Ernest Franklin Grimsley

Ernest Franklin Grimsley, 87, of Florence, SC, passed away on Monday, August 29, 2016. Mr. Grimsley was born in Mars Bluff, SC, a son of the late Charles Hezikiah Grimsley and Lily James Bailey Grimsley.He graduated from Florence High School and retired from Sears Roebuck and Company after forty-eight and half years.Mr. Grimsley was a member of Friendship United Methodist Church where he sang in the choir, was a Sunday School teacher of the Asbury class, a member of the Pastor Parish Relations Committee and a Chairperson of the Cemetery Committee of Friendship United Methodist Church. He was a certified lay speaker of the United Methodist Church, a Trustee of Friendship United Methodist Church and a past delegate to the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. In his years with Sears Roebuck and Company, he was a Divisional Manager Award recipient, a High Executive Sales Club recipient, a member of the Sears Retiree Club and a past President of the Sears Retiree Club.Mr. Grimsley was a lifelong member of the Woodmen of the World Chapter #52 where he served as past President, past Vice-President and past Secretary of the Woodmen of the World Chapter #52. He also served as a National Woodmen of the World representative.He was a member of the National Woodmen of the World Jurisdictional Committee, where he served as past Trustee, past Escort, past President and past Vice-President. Mr. Grimsley was the past Chairperson of the Woodmen of the World Youth Scholarship Program and past Woodmen of the World South Carolina State President.He served as Chaplain of the Woodmen of the World Fraternal Insurance Company and Chaplain of the Woodmen of the World Chapter #52, a member of the 500 Club for the Woodmen of the World Youth Camp, Past President of the Woodmen of the World Pee Dee Area Log Rollers Association, past Chairman of Fraternal service.He was a member of Pierce Hunting Club, a past Sportsman of the Year award recipient for the Pierce Hunting Club and a volunteer for The Carolinian. Mr. Grimsley was a present member of the Ed Cameron Men’s Club of Friendship United Methodist Church. Surviving are his wife of 69 years, Margaret Ruth Taylor Grimsley; sons, Whit (Mellie Snipes) Grimsley of Florence and Cliff (Linda Adams) Grimsley of Dallas, NC; daughters, Margaret Anne Ammons of Marion, Elaine (Ronnie) Williamson of Hartsville and Beverly Jean (Ricky) Capps of Florence; fourteen grandchildren; twenty-six great-grandchildren; brother, David Grimsley of Florence and sister-in-law, Betty Gore Grimsley of Florence. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sisters, Annie Ruth Grimsley Woodham,Elizabeth Grimsley Rivers and Beverly Grimsley Isgett and his brothers, Marion Charles Grimsley and James Grimsley. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2016, at Stoudenmire-Dowling Funeral Home.Burial will follow in Friendship United Methodist Church Cemetery. Family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Friendship United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund 5422 East Old Marion Highway, Florence, SC 29506 or to House of Hope, 1020 West Darlington Street, Florence, SC29501. The family extends a special thank you to Dr. Gillian Skinner for excellent care, loving support and friendship as well as to McLeod Hospice and Nightingale’s Nursing and attendants and his sitters, Johnnie Mae White, Josephine Scott, Cheryl Goodman, Patricia Cooper, Lisa McAllister and Stephanie Sherman. Please sign the tribute wall for Mr. Grimsley at www.stoudenmiredowling.com.