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Grover Burchette's Story
Grover Franklin Burchette was born in Alleghany County, NC, on February 13, 1928, to Lonnie Burchette and Zenna Clyde Brown. Grover never knew his father, who died when he was six months old. His stepfather was Maynard Halsey and he had one sister named Ella. When he was seventeen years old, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Army so he could make some money. His mother cried when he enlisted, but he was able to send home $27 a month to help out his family.
Grover served in the Army from 1947 to 1950 and was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. There he received specialized training in the Army's Baking School and worked as a guard. He reached the rank of Buck Sergeant during his time in the military.
After the service, Grover worked at a local sawmill, farmed tobacco, and put up hay. He also volunteered his help in building the old hospital in Ashe County, NC. He raised six children — Steve, Jeff, Mark, Lynda, Louise, and Carl — with his first wife, Myrtle Kathleen Roland.
Grover worked hard all his life, and when Kathleen died, he began cooking at Hardee's in Sparta, NC. He worked there for eighteen years until he took another job at McDonald's in West Jefferson, NC. He worked at McDonald's for an additional six years, retiring from that position when he was 81 years old.
He married his second wife, Mary, on June 21, 2003. Grover died on December 15, 2014 and was buried with military rites.
