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“That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” -Emily Dickinson
Dolores Nell Grober passed away on October 31, 2015 in Muskogee. She was born in Muskogee on August 5, 1930 to Raymond F. Ford and Edna Gorton Ford and was the oldest of three children. She grew up in Muskogee and graduated from Muskogee Central High School in 1947 and attended Christian College in Columbia, Mo., where she received her associates degree in 1949.
It was 1948 when she met her husband, Carl Merle Grober, at “stag corner” in Muskogee. Merle had just returned from service with the U.S. Army in Korea and they began their relationship. Dolores and Merle were married in Van Buren, Arkansas in 1950 and she went to work for People’s Credit while Merle attended Okmulgee Tech studying the electrical business. They settled in Muskogee where she had many friends, but Ruth Ann DeCamp was her closest, and they remained friends until her death.
In 1956 Dolores and Merle started their family and had two sons, Mark and Steven, and she quit work. The trials of raising two boys no doubt propelled her to want to finish her education and go back to work, however she put that on hold while Merle started Grober Electric in 1960 and they raised their children.
Going to the lake, attending ball games, unsuccessfully trying to get her sons to learn piano and cooking were many of her activities. She was an exceptional cook and could always “just throw something together”.
In 1970, she announced to her family that she was going back to school to become a teacher. Dolores graduated with honors from Northeastern State University in 1973, became an English teacher at Muskogee High School and later earned her Master’s degree from the University of Tulsa. Her passion for teaching was rewarded when she was named teacher of the year as voted on by MHS students. She loved the poetry of Emily Dickinson and the writings of Mark Twain, her favorite authors. She taught at MHS until her retirement from Muskogee Public Schools in 1995. She also taught classes at Connors State College and had the privilege of teaching three of her granddaughters while at Connors.
Dolores loved to travel to Europe, where she made sure to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace and Anne Hathaway’s cottage. She delighted in the opportunity to take her four granddaughters on their “senior” trips to Italy, England and France and may have even given them their first taste of wine. Her granddaughters truly were her source of pride and joy and she instilled in them her passion for education, literature and cooking. She was the perfect grandmother and learned how to use a smart phone and computer so she could keep up with her granddaughters and great grandchildren. Julie and Valerie, her daughters-in-law, were the daughters she never had, and they enjoyed cooking, shopping, attending plays and talking about their grandchildren together.
Dolores was active in First Presbyterian Church, Muskogee County Retired Teachers Association, Shakespeare Club and was a charter member of the Wednesday Night Winos. She loved to play bridge and was adamant about walking on a daily basis, as her neighbors would attest. She was an ardent supporter of education and the value of strong public schools to the community. Her family already misses her terribly and appreciates the outpouring of kind words from her former students, colleagues and friends. They would also wish to thank the wonderful staff at Eastar and Cornerstone Hospitals and Dr. Jeremiah Rutherford and his staff for their care.
Dolores is survived by her husband Merle, with whom she celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on September 2, 2015; sons, Steven B. Grober and wife Julie, and Mark A. Grober and wife Valerie of Muskogee; granddaughters, Christina Ambuehl and Ben, Johns Creek, Georgia, Amy Finch and Allen, Tuttle, OK, Kelly Murray and Carl, Skiatook, OK and Emily Trotter and Jeff, Oklahoma City; great grandchildren, Liza Jane, Chaz, Beckett and Silas Ambuehl; Noah, Lily and Josiah Finch; Reed Murray and Darcy Nell Trotter; sister, Joyce McCormick and Alan, Tulsa, OK and brother, Raymond Ford, Jr. and Ellen, Lantana, Texas; sister-in-law, Georgelene Grober, Muskogee, OK; and numerous nephews and nieces.
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