Janette Young Grindstaff, 92, widow of Charles Grindstaff, passed away Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019, at her home surrounded by her family.
Born June 1, 1927, in Spruce Pine, she was the daughter of the late Jess and Jettie Duncan Young, of the Pine Branch Community. She was a graduate of Harris High School and began her career at the Tri-County News under the direction of S.T. Henry. She later worked in the Mitchell County School System for 20 years, and with her husband in the family funeral business at Webb Funeral Home, from where she retired.
She was baptized at an early age at Pine Branch Baptist Church and moved her membership to the First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine in 1957. She was a very devoted member of First Baptist Church. She was a member of the Seekers Sunday School Class and Elderberries, she taught in the children’s department, served on the several committees and was a charter member of the committee that began the Chrismon Tree tradition. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star of Spruce Pine. She was also a member of the Red Hats, Mitchell County Homemakers and a Saturday morning breakfast club. Her hobbies were reading, traveling and ceramics.
Most importantly, she brought her three children to church and led them to Christ. She was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and MawMaw. She was a true lady and will be missed by all.
Left to cherish her memories are a son, John Charles Grindstaff, of Elizabethton, Tennessee; two daughters, Charlene Phillips, and husband, Tommy, of Spruce Pine, and Crystal Pittman, and husband, Jeff, of Greenwood, South Carolina; six grandchildren, Corey Canipe, and wife, Lyndsey, of Roanoake, Virginai, Carey Presnell, of Asheville, Nickki Edwards, of Fletcher, Candace Downey, and husband, Joe, of Black Mountain, Caleb Pittman, and wife, Ashley, of Abbeville, South Carolina, and Ayla Snead, and husband, Edward, of Greenwood, South Carolina; and six great-grandchildren, Ryan, Riley, Jordon, Shelby, Sapharia and Olivia.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Frank and Ralph Young; and a grandson, Jeffrey Ray Pittman Jr.
A celebration of life service was 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, at the First Baptist Church of Spruce Pine with Dr. Rocky Branch and the Rev. Larry Sprinkle officiating. The family received friends one hour before the service at the church. Burial was in the Spruce Pine Memorial Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial donations be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of the Blue Ridge, 236 Hospital Drive, Spruce Pine, NC 28777 or online at www.hospiceblueridge.com.
A gracious thank you to caregivers Suzanne Dayton, Chris Hobson, Louise McClellan, hospice nurse Cynthia Wilson, and all the staff at Hospice and Palliative Care of the Blue Ridge.
Words of comfort may be emailed to the family by going to www.webbfh.com, selecting Janette Grindstaff’s name and signing her guestbook. Mrs. Grindstaff’s obituary has also been posted on Facebook.
Mitchell News-Journal • Jan. 8, 2020