When Mrs. Annette Hadden Valentine, author of a trilogy based upon her family’s heritage, held a book signing at the Historic 1835 Todd County Courthouse in December 2019, Mr. Jimmy Groves shared with Ms. Annette that Ms. Annette’s grandfather, the late Joseph Newton Hadden, had mentored Mr. Jimmy following Mr. Jimmy’s father’s death at a younger age.
Those who have lived in Todd County for several years will share Mr. Jimmy was a well-known Todd Countian who served as the President of the Todd County Sesquicentennial Corporation of 1971. As most know, the Sesquicentennial Celebration included a week-long series of events that concluded on Saturday, May 1, 1971, with the burial of a Time Capsule on the east lawn of the Historic 1835 Todd County Courthouse, now the site of the Todd County Welcome Center. At the event honoring Todd County’s Bicentennial in 2020, Mr. Jimmy shared with the audience, “When I stood on the Square 50 years ago and entombed this Time Capsule on that warm spring afternoon, I gave no thought I would be here for the disinterring of it on its 200th anniversary.”
Mr. Jimmy, who also served as the Honorary Chairperson of the 2020 Bicentennial Committee, entered life on June 24, 1934 at his family’s home on Goebel Avenue in Elkton, the son of the late Mike and Viola Blake Groves. Mrs. Pam McGehee, current CEO of Elkton Bank & Trust, shared, “We are so very honored to have had Jimmy as a member of the Elkton Bank & Trust Company Board of Directors. He joined our board in 1984 serving on various committees, 25 years as board secretary, and later as vice-chairman. Most recently he served as a Director Emeritus for EB&T. He has certainly been an asset to our bank and the community we serve.” Pam’s remarks are words echoed everywhere as Mr. Jimmy was named a few years ago a Director Emeritus of Historic Todd County, Inc. following several years serving as a director for that organization. Interestingly, Mr. Jimmy was one of the founding fathers of HTC, serving alongside the late Bill Longhurst of Guthrie, the late Bryan Blount, and Glenn Slack, current president of HTC.
The many folks who know more about Mr. Jimmy’s many accomplishments will also recall his being selected in 2016 as a member of the Todd County High Schools’ Inaugural Hall of Fame. Mr. Jimmy was a 1956 graduate of Transylvania University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science; he later completed graduate work in public administration at the University of Kentucky. Transylvania University, which is the 16th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, also honored Mr. Jimmy in 2012 with a Distinguished Service Award. A veteran, Mr. Jimmy served in the Headquarters, U.S. Army Security Agency, Europe, in Frankfurt, Germany, and in later years he selected the design for the Veterans’ Memorial on the north side of the 1835 Courthouse, also penning the words inscribed on it. He also assisted with the site selection for the Todd County Court of Justice Center located on West Main Street in Elkton.
Ms. Alice Jane Rager, who also has known Mr. Jimmy for many years and attended high school with him for two years prior to Mr. Jimmy’s graduation in 1952, shared she and Mr. Jimmy both enjoyed reminiscing about their former years growing up in Todd County, pointing out she and Mr. Jimmy were also “on the same page politically.” She also explained both were the only ones left in their immediate families, noting they shared many local interests since both have strong ties to the north Todd area. Adding “Jimmy was a perfect gentleman, well-mannered, and so very intelligent,” she also commented, “Jimmy and I have had a lot to talk about since we both love Todd County, and we enjoyed chatting about the many people of our past as well as our present.”
Mr. Jimmy’s service and contributions to his state and community also include his work with the Rotary Club of Elkton, the Todd County Jaycees, the City-County Park, and the sports programs at TCCHS. He also served for many years as chairman of the Todd County Democratic Executive Committee, and he was elected to the Kentucky State Democratic Executive Committee as one of its youngest members. He was also active in the National Association for Court Management and led seminars on rural courts, also publishing an article on Kentucky’s qualifications for the office of Clerk of Courts. A former administrative assistant in Washington, D.C. to Congressman Frank W. Burke of Kentucky, Mr. Jimmy was elected to serve six terms in the office of Todd County Circuit Court Clerk with the first years served in the Historic 1835 Courthouse followed by several more years served at the 1976 Courthouse located on Washington Street.
Ms. Betty Wells Phillips, who graduated with Mr. Jimmy in 1952 and now makes her home in Macon, Georgia, shared, “Definitely, Jimmy was the leader of our class. It is no surprise he was Todd County Circuit Clerk for so many years.” Ms. Ginger May of Nashville, another former Todd Countian who knew Mr. Jimmy since her high school years, messaged, “Starting in high school, Jimmy and I were in the same great circle of friends socially. He always contributed to making this the best group of friends in my life. Elkton and Todd County have both been blessed to have Jimmy.” Posts on Latham Funeral Home’s website share numerous comments about Mr. Jimmy and his love of Todd County as well as his devotion to serving those around him. Todd County is definitely a much better place because of the many contributions Mr. Jimmy made to Todd County.
~ Article by Carolyn L. Wells
February 10, 2026
