Ivanette Griggs

Ivanette Griggs was born in Rockmart, Georgia on June 9th, 1925. She died in Auburn, Ca. on October 17th, 2023 in the arms of her 3 daughters, with her 4th daughter, her devoted husband and many family members waiting to greet her in heaven.

Ivanette was a gentle Southern lady with auburn hair, born and raised in the Deep South. She picked cotton and had watermelon fights with her closest brother, Buck. After meeting the love of her life, JD Griggs, and marrying him four months later, they began their journey. They started their family and moved out West. They were married for over 73 years with no regrets.

She was a wonderful mother to four daughters, grandmother to 13 and great grandmother to 26. She was kind, soft spoken and creative. She always spent the month of August sewing her daughters’ beautiful school clothes, and perming their hair. Her husband, JD, traveled a lot for work. She packed his bags for him so that his clothes would match! She loved working in her beautiful rose garden and canning her own vegetables. She made fantastic Southern meals which included her famous coconut cake. She truly was the chief cook and bottle washer!

Ivanette was a longtime member of Bell Road Baptist Church (and especially proud of her work on the Memorial Rose Garden there). She was also a member of the Placer County Garden Club and Gold Country Rose Society. She lovingly cared for her 150+ award winning roses. In addition to gardening, she had a love of golf. She belonged to Indian Creek Golf Club and had so much fun with her friends Jean and Kay and, of course, winning trophies. She even made a hole in one!!

When you needed an understanding ear, she was the person to go to. The girls’ yearly traditions of birthday daytrips, antiquing, Apple Hill adventures and Christmas shopping at the St. Johns Craft Fair will be greatly missed.

She was predeceased by her devoted husband, JD Griggs, her parents, J. R. and Mary Odell Haney, her 5 siblings: Gladys Simmons, Woodrow (Buck) Haney, Walter Ruby Hulsey, Max Haney and Jackie Haney, daughter Patti Jo Topic, granddaughter Shannon Topic, and son-in-law Bob Troyan.

Ivanette is survived by her sister-in-law Jeannette Haney, daughters Cathlyn Elizabeth Griggs, Pamela Griggs Troyan, Jeanne Odell Griggs, son-in-law Bob Topic (Mary), 12 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews in Oregon and Georgia. She loved them all very much!

Many thanks to her wonderful caregivers! They are being watched over by an angel. Thanks to Chapel of the Hills, Auburn Ca., for taking our Mom into their care.

Visitation will take place at Chapel of the Hills, Auburn, Ca, Nov. 3rd, 10am to 12:30pm. We will be having a private graveside burial. Friends and family are welcome to attend the Celebration of Life for both JD and Ivanette at Max’s Restaurant, Nov. 3rd, at 2pm, Auburn, Ca.

To honor our Mother, please plant a rose in her memory