A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Lakewood Memorial Park for Reba Joyce Groves, 76, of Ceres. She died Feb. 5, 2009 at Kindred Hospital in Folsom.

Visitation will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today at the Ceres Chapel of Franklin & Downs.

Mourners are invited to attend a reception at the Alano Club, 1660 Herndon Road, Ceres, following the graveside service.

Born July 3, 1932 to Robert and Bessie Skaggs in Stratford, Okla., Reba moved to California in 1937. She attended school in Ceres and Coalinga, graduating from Coalinga High School in 1951. She attended Modesto Junior College and worked as a lab technician at Tri-Valley Growers. Mrs. Groves also was a licensed real estate agent. Reba was a member of Missionary Baptist Church of Ceres. Mrs. Groves enjoyed traveling, singing, writing poetry and songs and playing Scrabble.

She leaves behind her husband of 57 years, Kenneth Lee Groves of Ceres; two sons, Kenneth Lee Groves Jr., and Michael Jon Groves Sr.; four brothers, Johnny Skaggs, Kenneth Skaggs, Robert Skaggs and Jerry Skaggs; her grandchildren, Michael Jon Groves Jr., Miranda Lee Groves, and Marcus Gregory Groves; and her great-grandson, Braden Michael Skaggs.

-Ceres (Calif.) Courier /

Feb. 11, 2009