Funeral procession to honor emergency services leader
By Jenna Wilson
Community and emergency agencies honored Buchanan County’s EMS director of operations in a funeral procession Monday afternoon.
Steve Groshong died on Nov. 24 at the age of 67 after 35 years of dedicated EMS services. His funeral is set for 1 p.m. Monday at Word of Life Church in St. Joseph.
Community members were encouraged to line the procession route following the services to honor Groshong’s legacy and pay respects. The procession followed a set route with scheduled pauses to honor his contribution to key organizations.
After departing Word of Life Church, the procession traveled southbound on Riverside Road to Mosaic Life Care, 5325 Faraon St., where it paused.
Then the vehicles continued on U.S. 36 Highway, taking Interstate 229 north to the Edmond Street exit. Once on Edmond, they turned north on Third to Faraon Street, heading eastbound to the Law Enforcement Center at 501 Faraon St. for another pause.
The procession continued east on Faraon to Frederick Avenue, then east to BCEMS Post 1 at 5010 Frederick Ave. for a final pause before concluding at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett spoke at Groshong’s funeral on Monday, stating how it was a tough day for many to get through.
“This is very difficult for every law enforcement and emergency services,” Puett said. “Whether medical, fire or emergency management throughout the region and I’ll say this – we will see this impact for decades to come. He will leave a tremendous void in the services for northwest Missouri.”
Colleagues say one of the traits they’ll remember most about Groshong is his positive spirit, no matter the circumstance.
“Steve never saw a problem, always saw a solution and jumped right in to do whatever needed to be done,” Puett added. “But he always wanted to be in the background and never in the forefront or be recognized for anything, whether in his official capacity or just as a private citizen.”
Groshong’s obituary can be viewed at https://www.meierhoffer.com/obituaries/Steven-D-Groshong?obId=33863994
