It has been said that an obituary is one of the few writings that captures a person’s entire life. If that were true, we hope to leave a vivid impression in your mind of the life of our beloved Janet Harris Grindstaff.
Janet was born on August 26th 1942 in the Celo community, one of eight children to wonderful parents Dan and Abbie Stevens Harris, both of whom have preceded her in death. A sister, Joyce Woody, and her brothers: Gail Harris and his wife, Lorene, who she considered a sister, Burl Harris, Dwane Harris, and Garrell Harris also preceded her in death. Janet passed peacefully from this life to her heavenly home on Friday, February 26th 2021. Her 78 years of life conveys the caring, loving, and spiritual person who she was.
She and her sisters, Jarvis and Jearleen, along with their friends Lois, Wilma, and Louise they grew up next door to and with whom they attended Micaville School, were affectionately known as “The Celo Girls”. East Yancey High was completed prior to her senior year where she became the first Miss East Yancey in 1959.
She married the love of her life, Jack, on July 25th, 1964, settling on Seven Mile Ridge in 1972 where she began her love of quilting. She, along with her dear friends and neighbors, Faye Wilson, Lillian Autrey, Mae Ballew, Judy Ballew, Shirley Wilson, and “Myrt” Hollifield, spent many days quilting at “The Quilting House”. Friendships were very dear to her and Jack, and many nights were filled with friends in one another’s homes filled with lots of food, laughter, and love. Several years later, she and Jack moved their family to the Busick community to be closer to her sister, Jarvis, where they continued to quilt and spent their days attending various classes for basket weaving, ceramics and other arts. Summer family vacations were spent with Jarvis and Loki making memories with their children at the lake in Pomona Park, Florida.
Springs and summers were filled tending to her flower beds, gardening and canning the fruits of their labors, along with weekends camping and traveling with dear lifelong friends Donald & Myril Wilson, Edd & Judy Ballew, Calvin & Faye Wilson, and Carroll & Mary Hudgins. She and Myril were known for their homemade fried pies. After raising their children, she and Jack moved to the Bowditch area in 1994, where they continued to raise large gardens to share with neighbors and friends, along with her homemade grape juice and various fruit jams and jellies. When you walked into her home, there was always the aroma of something wonderful being prepared in her kitchen. Their weekends were spent traveling and riding their antique cars with a multitude of beloved friends, making memories to cherish for a lifetime. The most important thing in Janet’s life was raising her family in a Christian home and instilling her beliefs of the Lord in their lives.
Her memories will be cherished by her loving husband of 56 years, Jack Grindstaff; daughter, Sandra Grindstaff of Myrtle Beach, SC and Burnsville; son, Mark Grindstaff and husband, Charles McCurry, of Burnsville; granddaughter, Alexis Holcombe and fiancé, Caelan Holmes, of Burnsville; great-granddaughter, Oaklee Madison Holcombe; sisters: Jarvis Wilson and husband, Loki, of Burnsville, and Jearleen “Jerri” Roberts and husband, Darrel, of Rome, Georgia; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Ida Harris of Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Betty Harris and Evelyn Harris, both of Morganton; Wanda McKinney and husband, Sherril, of Blue Rock; Judy Thomas and husband, Danny, of Bakersville; Jean Dobbins and husband, Ron, of Mt Pleasant, SC; Harold Grindstaff of Seven Mile Ridge; Danny Grindstaff and wife, Gladys, of Marion, and Doug Grindstaff, of Old Fort. Several other extended family and friends also survive.
Funeral services are incomplete at this time and will be announced.
The family would like to thank very special friends, Laddie and Marlene Masters, along with her loving caregiver, Stacey Patton Weaver, Dr. Chad Smoker and staff, and all the staff of Compassionate Care WNC for the wonderful, attentive care given to Janet and her family, and request that memorials be made to Compassionate Care WNC at 856 George’s Fork Rd, Burnsville NC 28714.
To send an online condolence please visit: www.yanceyfuneralservice.com.