A trio of ‘Mayor Groth’

It’s almost like clockwork:

About every 20 years, a Groth runs for – and is elected as – mayor of Ellendale.

“I have the Village Minutes book here from when my grandpa was on the council,” said Scott Groth. “Look how he wrote his last name – and how close it is to how I write mine. Isn’t that strange?”

It actually is.

Oscar Groth signed his name to Ellendale City Council minutes from 1958 – the year Scott Groth was born – until his term expired in 1960.

He had come to town in 1953, when he and his wife Alice bought a funeral home and furniture store on Main Street from E.M. Thompson.

He discontinued the funeral business, but Groth Furniture and Floor Covering thrived.

Oscar died in 1962; by then, the family legacy had begun.

His son and daughter-in-law, Paul and Mary Groth, bought the business from Alice in 1967.

By the early 1970s, Paul Groth had earned a seat on the Ellendale City Council, where he was instrumental in the construction of the community building and the municipal liquor store.

In 1982, five-term mayor Mark Skroch decided to run for Steele County Board.

“Mark was running for county commissioner, so somebody had to be mayor,” said Scott Groth. “So my dad, against my mother’s will, ran for mayor.”

Paul Groth won – but Skroch didn’t.

“Mark lost, then came back and ran for mayor in 1984,” Scott Groth said, making Paul a one-term mayor.

“Dad ran for city council again in 1984,” Groth said, and by the time he retired from civic duty, had served in local government for nearly 40 years.

By then, another Groth had entered city government.

Scott Groth secured a seat on the council in 1998, with successful bids for mayor in 2000 and 2002. In the meantime, he and his wife Joni bought the family business. The furniture side of things was sold off in 2000; it became Floors 4-U in 2007.

Last year, the family celebrated 70 years in business, as well as 65 years in local government, with few breaks.

Scott Groth lost the 2004 mayoral election, forcing him to sit out for two years.

He was re-elected to city council in 2006, where he has remained. Groth picked up another four-year term in 2022 but sacrificed the seat to run for mayor in November. He was unchallenged and will take the gavel in January.

Groth knows the question everyone has.

It’s no secret there has been some turmoil at recent city council meeting; the city was recently slapped with a lawsuit alleging violation of due process, discrimination, misuse of resources, malicious prosecution and more.

Why, then, would he step into more responsibility?

“I got asked,” he said. “I had two years left (on the council term) anyway.”

Groth also obviously has some experience behind him.

Should a political newcomer have been elected, the council would have included a new mayor, two new council members, a councilor with just two years under his belt – and Groth.

He’s also no stranger to tense – even contentious – meetings and difficult decisions.

Groth spent nine years on the Ellendale-Geneva School Board, beginning in 1983. He was on the board when a new school was built and when the district merged with the New Richland-Hartland School District.

“I think most of the time, people who serve want to do what’s right for most everybody,” Groth said. “You know you’re never going to make everybody happy, but you try to do what’s best for the whole.

“If you don’t move forward, you’re not going anywhere,” he said. “We try to do the right thing.”

The city, he said, “has some things to work on; hopefully, we’ll get that fire hall done.”

When Groth first announced his intention to run for mayor more than 20 years ago, his father didn’t have any words of warning.

“He was always positive,” Scott Groth said. His mother – who, remember, was opposed to her husband’s run – was again less than thrilled.

“She just said, ‘are you sure you want to do this?’ And I guess I was,” Groth said. His own wife, Joni, “is very patient about all of this.

“I’ve told many people, it wouldn’t hurt anybody to serve one time, whether it’s on their church board, the school board, the city council…”

He has done all three, plus many others.

“Just try it once, see what it’s about,” Groth said. “All you need is $2 to run.”

Does that include the next generation of Groths?

His daughter Allison Muilenburg works at the family business, but as far as running for mayor goes:

“Oh, I can’t,” she said, smiling. “I live in the country.”

She has 20 years to make the move.