By Norma Dittman After 32 years of working for Murray County as the county engineer, Randy Groves, has retired. His last day in the office was officially July 3rd.
Groves began working for Murray County as the assistant engineer in 1994. “I held that role until January 1, 1999, and then took over as the county engineer,” Groves stated. “I had worked under a couple of other county engineers who had left during those years. I do believe the commissioners were looking for someone who had county roots and would be more stable. I fit that bill pretty good.”
Groves was born and raised in Slayton. Prior to working for Murray County, he had worked in electronics in Chicago, IL, and then in Worthington, MN. “I didn’t really care for the job that I had and kept looking to see what was out there. Civil Engineer kept floating to the top of options,” Groves said. Very interested in civil engineering, he returned to college and received his Civil Engineer degree.
When asked what highlights stand out during his years as Murray County Engineer, Groves replied, “Over the course of the years, we have had several notable projects. We reconstructed many of the main streets in the smaller communities, with the exception of Slayton, which doesn’t have a county roadway as their main street. I am proud of those projects that were done to improve those cities’ main streets.”
Another project that Groves is proud of is the bike path (Casey Jones Trail) by Currie. “It was good to see that taking shape as it was definitely needed to keep walkers and bikers safe. Parts of it have been rebuilt now by the Minnesota State Parks System,” Groves commented. “Most recently, the Shetek road and flood project where the dikes were raised and the road widened, is definitely a notable project. As is the construction and implementation of the new Murray County Highway Department building that was needed for so many years. That building should take the county a long way, and it helps the employees to do their work better. The way is was built, it will last the county over 100 years.”
Not only does the highway department do construction projects, but they also maintain all of the county roads. “A big change that has been made over the years are the trucks that we use. They are so much more sophisticated with their computers and GPS...to the point that it is difficult for our mechanics to keep up with the changes in the equipment. Sometimes the equipment that needs repair just has to be taken to the dealers to be worked on. Trucks used to be standard and easy to work on, but they are not that way any more. They are also a lot nicer than they were,” Groves said.
He also spoke of the funding for projects that he was able to orchestrate. “There are projects that wouldn’t have been able to be done without federal aid and state bonding funds. For instance, the lake project wouldn’t have happened without all of the additional funding.”
“I always wanted to do more for the county while I was there. But, there is only so much that can be done through the funding that is available,” Groves stated.
He has received a few workrelated phone calls since retiring. “I enjoyed my time working with Murray County. It has always been home, and it always will be. The employees were so awesome to work with - we’ve had a good pool of employees at Murray County. With the phone calls that I received, I just had to say that I am no longer the Murray County Engineer, and they needed to contact the staff at the highway department.”
“We are living in Brandon, South Dakota,” Groves said. “We discussed retirement a few years ago and had decided to move closer to our kids, and to my wife’s family. When we built our home, we downsized from what we owned in Slayton, which will help to make our retirement years a bit easier.”
Groves anticipates that his woodworking hobby, along with his tinkering on cars hobby, will keep him busy while his wife, Dawn, continues to work toward retirement. “Then, after that, we are hoping to be able to do some traveling to see places that we want to,” Groves stated.
Happy Retirement, Randy! Thank you for 32 years of service to Murray County.
