Paul (Ace) Groves 94, was born July 3, 1915 in St Louis, Missouri and deceased October 19, 2009 in Shafter. Graveside services will be held at Shafter Memorial Park on Friday, October 23 at 10:00 a.m. Reverend Wayne Montgomery will officiate. Paul was predeceased by his parents William John (Jack) Groves and Inda Higgins Groves, brothers William Day and Homer Groves and wives Mona Groves Perry and Pauline McNew Groves. He is survived by his son Jack and daughter-in-law Selita of Shafter; step daughters Patsy Stephens and Deb Gervasi of Bakersfield; also grandchildren Jeff and Alison Groves of Shafter, Kevin Groves and Greg Humpa of San Francisco and Jennifer Groves of Bakersfield. Patsy's children; Max, Ryan, Andy and Truman; four great grandchildren; Alexis Weishaar, Layla, Lane and Bella Riddle. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Wasco (3rd degree Mason), Elks Lodge of Wasco (Editor of Jolly Corker, Secretary & Treasurer), Shafter Lions Club (Past President), Stockdale Country Club, Wasco 20/30 Club, Wasco Merchants Baseball Team, Stockdale Country Club Traveling Golf Team. At the age of 6 "Ace" crossed from Ft Smith, Arkansas to Denton Texas in a covered wagon. By the age of seven he was hawking bags of roasted peanuts and five different newspapers to train riders who tossed coins and caught the peanuts. He pumped the bellows on player pianos for silent movies and exhibition boxed for nickels and dimes at intermission. He never tired of relating stories of his great coach Jake Spann who made a quarterback and defensive end out of "Midnight" for Hollis High School in Oklahoma. He married Mona Homer in Hollis in 1935 and moved to Wasco in 1936. He was an apprentice printer trained by the master Jack White in Altus, Oklahoma. Publisher Tom E. Shafer gave him his first job in California as a linotype operator. He proudly taught his cousins, brother-in-law and grandson how to be printers. He was the first editor and publisher of the McFarland "Shopper's Guide," shop foreman of the Wasco News, Shafter Press and owner of Groves Commercial Printing which he founded in 1955. He was the editor of the Jolly Corker, the monthly Elks newsletter for over 20 years. At the age of 90, he won an all-expenses-paid trip to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania for his essay on "What America Means to Me." Paul's greatest pleasure every summer was his trip to Austin, Texas to meet brother Billy and mosey on down to Canton, Texas for the largest swap meet in the USA, dominoes, rocking chairs and barbeque along the way. Fall River fishing trips with son Jack, grandson Jeff, friends Rolly Allen, Alan Hoggard, Cliff Van Kopp and Bill Browning were greatly anticipated every year. Paul was an accomplished golfer and long standing member of Stockdale Country Club's traveling golf team. He recorded two holes in one and shot his age when he was 77. He could be seen hitting golf balls from his front yard on 7th Street to the band room at Wasco High on any given morning. At the age of 93 he made a solo trip to Colorado Springs so he could fish with his buddy Bobby Jameson. He had a million friends and loved them all. Whether golfing, fishing or playing pitch, these words rang out: "it's not so funny when I do it!" Especially after a long putt! Greatly appreciated in later life were his dear friends, Margaret Esponda and Carol Klein, Derek and Stacy, his extended family of late. Thanks go to his devoted caregiver Barbara Banks Robertson, and Drs Robert Hagen, Greg Stainer, Anil Mehta and Hoffman Hospice nurses, Bernice, Donna and Diane. Pall Bearers: Rolly Allen, Jim Albright, Alan Hoggard, Lehman Parker, Bob Jameson and John Dennison. Honorary Pall Bearers: Jim Eskew, Gene Diseth, William Browning, Randy Groves, Dr.Cliff Van Kopp, Morton Wallace, Ed Curtis, Bob Brandt, Craig Proffitt, Phillip Cordy, Walt Weishaar, and Dr. Greg Stainer.