Curtis Evenrud-Gruver

1st Chapter: A Letter to HEAVEN to be delivered to my Beloved Hubby, 

Mr. CURTIS J. EVENRUD-GRUVER!

If it happens that The Heavenly Mailman does not find him right away, maybe he can look for LIEUTENANT COAST-GUARD, Mr. CURTIS J. GRUVER!

That was his real name before I met him on a Facebook page on

          "Widows & Widowers Support Group!"

*TODAH RABAH! Thank you very much, 

    Mr. Mark Zuckerberg for offering your FB FREE for all the world!

 2nd Chapter: My hubby was born in Elmira, NEW YORK STATE on February 23rd, 1944. The World War II was still going on as it only had finished in 1945. 

 His parents were 

       Mr. HOWARD HERBERT GRUVER & Mrs. MADELEINE DYKINS GRUVER.

HIS Dad was born in Jersey Shore, PENSYLVANIA,

                       & his Mom was born in Elmira, NEW YORK STATE.

 3rd Chapter: Curt’s Childhood & Youth

Curt at 16 & his brother Gordon at 19 worked in Elmira, NYS, with gliders that meet shagging tow ropes. The tow planes would drop the rope in a certain place before trying to land. The boys would grab the ropes and drag them to the staging area for the next tow.

As a family, they went hiking, camping, fishing, & swimming. His Dad always wanted to go where there was water. They could all swim by the time they were 5 or 6, in lakes, ponds, rivers, & creeks. When they weren't swimming, they were probably fishing.  

In high school,

Curt became interested in cars, and began hanging out with friends that worked on cars. He helped build a few hot rods, and even worked on a race car.  

When he finished high school, he studied to become a diesel mechanic…

 4th Chapter: Falling Deeply in Love

Curt got to know his sweet Nancy at ALFRED College in NEW YORK State, where they both studied.

On his early twenties he joined the Coast Guard. That became his life for the next 21 years. Curt retired from THE COAST-GUARD to be closer to his family & a support for his beloved First Wife, Nancy, to whom he was married for 53 years when she died in 2017. She had been on a wheel-chair for most of the last 20 years of their marriage life & Curt was his main caregiver!

 5th Chapter: Curt, A GENIUS in a Diversity of Knowledgeabilities

·         Once Curt noticed that his car's seats were in a pretty bad shape, & the price to have them fixed was pretty steep, he decided to take "A Furniture Upholstery Course." In fact, he told me he took it twice to perfect his abilities, as he was 'A PERFECTIONIST' in everything he did!

·         On the first year I had met him personally in Jamestown, NORTH DAKOTA, Curt made sure to buy some big pieces of cow hide from a business in GEORGIA & he upholstered my 2 living-room sofas & some old chairs somebody had given away a while beforehand. At least he worked for 1 month or 2 on that project, about 8-10 hours daily!

·         When I met Curt, he had 99 Sewing-Machines, & right away he told me he was planning to buy another one from a person that lived an hour away. He had been fixing sewing-machines for over 50 years and he had a variety of steady clients that lived in FLORIDA where he resided when I met him online, as well as from other states nearby.

 6th Chapter: Curt’s Character

My sweet hubby was always serious, quiet, & deliberate. He approached every task methodically.  He never seemed to get in a hurry, but he always got the job done.

Curt was always listening to everybody else's opinion & very rarely shared anything from his own heart, even when he was asked to do so. 

He was one of THE WISEST MAN I have ever known, & was always volunteering to help others in whatever they needed.

Once I found out a FLORIDIAN neighbor's heater was not working, and I asked him if he could teach her husband how to fix it himself so that he could do it if he had to face the same situation again. Next day the temperature in the south dropped dramatically & our neighbors would have been transformed into  2 pieces of ice IF Curt had not walked his Second Mile.

 7th Chapter: All My Prayers were Answered, Except One

The only prayer HASHEM, The NAME of THE FATHER of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob 

       said "NO" was,

-"I do not want to get married to A MILITARY Man!”

And HE sent me two of them, The Very Best Husbands I could ever imagine having! 

They were totally different one from another, but both SUPER DEDICATED in loving GOD First and ME before theirs & our kids!

 8th Chapter: Meeting Curt on "Widows & Widowers Support Group on Facebook Page!"

I liked his Profile Photo as Curt had exactly the same eyes I had imagined my Future Husband would have!  When I was 20 years young & I stood in front of a mirror, telling myself as I had pulled my eyes in a diagonal shape,

 -"I am getting married to a husband that hath the eyes ‘like this!’”

