Louis Milton Groce, 97, of Chenoa passed away at 11:26 pm on Friday, January 26, 2018 at his residence in Chenoa.

A Funeral Mass will be he held at 11 am on Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Chenoa with Father Carl LoPresti officiating.  Burial will follow in Chenoa Twp. Cemetery, Chenoa.

Visitation will be 9:30 to 11 am, prior to his funeral mass also at the church on Wednesday.  Duffy-Pils Memorial Home is in charge of arrangements.  In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be directed to St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Chenoa.

Louis was born July 13, 1920 in Cloquet, MN; son to Russell and Margaret (Williams) Groce. He married Esther Elaine Hansen on October 22, 1956 in Winchester, IL.

He is survived by his children: Cynthia (Robert) Fritz of Davie, FL; and Daniel (Ellen) Groce of Chenoa; five grandchildren: Nathaniel and Alexandra Fritz, Louis Groce, Molly (Adam) Teman, and Sammi Groce.

He was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers, Russell Groce, Daniel King, Edward King and Clint King.

Louie worked for several decades as superintendent of Chenoa Stone Quarry, managing the mine, proudest of his unblemished safety record.  As a former pilot, Louie continued his interest in the history and progress of aviation.  He was a life-long fan of the Green Bay Packers and the St. Louis Cardinals.  His love of sports extended to all types of auto racing, particularly NASCAR, but his passion was hunting deer and ducks as a member of the Log Slough Club.

He taught himself the German language, listening to German music and news in his adopted language.  He's perhaps best known for regaling others with stories of the past, always ready with a profoundly insightful quip on politics and the ways of the world.

His faith gave him comfort, and his family and friends gave him joy and an opportunity for more tales to be told.