Georgia Gross

Dates

Obituary

Georgia Gross, 82, of Mitchell, SD, passed away Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Firesteel Healthcare Center in Mitchell. Funeral services will be at 10:00 AM Saturday, June 28, at Harvest Community Church in Mitchell with visitation one hour prior. Burial will be at Prairie Bible Church Cemetery in rural Carpenter, SD. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

Georgia Ann (Hofer) Gross was born May 10, 1943 to Peter J. Hofer and Elizabeth D. (Glanzer) Hofer in the kitchen of their farm house in rural Hutchinson County two miles east of Clayton, SD. Georgia was baptized in the Christian faith at the Salem Mennonite Brethren Church of rural Bridgewater.  She attended school in the Freeman School District, first ironically at the Gross township country school near her home and finally riding the bus 17 miles each way to high school in Freeman (she was the first one on the bus and the last one off each day) where she graduated in 1961. 

After graduating high school, Georgia attended Dakota Wesleyan University where she majored in music education. Georgia made lifelong friendships in the DWU choirs and bands, and she cherished the concerts and trips she experienced with classmates while attending college. 

After graduating, Georgia began teaching elementary school music in the Mitchell School District. Georgia had stints at all the public elementary schools in Mitchell: Whittier, Bradley Young, Eugene Field, Litchfield, and Longfellow. With Ruth Schiming, another long-time Mitchell Elementary Music teacher, Georgia conducted the annual all-school elementary school concert at the Corn Palace showcasing all the hundreds of Mitchell elementary students in one huge, combined concert filling the Corn Palace with students and spectators.  Georgia taught thousands of students over the years and remembered most of them by name. Even in recent weeks, she was able to remember details of kids and their families from over fifty years ago, which impressed staff at Firesteel. She also had a passion for drama as she was instrumental in bringing the Missoula Children’s Theatre to the Mitchell community. Georgia taught piano and organ lessons to numerous students and adults over the years while playing for countless weddings, funerals, and other functions at area churches.  Georgia would often comment on the quality of organs and pianos of the various churches in the area when the church appeared in the media. 

Georgia met and married Lyle Gross while they were both teaching in Mitchell. They were married in the Mitchell United Methodist Church on August 6, 1967. To their marriage Geoffrey Lyle Peter (1972) and Garrett Lyle Peter (1976) were born.  Georgia and Lyle both taught in Mitchell and owned numerous rental properties in town while also spending weekends and summers working at both the Hofer farm in Hutchinson County and the Gross farm in Beadle County.  Georgia and Lyle both served in leadership and service roles at the Mitchell First Church of the Nazarene/Harvest Community Church. Lyle was diagnosed with colon cancer in September of 1980 and passed away June 10, 1981.  Georgia was left a widow after 13 years of marriage and raised two young boys on her own but with the help of countless friends, family members, coaches, and church members.  Georgia was ever-present at her sons’ athletic and fine arts events, and she often could be heard with a boisterous “woo-hoo!” after each base hit.

Georgia loved to travel on bus tours throughout her life (travel is a love passed on to her sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren), to eat her favorite foods seasoned with lemon pepper, to spend time with her grandchildren, and to share her love of music with others. She was straight forward with her words, (there are many stories of her bluntness when critiquing her students’ talents)but she cared immensely for others. Georgia bought every Veggie Tales video ever made for her grandchildren, so they could learn about the Bible, and she added her flair to every card or letter she wrote by writing “Sing-cerely” and replacing the “G” in Georgia with a treble clef and dotting the “i” with an eighth note.

Georgia began living in assisted living facilities in 2007 and moved into Firesteel Healthcare in 2010 where she received incredible care from the staff.  She did not walk for the last 13 years of her life, but the weakness of her legs was made up for by the strength of her heart. 

Georgia is preceded in death by her mother Elizabeth, father Peter, husband Lyle, mother-in-law Edna Gross, father-in-law Pete Gross and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.  She is survived by son Geoff, Julie of Mitchell; son Garrett, Mindy of Sioux Falls. Grandsons Garrison of Sioux Falls and Jamison of Mitchell. Granddaughters Ava, Elyse, and Grace of Sioux Falls and several cousins and many friends. Georgia left this world and its pain on June 24, 2025 at 5:36pm and is now walking with Jesus.  She was 82 years, 1 month, and 14 days old. 

Memorials can be directed to Harvest Community Church of Mitchell.

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