Don E. Groven passed away peacefully on Monday, February 16, 2026, at Benefis

Hospital in Great Falls, Montana. His wife, Julie, was at his side after spending time with

family both in person and virtually.

Don was born to Elmer and Ada (Cady) Groven on December 3, 1950, in Havre,

Montana.

When Don was seven years old, his parents divorced, and his mother moved him, his

older brother, and his sister to Kalispell, Montana. Don attended school in Kalispell and,

by high school, had reached the impressive height of 6 feet 7 inches. He played varsity

basketball for the Flathead Braves, helping his team earn second place in the “Big 32”

tournament in both 1968 and 1969. In a 1969 game against Missoula Hellgate, Don

made a spectacular shot lying on the floor under the basket, scoring two points. He

graduated from Flathead High School in 1969.

Don entered Northern Montana College (now MSU-Northern) in 1971 and joined the

Northern Lights basketball team. He met his future wife, Julie (Herington), while there

and were married on July 1, 1972, in Billings, Montana. During the 1973–74 season, he

averaged 11.2 rebounds per game, a season record at the time. He played basketball

for NMC from 1971 to 1975.

In the spring of 1975, Don joined the U.S. Navy. He attended A-School at Great Lakes,

Illinois, where he graduated in the top three of his class. However, when the Navy was

unable to honor its part of his contract, he was discharged.

Later that year, Don and Julie moved to Billings, where Don began what would become

nearly 40 years in the tire business with BLM Tire.

Don and Julie welcomed their first daughter, Brandi, in October 1976, shortly before

Don was transferred to Tire-Rama in Missoula. After a year there, he was transferred to

Rudyard, Montana. In 1982, the Groven family moved back to Havre, where they

welcomed their youngest daughter, KayCee.

In the mid-1980s, Whalen Tire offered Don the opportunity to manage his own store in

Havre. He spent the next 30 years with the company before retiring in 2013. Don knew

tires better than almost anyone in the region and had a remarkable ability to locate even

the most difficult-to-find inventory, including a massive group of tires destined for

locations above the Arctic Circle.

Don was always an avid fisherman, but it wasn’t until moving to Rudyard that he

discovered walleye. From then on, there was only one fish in his vocabulary. He

became involved with the newly formed Walleye Unlimited (WU), an organization that

would become a major part of his life.

In 1989, Don presented an idea to the state Walleye board: create a Walleye Unlimited

magazine. It was a risky proposition. At the time, the state organization struggled to

publish even a newsletter. Don approached Jim Rettig of Big Sandy about making the

magazine a reality. Even Jim was skeptical but agreed to help. The first issue was

published in April 1991 and featured the Miles City Hatchery. Its popularity required

three reprintings. The magazine’s success helped return the state WU organization to

financial stability and strengthened communication among local chapters.

For its first 20 years, Fish Tales magazine was truly Don’s baby. He wrote many articles

without taking credit, sharing his knowledge and sense of humor with readers. Anglers

eagerly awaited each issue to see whether any fishing “escapades” had made it into

print. Don preferred to remain behind the scenes and chose to let Jim to serve as the

magazine’s public face. “Tuba Man” (Doug Grubb) was always onboard to try anything

to depict his character’s stories. The family extends thanks to everyone who helped

make the magazine flourish.

Don also transformed the annual WU banquet from a lackluster beef-and-ham dinner

into a delicious fish fry. When Havre hosted a state banquet, barbecued Baron of Beef

was added to the menu. After the banquet moved from the old Moose Club to the VFW,

the aroma of the outdoor barbecue drifted across town on an east wind, prompting the

fire department to check out the smoke smell and, of course, sample the beef.

Don worked hard to make the banquets more family-friendly by including spouses and

kids. He brought Walleye Unlimited into local classrooms, accompanied by his bulldog,

JR, and the Fish Tales mascot “Fergus” portrayed over the years by community

members including the Havre Daily News publisher and the Chief of Police. He initiated

the annual Kids’ Day, which introduced young people to fishing, boating, conservation,

and the outdoors. He also helped bring well-known naturalists into local schools.

Don never claimed these accomplishments as his alone. He had tremendous support

from fellow club members, but he was instrumental in launching programs that later

inspired other WU chapters across the state.

He consistently advocated for improving fishing at Fresno Reservoir, often challenging

decisions made by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the DNRC. He closely followed

fish management and stocking plans and possessed a knowledge of the reservoir that

rivaled, or exceeded, that of many biologists and wardens. Fresno was both one of his

greatest passions and one of his greatest frustrations. In recognition of his persistence,

he was once humorously presented with a gift certificate from FWP for the services of

Jack Kevorkian. If you know, you know.

When a person dies, they do not automatically become a saint. You either liked/loved

Don or you hated him, sometimes both. He fought for what he believed in, and he

believed in Fresno.

Don’s health declined during the last five years of his life. He deeply missed fishing,

though he was able to enjoy a few final trips to Devils Lake, North Dakota; Fort Peck;

and Nelson Reservoir. Now he is fishing again with his old buddies.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Jean Buchholz, and brother-in-

law, Ken Buchholz; his brother, Roger Cain; his triplet daughters, Ariel, Beth, and Carol;

and his granddaughter, Morgaine.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Julie; daughters Brandi (Sean) Alcorn and

KayCee Groven; grandchildren Harley Maxwell, Cole Womack (Rhiannan Ollinger), and

Kobe Belcourt; great-granddaughter Zoey Womack; and nieces Kim, Tammy

(deceased), Cherie, Tracy, and Lori.

In Don’s words: “A person never really dies as long as we keep them alive in our hearts

and memories.”

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Walleye Unlimited Pavilion at Fresno Reservoir

on June 20, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Bring your fish stories, and refreshments will be served.

Memorial donations may be made to Walleye Unlimited or a charitable organization of

the donor’s choice.