Jeanette McDonald Grammer

Jeanette LaVerne (McDonald) Grammer, 82, of Charlotte, North Carolina passed away peacefully at Hospice of Union County on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. She is survived by her husband, Richard Lee Grammer, and her children, Sandra (Rick) Scarfi and Richard (Jennifer) Grammer. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sharon Grammer. She was a beloved “Grammy” to five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A visitation for Jeanette will be held Saturday, September 4, 2021 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at McEwen Funeral Service-Mint Hill Chapel, 7428 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227. A funeral service will occur Saturday, September 4, 2021 at 2:00 PM, 7428 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill, NC 28227. Following the 2:00 PM service, an interment will occur at Charlotte Memorial Gardens, 7632 Hood Road, Charlotte, NC 28215.

Jeanette was born on February 5th, 1939, in Baltimore, Maryland. After initially growing up on Jones Creek, a waterway on the Chesapeake Bay in Sparrows Point, Maryland, her family moved to a farm in Rosedale, Maryland. Born to James and Minnie (Groves) McDonald, she was the youngest of four daughters.

Jeanette attended an Oliver B. Green evangelistic meeting at the age of 12. Her sister Mary saw that she wanted to go forward at the invitation and offered to go with her. Both went forward and Jeanette accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior, a decision which impacted the rest of her life as well as the many lives that she touched throughout the rest of her days.

Shortly after graduating from high school, Jeanette married Richard Lee Grammer in June 1957. Over the next few years Jeanette worked at a department store in Greenville, SC to help make ends meet while Richard attended Bible college at Bob Jones University. During this time they had their first child, Sharon Kaye Grammer.

Soon after Richard’s graduation from college, they returned to Maryland and welcomed their second child, Sandra Lyn (Grammer) Scarfi in 1962. That same year the family moved to Glen Burnie, Maryland, where Richard became the pastor of Granite Baptist Church.

In addition to being a pastor’s wife, often a full-time job, Jeanette also led the ladies Bible study program at the church, played the organ for services, led the choir as needed between directors, taught piano, operated the church bookstore, and helped as needed in the church office. In 1975 Jeanette and Richard welcomed their third child, Richard Paul (Bud) Grammer.

After 32 years at Granite Baptist Church, in 1994 Jeanette and Richard retired and moved to the church-owned Camp Pamadeva in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Jeanette became heavily involved in operating the camp kitchen and ensuring that the camp operated smoothly. During this time they attended Church of the Open Door in Westminster, Maryland. The church eventually hired Richard as a part-time pastor and then as a full-time pastor for outreach and visitation, so Jeanette was once again a pastor’s wife. Jeanette led a women’s jail ministry, holding Bible studies in the jails and helping troubled women come to know Jesus as their Savior, which often resulted in these women turning their lives around with God’s help.

In 2007 Richard and Jeanette moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Jeanette’s health became a struggle in her later years, and she was not able to get out of the house as much, so she started helping women through an online counseling program and had a Facebook devotional ministry.

Throughout her life she was a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She always pointed others to Christ and helped many in their spiritual walk.

In her final days in hospice when a family member encouraged her with the thought that God was walking with her through this trial and that He is always with us, she mustered the strength for one final word, her last – “always”.

Ever God’s servant, loving and helping others, and faithful to the end.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mcewenminthillchapel.com for the Grammer family.