Lady Margaret Groves was born on July 8, 1921, in Saginaw, Michigan. She received her wings to meet her heavenly host on October 15, 2021. She was the eldest of William and Lady Celes Haithco’s five children.

Intent on becoming an educator, Lady Margaret graduated with honors from Saginaw Arthur Hill High School in 1939. That quest was undeterred by an initial rejection from Michigan State University, despite her academic qualifications. She graduated from Western Michigan College of Education (now Western Michigan University), then received a Masters of Arts degree from Michigan State University. Lady Margaret was the first African-American elementary school teacher in Saginaw, and was among the first African-American teachers in the Lansing School District.

She married her soul mate, Curtis L. Groves, and they jointly and resolutely raised two sons, Curtis L. Groves II, (“Lorry”) and Roger M. Groves.

During her 25-year career with the Lansing School District, Lady Margaret taught and inspired hundreds of first and second grade students at Main Street School on Lansing’s West Side. Her impact grew as she served as an elementary school principal, and later a personnel administrator for the Lansing Board of Education. She was the first to co-design and implement a recruiting program seeking African-American teachers throughout the Midwest and South, particularly from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Many of Lansing’s diverse teachers in the decades since are the fruits of her efforts.

Lady Margaret fervently and faithfully attended North Westminster Presbyterian Church (NWPC) for over 70 years, serving in a number of capacities, from teaching children’s Sunday school to being a Ruling Elder, an elected representative of the congregation to attend to the administration, discipline and spiritual life of the congregation. On July 28, 2019, NWPC dedicated Groves Memorial Garden in her honor, which includes a community-supported alternate resting place for the cremains of any of God’s beloved children who do not have a final resting place.

With parallel dedication, she was a beloved life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She was one of 13 founding members to charter the sorority’s Lansing Michigan graduate chapter, Delta Tau Omega, on December 17, 1947. In the 70-plus years thereafter, Lady Margaret remained active in the Chapter. In the 1970’s, she was a graduate advisor to Michigan State University’s undergraduate chapter, where she mentored a young lady who would later become her daughter-in-law, Joan Murph-Groves. Lady Margaret was the last living founding member of Delta Tau Omega.

Lady Margaret served on the Board of Directors and executive positions for numerous nonprofit organizations, including but not limited to Advent House Ministries (serving the homeless), NorthWest Initiative (developing sustainable healthy communities), American Association of University Women-AAUW (advancing gender equity), Zonta Club of Lansing (empowering professional women), and the Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society (LAAAGS). Lady Margaret was also a life member of the NAACP.

She received numerous awards for community and professional service, including the 2012 Lucille E. Belen Everyday Heroine Award in recognition of her contributions to families and community outreach, presented by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners and the Women’s Commission.

All of the above prompted former Mayor Antonio Benavides to grant her a Key to the City and declare July 27th “Lady Margaret Day” in the City of Lansing.

Lady Margaret is preceded in death by her parents, William and Lady Celes Haithco, devoted husband Curtis L. Groves, son Curtis L. Groves, II (“Lorry”), siblings William (Bill) Haithco, Dorothy Murray (John), Monte Warfield, brother in laws, Cyril McGuire (Mary Jane), Luther Groves (Mary), and Donald C. Groves, sister-in-law Beatrice Lites (Benjamin), and nephew William (“Billy”) Haithco. 

Lady Margaret is survived by son Roger M. Groves, sister Mary Jane McGuire, daughter-in-law Joan Groves, grandchildren Nicole A. Bridgeforth (Troy) and Monica M. Johnson (Randall Todd), great grandsons Randall Todd Johnson, Jr., and Bishop Nathaniel Bridgeforth, nieces and nephews Kent McGuire (Yvonne) and Terence McGuire (Diedra), Pamela Flowers, (Michael), Shari Haithco-Clarke, Jai Haithco (Brenda), Cheryl Haithco-Johnson (Bill), Richard Lites (Cathy), Judy Nelson (Michael), and grandnieces and grandnephews Brianna and Haley Flowers, Jai Haithco II, Danielle Haithco and William Haithco III, Kristen and Amanda McGuire, Evan and Lauren McGuire, Jai Haithco II, Courtney Nelson and Kiersten Nelson-Ticer.

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