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Alberta M. Gruver, 103, the wife of the late Rev. J. Paul Gruver, died Feb. 7, 2013. The Rev. Mark Mooney officiated at a Memorial Service Feb. 16, at Otterbein UMC in Martinsburg.

Alberta Maxine Corwin was born March 12, 1909, in Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of the late Gussie and Raymond Corwin. She attended Otterbein College.

Alberta Corwin, affectionately known as "Bert," and J. Paul Gruver married in 1928. She was active in partnership with her husband in ministries serving Evangelical United Brethren Churches (EUB) in Virginia and West Virginia. His appointments included EUB churches (later United Methodist) in Berkeley Springs, Keyser and Martinsburg in W. Va.; Highland Park in Roanoke, Cherrydale in Staunton and Dayton, all in Virginia. He was EUB Conference Superintendent in Virginia for six years and delegate to seven General Conferences. Before retirement for two years he was chaplain and professor of Bible at Shenandoah College in Winchester, Va.

In retirement, Rev. Gruver became Minister of Visitation at Asbury UMC in Charles Town, W. Va., then at Otterbein UMC in Martinsburg. He died in 1983.

Alberta Gruver kept up with her husband’s active ministry, serving the church community wherever they were on a local denominational level, as well as state and national multi-denominational levels.

She was invited to participate in the United Nations Church Center, in which she studied with women from around the world. President John F. Kennedy invited her to participate in discussions at the White House addressing the civil rights issues facing the country. She received the Certificate of Merit for Distinguished Service by the West Virginia Council of Churches in 1986.

After retiring with her husband in Shepherdstown, W.Va., she became active in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, she volunteered for Friends of Reeders Nursing Home in Boonsboro, and was active in migrant ministries in Virginia and West Virginia.

She enjoyed cooking, teaching arts and crafts, caning chairs, upholstering furniture, helping at C-Cap and sewing. She loved traveling, being with family and swimming well into her 80s. She encouraged others to stay active, work with their hands as much as possible and to read.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers.
She is survived by her daughter, Joan Roach of Martinsburg, W.Va.; her son, Jacob Gruver of Falling Waters, W.Va.; eight grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Gruver donated her body to West Virginia University's Human Gift Registry for medical research.

Condolences may be sent to her son, Jacob T. Gruver, 21 Bryn Mawr Court, Falling Waters, WV 20419.

Memorial contributions may be made to United Methodist Committee on Relief, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087 or onIine at www.UMCOR.org.