz., Curtis L. Groce of Atlanta, 
Miss Ila Groce, Mrs. Geo. F. Northcutt, Russell Groce and Carl Groce, all of 
Shawnee. The mother of these children died sixteen years ago and was buried at 
Cedartown, Ga. He was married the second time Oct. 6, 1904, to Miss Maggie 
Glenn, of St. Louis. She survives him. Bro. Groce was converted to Christ 
thirty-nine years ago and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Soon 
thereafter he answered the call to preach, was ordained a deacon Nov. 25, 1894, 
by Bishop Atticus G. Haygood. He devoted thirty-two years of his life to the 
work of the ministry. In 1902 he left his children in Georgia and came to 
Shawnee, Okla., where he assisted in the building of the old brick First M. E. 
church South. In the fall of that year he took the pastorate at McLoud and 
moved his children there. In 1904 he moved again to Shawnee, organized Trinity 
church and continued as pastor for three years. No man ever more completely 
stamped himself upon a people than he did upon the Trinity people. Though very 
feeble, he made his way to the church and preached his last sermon on earth to 
them on the afternoon of July 29th, 1917. Following that, on Wednesday evening, 
he was stricken the fourth time with paralysis, from which he suffered 
intensely up to the time of his death. Bro. Groce was a good man, a man of 
faith, a man of God. He loved the church; the church loved him. He loved men; 
men loved him. During his ministry he directly led 500 souls to Christ. Through 
sunshine and rain; through the heat of summer and the cold of winter, he went 
where the church sent him to minister unto the unfortunate and wayward. How 
faithfully he wrought was attested by the great concourse that followed his 
body to the grave. He fought a good fight. He kept the faith. Henceforth there 
is laid up for him a crown of righteousness. On Sept. 7th, funeral services 
were conducted at Trinity church by the writer, after which his tired body was 
laid to rest in Fairview cemetery by the Masonic order, of which he was a 
member. Chas. L. Brooks. (Cedartown Standard, September 20, 1917) 


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