Opal Groff
Feb. 25, 1924-July 13, 2021
Opal A. Groff, 97, of
Leeds, ND, passed away
Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at
the Heart of America
Medical Center in Rugby,
ND.
A Private Family Burial
will be held Thursday,
July 15, 2021 at Our
Savior’s Lutheran
Cemetery in rural Harlow,
ND. A Celebration of Life
will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers,
memorials are preferred
to Our Savior’s Lutheran
Cemetery: 4915 50th Ave-
nue NE Maddock, ND
58348.
Opal A. Bratvold Groff
was born February 25,
1924 at Baker, North
Dakota. Her parents were
Emil and Agnes Engen
Bratvold. They lived at
Baker until 1928, then
moved to Harlow where
Emil had bought a grocery
general merchandise
store, later known as the
Harlow Cash Store. Opal
attended ten years of ele-
mentary and high school
at Harlow and 2 Ç weeks
at Central High School in
Devils Lake, North Dako-
ta. The family was active
in Sunday school and Our
Savior’s Lutheran church
in Harlow. Opal began
teaching beginners Sun-
day school class and was
part time Sunday school
pianist. She taught youth
Farmers Union class for
fifteen years. Opal and
Walter O. Groff were mar-
ried November 24, 1940 at
the Fillmore, North Dako-
ta Lutheran church. They
raised a family of seven
children. Opal and
Walter lived in Harlow
from 1942 to 1944.
Walter enlisted in the
Army Air Force in 1942.
Opal and Karen traveled
with Walt to several states
while he was in training.
After his father’s death in
1944, Opal and Walter
moved to the Ole Groff
farm north of Harlow.
There were no built-up
roads or electricity on the
farm. They lived in Har-
low from 1948 to 1955.
In 1951 they attended
Our Savior’s Lutheran
Church in Harlow and the
Assembly of God church
in Devils Lake, North
Dakota for two years.
Then they attended the
Assembly of God church
in Cando, North Dakota
and the Christian and
Missionary Alliance
church in Brinsmade,
North Dakota. Opal and
Walter helped establish
the Revival Center in
Leeds, North Dakota and
were active in weekly
home Bible study and
prayer meetings. Opal at-
tended Restoration Minis-
tries church in Rugby,
North Dakota 1999 to
2016. Opal was employed
as an In-Home Care Spe-
cialist for Benson County
Social Services from 1976
to 2008 and also did
Parent Aid and Easter
Seal Respite Care. Her
first job was working as a
babysitter earning 15
cents for all night, she
worked in her parent’s
grocery store where she
filled shelves, carried coal
and ashes and water, test-
ed cream, candled eggs
and did general clerking.
When her husband joined
the Army Airforce in 1942
Opal traveled with him
sometimes and worked at
various jobs. In 1943 she
was employed at a cloth-
ing factory in Bellville, Il-
linois sewing the flies for
men’s pants and she took
in ironing for two ladies at
Bellville. Opal picked po-
tatoes with her dad and
sister Clarice at North-
wood, North Dakota.
They were paid 3 cents
for each 100# of potatoes
they picked. Her last job
was Assistant Correspon-
dent with her daughter
Sheri Groff Tuchscherer
for the Harlow Happen-
ings column in the Ben-
son County Press, Min-
newaukan, North Dakota
until April 18, 2021.
Opal’s interests included
gardening, canning, sew-
ing, family history, travel
and the Norsk Hostfest.
Her foreign travels includ-
ed Norway, Japan, Eng-
land, Wales, Germany,
France, Austria, Lichten-
stein, Mexico, Canada and
Nova Scotia.
Survivors include her
children: Karen and hus-
band Roger Hill of Es-
mond, North Dakota, Su-
san Groff and husband
David Wass of rural
Underwood, Minnesota,
Nancy and husband
Nathan Wass of Roseville,
Minnesota, Wayne Groff
and husband Jim Dryden
of Roseville, Minnesota,
Rebecca Groff and hus-
band John Biles of Lafay-
ette, Colorado, Sheri
Tuchscherer and husband
Tim Tuchscherer of rural
York, North Dakota and
Sandi Groff and husband
David Crooke of St Croix,
USVI and rural Harlow,
North Dakota. Sisters Al-
ice Knutson of Devils
Lake, North Dakota and
Clarice Ovrid and hus-
band Bill Francis of Simi
Valley, California and
Grants Pass, Oregon.
Sister-in-law Irene Brat-
vold of Simi Valley, Cali-
fornia and Pat Groff of
San Diego, California.
Grandchildren Ross Hill,
Rachel Cunningham,
Chad Hill, Signe Wass,
Katrina Wass, Natalie
Wass and Nadra Wass,
fourteen
great-grandchildren, one
great-great grandson and
nieces and nephews.
Opal was preceded in
death by: her husband
Walter Groff May 1st,
1994, his parents, Ole and
Ingeborg Groff, and si-
blings: Gilbert Groff, Ben-
nie Groff, Thelma Park,
Maybelle Holk, Lillian
Hoff and Glenn Groff,
Opal’s parents, Emil and
Agnes Bratvold, brothers
Elmer Bratvold and Orlyn
Bratvold, sister Annie
Brenno Schmid,
brothers-in-law Ted
Ovrid, Bernie Knutson,
George Schmid, Lee Horn,
Gilbert Groff, Bennie
Groff, Eugene Park, Erwin
Holk, Glenn Groff, Bob
Hoff and sisters-in-law
Mitsue Yasuda Bratvold
and Ernistine Pichler
Bratvold.
Online condolences
may be left at
www.thenelson
funeralhome.com.
The Nelson Funeral
Home of Leeds is in
charge of the arrange-
ments.