Grace Grissom

GRISSOM, Grace - Funeral services for the founder and matriarch of one of the South's oldest, most recognized and most respected food brands are scheduled for Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 11 a.m., at Brentwood United Methodist Church. Grace G. Grissom, died on Sunday, May 26th at home, following a short illness. Mrs. "G" as she was also known, had remained active in the family business for almost six decades - maintaining regular office hours at the company's headquarters until a few days before her death. She was born Grace Gass on August 19, 1918 in Meigs County, TN. Her father was a Methodist minister who served several churches in East Tennessee during his career, so the family moved frequently. After a brief stint working in the business office of The Southern Railway Company in Knoxville, Mrs. G., along with her husband Herbert, and young daughter, Herberta, moved to Nashville to become partners in a friend's food business. After a year of partnership, the Grissom's bought out their friends and launched Mrs. Grissom's Salads in the spring of 1955. From humble beginnings in an old restaurant building in East Nashville to their present facility on Bransford Avenue, the one constant in the company was the oversight of Grace Grissom. From local groceries to supercenters to Amazon.com, the company's products are now available nationwide. Mrs. Grissom was a special guest on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry March 2, 2013 as a returning sponsor of one of America's most popular radio shows. In 2005 at the celebration of the company's 50th anniversary, Mrs. Grissom appointed long time Grissom general manager and son-in-law, Kenneth Funger, to the CEO position. Although leaving the day to day business to Funger and other long-time trusted company executives, she remained steadfast in making sure the original recipes were faithfully followed and that the consistency and quality customers had grown to expect from Mrs. Grissom's products never faltered from the standards she set in the beginning. A pioneer in the business world during the 1950's when very few women were running their own companies, Mrs. Grissom was honored by Nashville Woman magazine for showing how one woman can make a difference by following her dream and for encouraging others to have the courage and confidence to follow theirs. She was also recognized by many other business organizations for her outstanding achievements during the course of her career as the name and face of the company. A friend of education, Mrs. Grissom was an ardent supporter and benefactor of many educational institutions in Tennessee and sponsored the Excellence in Education Awards program throughout Tennessee in 2004, awarding financial aid to Tennessee's outstanding educators to help them provide the best resources for their students. She is survived by husband, W. Frank Evans; son-in-law, Kenneth Funger, both of Nashville; sister, Gladys Tallent of Columbus, OH; nephew, Jack McGhee of Nolensville and niece, Sharon Eads of Spring Hill. She is preceded in death by her late husband, Herbert, who helped launch and build the company's retail network until his death in 1998; their two daughters, Herberta and Sylvia, who passed away in 2012 and 2011 respectively. Mrs. G. has always been very active in the Methodist Church, attending Brentwood United Methodist Church since its beginnings. She also served on the Board of Trustees (including a period as Chairperson of the Board) of Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, TN. Her devotion to both Brentwood United and Martin Methodist were unrelenting. Special thanks need to go to her two wonderful caregivers, Jessie Hamby and DeAnna Hill, who have helped make her last years more enjoyable. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Martin Methodist College, 433 West Madison Street, Pulaski, TN 38478. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, May 31st at Brentwood United Methodist Church, from 5 to 7 p.m. There will also be visitation on Saturday, June 1st at 10 a.m., with the funeral to follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery. Active Pallbearers will be Tommy Heath, Keith McIntosh, Richard Tribue, Jimmy Thompson, Soren Kiilerich and Mike Smiley. Arrangements by: Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37204. (615)-383-4754. www.woodlawn-roesch-pattonfh.com