The funeral service for Ardith Grothen, 87, of Alexandria, formerly of Hanley Falls, will be Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church in Hanley Falls. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will follow at the Yellow Medicine East Cemetery.
Ardith Mae (Miller) Grothen was born on October 19, 1935, in Tyler, MN, to Arthur and Amelia (Giebink) Miller. As a child, she moved with her family to Cottonwood, Holland, and Hanley Falls. Ardith was united in marriage to Kenneth Grothen on October 17, 1953, at the parsonage of St. James Lutheran Church in Holland, MN. The couple lived in Hanley Falls for over 60 years, where they raised their four children. Ardith worked as a teacher’s aide for a time, and she was a teller at the bank in Hanley Falls for 25 years. Ardith was proud to have earned her GED later in life. In her free time, Ardith enjoyed reading, sewing, and playing cards. She also kept her mind sharp with Sudoku, crossword, and jigsaw puzzles. She was a collector of treasures, and she had stories for every item. Ardith loved visits from her family, especially her grandchildren. Ardith moved to Alexandria after Kenneth’s death in 2021.
Ardith passed away on Monday, November 21, 2022, at Grand Arbor Assisted Living in Alexandria. She is survived by her daughters Lynette (Mike) Becker of Chetek, WI, Sandra (Dan) Mock of Hanley Falls, and Patricia (Mark) Buysse of Brandon, SD; daughter-in-law Linda Grothen of Alexandria; grandchildren Misty VanLerberghe, Naomi Gamm, Shawn VanLerberghe, Katie Tonda, Travis Buysse, Derek Grothen, Jay VanLerberghe, and Perry Grothen; and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Kenneth Grothen, and son James Grothen.
