Obituary Report for August 4, 2002

Olyne Griffith, 75
McMinnville resident and Clay County native Olyne Griffith, 75, died Aug. 2 at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville after a nine-week illness.

A homemaker and a member of Mt. View Church of Christ, she was the daughter of George Sam and Mattie Ella Stover Watson; and was preceded in death by brother, Willie Watson and sister, Ola Frantz.

She is survived by her husband, Harold Griffith; daughters and sons-in-law, Pamela and Kelly Rowland, Ann and Bobby Dickson, all of McMinnville; grandchildren and their spouses, Crystal and Roger Byars, Monty and Cyndi Rowland, Derek and Dustin Masters, all of McMinnville; great-grandchildren, Katelyn and Kassidy Byars, Alexis, Will and Wessley Rowland; brother, Herman Watson of Benton City, Wash.; sister-in-law, Mable Watson of Whiteland; and aunt, Cora Waddell of Clay County.

Services will be held at 3 p.m. today at High’s Chapel with Ernest Laws, Chuck Mullican and Joe Ware officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. View Cemetery on Highway 30. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service today at High’s.

High Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Aug. 4, 2002

Ben Clifton Grissom Jr., 70
Morrison resident and Warren County native Ben Clifton Grissom Jr., 70, died Aug. 2 at his home after an extended illness.

A retired maintenance worker at Carrier and a member of Smartt Church of Christ, he was the son of Ben and Louella Scott Grissom Sr.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Grissom; daughters and sons-in-law, Melissa and Marty Mullins of McMinnville, Sharon and David Reed, Dawn and Kirk Myers, all of Morrison; special daughter and son-in-law, Sharon K. and Rusty Reed of Morrison; grandchildren, Thomas and Joshua Mullins, Betsy and David Reed, and Kali Page Myers; brother and sister-in-law, Elbert Lee and Mae Grissom of McMinnville; sister, Sarah Frances Rogers of McMinnville; several nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. today at High’s Chapel with Oscar Groves and Tim Long officiating. Burial will follow at Gardens of Memory. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service today at High’s.

High Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Aug. 4, 2002

William Frederk Kruse, 71
Spencer resident and L’Anse, Mich., native William Frederk Kruse, 71, died Aug. 1 at his home after an extended illness.

A diesel mechanic and a member of the Lutheran Church, he was the son of the late Frank and Theresa Ille Kruse; and was preceded in death by brothers, Bob and Charlie Kruse; sisters, Alice Raymond, Marie Kruse and Elsie Mae Kruse; and his wife, Jackie Kruse.

He is survived by daughters, Nancy Lawson of Spencer and Patricia Ruiz of California; sons, Robert Hendrien of Spencer, William and Fredrick Hendrien, both of California; stepson, Ronald English of Michigan; brother, Frank Kruse of L’Anse; sister, Hazel Schultz of L’Anse; 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Services were held Saturday at Love-Cantrell & Cope Funeral Home Spencer Chapel.

Love-Cantrell & Cope Funeral Home Spencer Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Aug. 4, 2002

Winifred Smith, 80
Life-long North Scituate, R.I., resident and Cranston native Winifred Smith, 80, died July 22 at Wildflowers Nursing Home in Smithfield, R.I., after an extended illness.

A homemaker and a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in North Scituate, she was preceded in death by her parents, Ethel May Wiberg and Bernard (Eddie) Benjamin Matthews; and brother, Robert William Graben Jr.

She is survived by children and their families, Joseph S. Smith Jr. of Morrison, Michael K. Smith of Norwood, Mass., Maureen F. Schlegael of Mesa, Ariz.; sister, Vivian May Cappelli of Johnston, R.I.; nine grandchildren, including John Taylor Miller of McMinnville; and numbers great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Smith sang in numerous nightclubs across the country and worked in a shipyard supporting the war effort where she won the beauty contest and was named “Miss Shipyard” during World War II. She sang in “The Ridiculous Follies” in support of Scituate High’s band uniform fund raiser. She was a life-long waitress/cocktail waitress and was named one of 10 “Waitresses of the Year” by TIME magazine in 1971. She was honored again by the Interstate Trucker’s Association with a front page article in the Providence Journal Evening Bulletin. Her favorite place during her career was Twiny’s Diner in Providence where she worked for 35 years.

She returned to school after he three children graduated and earned her high school diploma from Hugh B. Bain High School in Cranston.

Private services were held for Smith. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations maybe made to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Aug. 4, 2002