It took me 5 decades to meet Curt on Facebook! We exchanged over 300 messages & 2 skypes in one month only! 

One afternoon when I was sitting down at my tiny living-room table at home in Jamestown, NORTH DAKOTA, I was checking one of the very few posts Curt had posted...

His favorite music: Bluegrass

His favorite color: Green

His favorite ice-cream: Chocolate & Mint!

Suddenly I jumped up from my chair & screamed very loudly,

-"THIS IS MY SOULMATE! WHERE IS HE?"

Very soon Curt had already told his 3 kids that he was pulling his fifth wheel from FLORIDA to NORTH DAKOTA to meet a lady with whom he probably would get married to! Exactly 24 hours after he had arrived in Jamestown, NORTH DAKOTA, Curt asked me while were both sitting down on one of the sofas he later on would upholster with cow tide,

 -"Do you want to make me The Happiest Man in The World by Marrying me?"

I said,

-"YESSS!" But my 3 daughters need to agree with our Wedding! It took some months for the 3 to be eye to eye with us! Each one had some requests and we both waited patiently! My son knew already about our plans & told me very directly,

 -"You have my blessing!"

Curt & I got married under a JEWISH Chuppah at The NAZARENE House of Prayer on August 2, 2018 in Jamestown, NORTH DAKOTA! Pastor Donald RICHMAN, that had been a missionary in BRASIL for 11 years performed our wedding!

 9th Chapter: Our Beliefs

Curt was BAPTIST, but he had had a BAR MITZVAH at a CHRISTian Congregation when he was 13!

He kept respecting my faith as A MESSIANIC JEW by eating KOSHER meals, as well as avoiding shopping on SHABBATS. Whenever we traveled, he made sure that we always would go to a Baptist or Adventist 7th Day, a Church of GOD House of Prayer or a local SYNAGOGUE. While in FLORIDA we were participating quite often of ETZ HAYIM Jewish Messianic Synagogue in. Lakeland. FLORIDA.

On Sundays we would go to a variety of CHRISTian services, mainly "NEW LIFE" & "HISPANIC NAZARENE" in Jamestown, ND.

 10th Chapter: Curt & Sports

While raising his kids with his beloved Nancy, Curt was a Soccer Coach when their oldest son, CJ, wanted to play soccer. Curt was also a Boy Scout Chief for 6 years while his youngest son, Chuck, was part of that organization. In between Chuck wanted to play Baseball & Basketball and his Dad was his coach in both sports as well.

Curt was very fond of Golfing, & he had also been part of Golf Men's Teams for many decades in the different cities where he & Nancy had lived, & later on in another town in South FLORIDA where we lived. Curt was very excited in participating in a Golfing Tournament organized by "YOUTH for CHRIST" in Jamestown, NORTH DAKOTA, a year or two years ago.

11th Chapter: Music & Instruments

Curt played some 7 different Musical Instruments as he was a very fast learner & was raised in A Musical Family. I had promised to buy A JEWISH SHOFAR for him when we would be someday in YERUSHALAYIM! It did happen in November/December 2022 when we spent 10 days in YISRAEL!

When Curt & I were at "THE LIGHHOUSE" in Minot, ND, some years ago a Young Lady was playing A Q-CHORD Guitar. I noticed that his eyes were shining & at that moment I promised myself I would buy a similar one for him!

As we were looking at some UKELELEs in a store in South Florida, Curt mentioned he had not played them since he was a kid. Therefore, I bought one of them for him. Curt enjoyed listening mainly to BLUEGRASS & SOUTHERN GOSPEL Music.

My sweet Curt will be always remembered by his dedication to HASHEM, THE FATHER of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, YESHUA HAMASHIACH, Jesus, the Messiah, & RUACH HAKODESH, The Holy Spirit, & his love for his family, friends, & anybody that he interacted with. His tenderness, softness, & patience mainly with me will never be forgotten.

Surviving is his Second Wife, A BRASILian Young Lady, Ms. Vera Süffert Evenrud-Gruver (known as Ms. Tsauri Krahô at Krahô Tribe in TABATINGA. BRASIL), his son Mr. Curtis J. Gruver (CJ), his daughter, Mrs. Kim (Kevin) Smawley, his son, Mr. Charles Gruver (Chuck), one brother, Paul (Judy) Gruver, one sister-in-law Patricia Kohls Barret-Gruver, & several nephews & nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Howard & Madeleine Gruver, his first wife, Nancy Gruver, one sister, Carol Gruver, and one brother, Mr. Gordon Gruver (Army Man).

 
A family-directed memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 8th, 2026, 6 PM, at New Life Church, Jamestown, ND.