Connie Marie Grote

Connie Marie Grote, 65, of Aberdeen, went to be with her Lord on Thursday, April 23, 2015. She passed away at Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 a.m., Tuesday April 28, 2015, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 409 3rd Avenue SE, Aberdeen. Father Shane D. Stevens will officiate the mass with Connie's nephew, Father Jordan Samson, as con-celebrant.

Private burial will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Aberdeen, with immediate family only.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m., Monday, at Schriver's Memorial Mortuary & Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, with a Liturgical Wake Service being held at 7:00 p.m. Visitation continues one hour before Mass at church on Tuesday.

Connie Marie (Samson) Grote was born on September 21, 1949, to Jerome and Doloris (Steiner) Samson in Sisseton, SD. She attended Sacred Heart Elementary School in Eden, SD, and then Sisseton High School, graduating with the Class of 1967. Connie furthered her education at St. Francis Academy in Hankinson, ND, prior to moving to Rapid City, where she graduated from the National School of Business.

While living in Rapid City, Connie met the love of her life, Randal Grote. They eventually married in Eden, SD, on December 6, 1974. She and her husband Randy spent a short time living in Minneapolis, MN, where they adopted their children; first a son, Ben Grote, on March 2, 1979, and the couple was overjoyed that they were finally able to have a family. Two years later, they were blessed with a call that they had adopted a little girl, Katy (Grote) Goulding, born on March 6, 1981. They both were overjoyed and thanked the Lord for bringing two children into their lives. The family moved to Aberdeen, SD, in 1982, where Connie attended Northern State University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. Upon completing her CPA exam, Connie began a 27-year career working at Eide Bailly, (formerly Eide Helmeke), where she remained until her retirement last year. She also was involved in Grote Roofing Company, a company she and her husband owned. In 2004, Connie was able to be present for her first grandchild's birth, Samuel Randal Goulding. A few years later, she was granted another grandchild, Delilah Bree Goulding, in 2007. She cherished being a grandmother. She was always there providing love, faith, and guidance to them.

From the beginning, Connie's life was devoted to her Lord. She shared the Lord's love with everyone around her. She was also very involved in her church and many organizations including: Zonta, Band 6 of Sacred Heart Church's Altar Society, Parish Council, Finance Council, Light of the World group, and perpetual adoration, just to name a few. She never missed any opportunity to be part of the church, and to serve the Lord. Connie was always willing to provide guidance, love, and generosity to all who had been a part of her life. In addition to those activities, Connie was also involved in card club and book club. She loved to crochet, read, and especially loved traditions such as Christmas, as she was always so proud of her Christmas tree. Connie was a loving, generous, and giving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, daughter, and friend. She would stop anything to help loved ones. She had many close friends whom she loved dearly. Her laughter was contagious. She had a special spark about her that could make anyone smile. She loved her family with all of her heart. Even at her children's adult age, she still allowed her kids to sit on her lap when they had a bad day. She always put everyone before herself.

So grateful to share the life of Connie are her husband of 40 years, Randal Bruce Grote; her son, Ben Grote; her daughter, Katy (Cody) Goulding; and her grandchildren, Samuel and Delilah Goulding, all of Aberdeen. Also grateful for sharing and being an influential part of her life are her family members: her parents, Doloris and Jerome Samson, Roslyn, SD; her sisters: Mary (Bill) Wagner, Roslyn, SD and Patty (Terry) Wagner, Roslyn, SD; her brothers, Curtis (Susan) Samson, Eden, SD, and Jerry (Tracy) Samson, Maple Grove, MN; along with the 25 nieces and nephews she was blessed with.

Pallbearers will be her nephews from her Samson family. Honorary pallbearers will be all of the staff and friends from Eide Bailly, as well as her close friends she has made over the years.

She will be deeply missed, we all love her so much, but we all know that she is with her Lord in paradise. We will see her again when it is our time. "The heart only hurts so bad because she gave all of us her love."

Blessed be her memory.