Arthur LeRoy Grover

3 ways To Join the Live Webcast: -scroll down to the events and Under the livestream service click on "Watch Event" -click on tribute wall above and select "watch now" -copy and paste this url into a web browser: https://vimeo.com/479720540/bf31c09a03 FITCHBURG - Arthur LeRoy “Hank” Grover passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, after a lengthy struggle with many end of life health issues. He was born in Leavenworth, Kan., on Sept. 25, 1935, to Arthur H. and Nellie (Hoag) Grover. His early life was spent on a small farm in that area until his father was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. From that point on, his family was disrupted frequently by moves to follow his father’s military assignments. This resulted in Arthur attending 14 different schools in his 12 school years in countless states. His high school years were spent at Langley Field, Va., Kansas City, Mo., and New Haven, Mich., graduating in 1953 from New Brunswick High School in New Jersey. He was promptly recruited by his father, who was then an Air Force recruiter, into the Air Force. He did his basic training at Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, followed by Tech School at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo. While at Warren Air Force he joined several barracks buddies to buy his first guitar and form a pickup band to play in local bars for free. He became the vocalist for the group as he was a big fan of a new country music star, Hank Williams. He sang all of Hank Williams' songs and established his talent to memorize his music and never used sheet music. That's when he became “Hank” Grover. He served an overseas tour of duty in 1954 and 1955 in Thule Air Base in Greenland and was then transferred to Truax Field in Madison, Wis., where he joined another pickup band composed of Air Force buddies and UW students and they called themselves the Southern Gentlemen and played every weekend at Glen-N-Ann’s Cozy Inn on North Frances Street (now known as the Nitty Gritty), playing a new sound for the area known as Bluegrass. Some of his band buddies were Eric Weisberg, who was known later for his banjo solo in “Dueling Banjos” and Paul Prestopino who went on to play banjo for the Chad Mitchell Trio. It was at the Nitty Gritty that he met his future wife, Darlene Joyce Evert, who was there with a group of friends celebrating her 21st birthday. They were married a year later. After his discharge from the Air Force he was employed by the State Medical Society as a printer. In 1958 he began his civilian Federal employment of 22 years at USAFI (United States Armed Forces Institute), a correspondence school for serviceman that was headquartered on the capitol square in what is now the Madison Children’s Museum. He began as a printer there but after completing a course of study at The Art Institute of Minneapolis, he was promoted to illustrator/artist for textbooks and other educational materials for USAFI and UW-Madison. He was elected President of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1773. USAFI closed in 1975 displacing all the federal employees. Arthur was displaced along with the others and was then offered a position at the Rock Island Arsenal in Iowa. Over the next years he moved on to the Pensacola Naval Air Station and the Research Triangle in Raleigh, Durham, N.C., before returning to Madison in 1978. Upon his return he found civilian employment at the Carnes Corporation in Verona where he was employed for the next 27 years as director of Advertising and Literature. He was employed there until he retired with regret at age 70. Through the years he continued to enjoy his music and was a member of many of the local bands including the Dick Sherwood Band and TV Show, the Don Ring Orchestra, the Blue Knights, the Goose Island Ramblers, the Harry Edwards Band, the Shirley Newpert Group and ended his musical career in 1988 after 10 years in the Kristi B Band. Through the years he also enjoyed singing for special occasions in his church as well as fulfilling many requests to sing and play for friends and family. He enjoyed the genealogy research of his family when it was still done on paper. He was a long-time member of the AFGE and Musicians' Union. He enjoyed being a docent at Old Halfway Prairie School, the Cross Plains-Berry Historical Society and the Civil War School Days, which recreated a 2nd Wisconsin Company K encampment. He always belonged to both the golf and bowling leagues associated with his places of employment. He enjoyed woodcarving and authored a book on making Christmas ornaments. He donated eight gallons of blood to the Red Cross throughout the years. He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church on East Washington Avenue for 39 years before moving his membership back to his first church in Wisconsin, St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Marxville. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Darlene; his sons, Daniel (Jill) and Timothy (Corinne); grandchildren, Joshua (Jessica) Grover, Rebecca Suter (Justin), Trevor Warmuth, Patrick (Jessica) Grover and Cora Grover; his great-grandchildren, Jonothan, Lilee and Joshua Grover and Jut, Jillian and Livee Suter; his sisters, Doris Wade of Alabama and Bernice Smith of Virginia and their families; sisters-in-law, Marilyn Hahn (Richard) and Gloria Evert; brother-in-law, Paul Evert (Marjorie) and their families; godchildren and many other friends and relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Ralph and David (infant); his in-laws, Franklin and Violet Evert; his brother-in-law, Ronald; his daughter-in-law, Sandra (Warmuth) Grover; and his dearly beloved grandson, Spencer William Grover. A public drive thru visitation will be held at GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 7435 University Ave., Middleton, from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. A private service will be held. Friends and family who wish to view services via LIVE STREAM may visit Hank's obituary page at www.gundersonfh.com and click on the Watch Webcast link at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. A graveside service will take place at ST. PAUL-MARXVILLE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN PARISH, 8748 State Road 19, Marxville, at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020, with military rites to follow. The family would like to thank Dr. Albert Musa and his staff for the excellent care they gave Hank over the years. Memorials may be donated to St. Paul/St. John's Church Marxville, The Friends of Old Halfway Prairie School or Agrace Hospice Care. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. He did it his way. Gunderson West Funeral & Cremation Care 7435 University Ave. (608) 831-6761