Rev. Bobby (Grove) Musgrove Sr.

Rev. Bobby (Grove) Musgrove Sr, was born on April 22, 1933 in Oneida, Kentucky. His parents were Jason and Hester Musgrove. He had two sisters, Betty McKenzie and Barbara June Richmond. He also had a brother, Jack.

Rev. Grove married Fayette Boggs on December 31, 1954. They remained happily married for the next 63 years until his death. They have four sons: Bobby Frank Musgrove Jr, Jackson Weldon Musgrove, Danny Joe Musgrove, and Jeffrey Irvin Musgrove.

Rev. Grove is survived by his four sons and three of their wives. Those beloved family members include his son Bobby Frank Jr and Bobby Jr’s wife Debbie, his son Jackson and Jackson’s wife Linda, his son Danny and Danny’s wife Rhonda, and Rev. Grove’s youngest son Jeffrey.

Rev. Grove is also survived by eight grandchildren. They include Erica Day and her husband Rob; Bobby III and his wife, Erica; Aaron and his wife Melissa, and granddaughters Caitlin and Taylor. Rev. Grove also has three great grandchildren: Finley, Phoenix and Lyric.

Rev. Grove was preceded in death by his father Jason, his mother Hester, his brother Jack, and his sisters Betty and Barbara June. His granddaughter Kimberly Ann, died at birth. Rev. Grove was also preceded in death by his father-in-law Boyd Boggs, his mother-in-law Elvira Boggs, and several other family members including brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.

Rev. Grove served two years in the United States Army, including 18 months on the front line in Korea. After the ceasefire in Korea, he formed an all-soldiers band that entertained both officers and troops as well. Rev. Grove was honorably discharged in September 1954, and he met his wife Faye shortly after he got back to the United States. They were married three months after they met. Rev. Grove was 22 and Sister Faye was 17.

Part of Rev. Grove’s amazing career in music included his going to Nashville, Tennessee and performing on the same stage with various country music artists such as Roy Acuff. Rev. Grove also traveled and performed in many live country concerts in a wide variety of venues.

Rev. Grove wrote and recorded several country music songs. He also worked as a disk jockey for a number of country music stations. His professional life took a dramatic turn when he developed a serious illness and had to be hospitalized. During that time, Pastor Vaughn from the Asberry Tabernacle in Cincinnati, Ohio, visited Rev. Grove often. Soon after that, Rev. Grove gave his heart to God and became a born-again Christian.

That born-again experience changed the whole direction of Rev. Grove’s music from country to country-gospel. He produced and recorded 54 albums. One of them, Jesus, This is Jimmy , became a gold record.

At some time during his early Christian music career, Rev. Grove felt the calling of God and started preaching and evangelizing. He became known as "The Singing Preacher". One of his first endeavors was to start a tent ministry in which he and his loving wife and four sons traveled the country doing tent revivals and trying to win as many souls for God as they possibly could.

Rev. Grove and his wife Sister Faye (herself an ordained minister) eventually founded Soul Winners Church in Fairfield, Ohio, and continued as co-pastors there for the next 39 years. Sister Faye continues pastoring there now, and is deeply committed to keeping her husband’s ministry alive. The church is located at 2561 Ramona Lane, Fairfield.

Part of the ministry which Rev. Grove and Sister Faye have always shared involved a profound passion and love for children and the homeless. That passion resulted in their decision to take a large part of the royalties they had earned from Rev. Grove’s gold album, Jesus This is Jimmy , and use it to open a children’s home. The ministry soon expanded to include the Haven House Emergency Shelter, originally located at 319 Maple Avenue, Hamilton, Ohio. This was the first homeless shelter in Butler County. Its primary focus now is to shelter homeless families, whether they be single moms with children, single dads with children, or intact families.

Haven House Emergency Shelter is now located at 550 High Street, Hamilton, Ohio. For more than 30 years, Haven House has provided thousands of nights of shelter to the homeless and needy. Every resident there is provided with three meals a day. Haven House staff also works with many community agencies in an effort to transition Haven House residents into permanent housing and to help them find steady employment. Haven House residents are also given whatever they need with regard to shoes, clothing, warm coats, diapers, etc.

Rev. Grove and Sister Faye have always been extremely grateful to all the people, churches, corporations and organizations who have supported this 35-year-old ministry. One of Rev. Grove’s last wishes was to urge the community to continue to support Haven House. Sister Faye, with the assistance of her grandson, Bobby Musgrove III, are committed to keeping the ministry alive and strong so that Haven House’s doors will always be open and ready to welcome whatever children and families may need it.

Rev. Grove had a special place in his heart for the homeless, and his family is thankful to all his supporters and brothers and sisters in Christ who have helped him realize this massive dream. Rev. Grove’s favorite scripture was always Matthew: 25, verses 34 through 46, and that became the bedrock for his whole life’s work.

Funeral service will be held at the Princeton Pike Church of God, 6101 Princeton Glendale Road, on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 11:00 AM with Rev. Garry Dalton and Pastor Barry Clardy officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Burial Park. Visitation will be on Monday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Haven House Emergency Shelter, 550 High Street, Hamilton, Ohio 45011 or www.havenhouseshelter.org.

Visitation: 03/12/2018 at 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Princeton Pike Church of God 6101 Princeton Glendale Road Hamilton OH, 45011 Funeral Service: 03/13/2018 at 11:00 AM Princeton Pike Church of God 6101 Princeton Glendale Road Hamilton OH, 45011