Roman L. Groff, 95, of Remsen, died Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005, at Happy Siesta Health Care Center in Remsen.

Roman L. Groff was born April 15, 1910, at Remsen, the son of Frank and Margaret (Homan) Groff. Roman was raised and educated in Remsen, graduating from St. Mary's Catholic School in 1928. He married Marian Hagar on June 24, 1936, at St. James Catholic Church in Le Mars. They made their home in Remsen.

Roman was in the plumbing business all his life. In the 1930's, during the Depression, Roman and his father operated Groff Hardware, located in the front of the Falke building. The plumbing, heating and tinwork and Groff Produce were in the back. Groff Produce was run by Roman who was a buyer for Armour.

He would drive his 1923 Model T throughout the country side buying chickens, eggs and cream from area farmers and transport them to Sheldon. Roman fell into the produce business quite easily after running the first hatchery in town with his brother Clarence in the 1920s. He was just a young boy but vividly remembered operating the hatchery with a capicity for 3,000 eggs in the basement of the family home. Every morning and night the eggs had to be turned by hand.

From 1927 to 1936 in the evenings, Roman ran the projector at the Grand Theatre for Fred Koch. He became projectionist in 1936 at the Vogue Theatre, owned by Allan Banks and worked there until 1942. In the 1930s he also operated a miniature golf course with Jack Scharff. Roman still had one of the original 750 watt bulbs used to light the course. He continued to work for his father and joined in a partnership in 1946. The company was then known as Groff and Son until Frank's death in 1959. At this time Roman took control of the business and his son, Dan began working for him.

On April 1, 1975 he retired and the third generation of Groff took over the now 100-year-old business, now known as Groff Plumbing Co. He had been a resident of Happy Siesta since Feb. 11, 2005.

Roman was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, and a 79-year member of the Catholic Order of Foresters. He received his 75-year pin in 2001. He was a member of many community organizations including the Lions Club for which he was awarded a Gold Lion for recruiting the most members in 1947; the Remsen volunteer fire department, of which he was a 25-year member; the Commercial Club, now known as the Chamber of Commerce, which he belonged to from 1946 to 1975. He was chosen Citizen of the Year in 1989.

Survivors include his wife, Marian of Le Mars; one son, Daniel and his wife. Clarice of Remsen; three daughters and their husbands, Marietta and Ken Alesch, Marian Fae and Jim Moritz, all of Remsen, and Christine and Larry Wearth of Tempe, Ariz.; six grandchildren; two stepgrandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; six great-stepgrandchildren; two great-great-stepgrandchildren; one sister, Callista Wallmark of Ossian; one sister-in-law, Jean Groff of Charles City; one brother-in-law, George Hagar of Le Mars; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one son-in-law, Robert Arens; two brothers, Clarence and Frank Jr.; five brothers-in-law, Clifford Wallmark, Howard and Lawrence Hagar, Jack Luken, Tom Garrett; and three sisters-in-law, Loretta Groff, Aileen Hagar, Lillian Luken Garrett.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Remsen with the Rev. Timothy Johnson officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Remsen.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. Sunday at the Fisch Funeral Home in Remsen. There will be a parish rosary at 3 p.m., a vigil prayer service at 7:30 p.m. and a rosary at 8 p.m. by the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Order of Foresters, all at the funeral home.

Casketbearers will be Roman Arens, Keith Arens, Tony Fuller, Marty Kurth, Mitchell Kurth and Brent Ruden.