Luther Perry Grover
Luther Perry Grover was born on February 8, 1824, in Waterville, Maine, to Benjamin and Betsy Grover. In his early years, the Grover family moved west to Liberty, Illinois, where Luther married Lovinia Lierly on March 25, 1852. There, the couple built a life together, establishing a 200-acre farm and raising four children: Isaac (1853), William (1854), Owen (1857), and Lilly (1860). In 1864, they sold the farm to Luther’s brother, Pardon Grover, for $6,000 in paper currency—a significant sum for the time.
With determination and hope, the Grovers set out westward across the plains in a journey emblematic of the American pioneer spirit. They traveled with two wagons drawn by teams of mules and horses. Jim Wilkins drove the second wagon, and they were joined by William Townsend and his wife Sarah, Lovinia’s sister, as well as Lovinia’s 18-year-old unmarried sister, Olive Lierly. Initially part of a larger wagon train of sixty, the group later continued on their own past the Platte River. Their path led them through Salt Lake City and onward to the wide Nevada plains.
Tragedy struck during their journey when their young daughter, Lilly, just three years old, died of “mountain fever” in 1864. She was lovingly laid to rest on the open plains of Nevada—her memory forever etched in the hearts of those who journeyed on.
The family eventually reached California, settling first between Napa and Sonoma, where they spent a year cultivating a vineyard and apple orchard. In 1867, they moved north to Potter Valley, where Luther purchased an 80-acre ranch from Lowe Anderson, including government land acquired for $1.25 an acre. There, they would plant their roots more permanently.
On February 19, 1876, Lovinia passed away from rheumatic fever at the age of 44. Two years later, Luther married Mary Ann Purpus, a widow with a daughter, Nettie. Luther and Mary had two children of their own: Alice (born 1879), who sadly passed away at the age of six in 1886, and Leon Luther (born 1882), who would later marry Elise Ellen Cowie.
Mary’s daughter, Nettie Purpus, went on to marry Samuel Grave, becoming part of the extended Grover family.
Luther Perry Grover passed away in Potter Valley on August 8, 1909, at the age of 85. Mary Ann Grover followed on June 18, 1918, at age 74. Today, Luther rests in the family plot alongside both of his wives, two of his children, and other beloved family members — a quiet testament to a life of pioneering spirit, enduring love, and generations of legacy rooted in the soil of Potter Valley.
Leon Luther Grover Sr. was born on April 13, 1882, in Potter Valley, California, to Luther Perry Grover and his second wife, Mary Ann Grover. On August 12, 1915, he married Elise Cowie in Seattle, Washington. Elise was born on December 19, 1884, in Minnesota.
Together, Leon and Elise had three children: Jean Patience (born 1916), Milton Douglas (1918), and Leon Luther Jr. (1921).
Leon was a successful farmer and a well-respected leader in his community. In 1918, he was appointed district chairman for a relief campaign supporting displaced Armenians, Greeks, and Syrians in Turkey. A year later, he shipped 26 carloads of hogs to San Francisco, earning $70,000—an impressive amount for the time.
Leon spent his life in Mendocino and Lake Counties, where he remained active in civic and community affairs. He was a dedicated member of the Lakeport Presbyterian Church and had been involved with the Ukiah Lodge No. 174 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) since 1913. A passionate supporter of youth sports, he helped organize local baseball teams in Potter Valley and promoted youth baseball throughout Lake County. He also served for eight years as president or director of the Potter Valley Irrigation District.
Elise, equally devoted to her community, was a long-time educator. She taught school both in the East and later in Potter Valley. Like Leon, she was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was active in the Rebekah Lodge.
Tragically, their son Milton Douglas passed away in 1923 at the age of five. Their daughter, Jean, later married Bertram Thomas, while their son, Leon Jr., married Harriett Price.
Elise Grover passed away on December 5, 1967, at the age of 83. Leon followed her ten years later, passing on July 31, 1977, at the age of 92. Both are laid to rest in the Grover family plot, remembered with love and gratitude for their many contributions to the land and people they served.
Their son Leon Jr passed away in 1995 and Harriett in 1996, both are buried in the family plot in Potter Valley.
The children of Luther died in the following years: Isaac in 1928, William in 1936, Lilly in 1864, and Owen in 1922.
The children of Leon Sr. died in the following years: Milton in 1923, Leon Jr. in 1995, and Jean (date of death unknown).