JOHN M. GRIMES

Born in San Antonio June 5, 1936, Grimes is the son of the late W.T. and Nell Grimes. He attended schools in Alice, graduating from William Adams High School in 1955. He graduated from Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in 1956, served his apprenticeship in Aransas Pass and was employed in funeral service in Corpus Christi for 10 years and San Antonio for 10 years. John married Susie Barr from Sinton, Texas, in 1967, and they have two grown children, Becky and Johnny. He moved to Kerrville in 1977 and he and his wife purchased Plummer Funeral Home. Grimes is a member of Trinity Baptist Church and has served as the Sunday School director of Adult 1 Department and Property Committee chairman for the church. He served as President of Texas Funeral Directors Association in 1979-1980. John belongs to the Kerrville Rotary Club, board member of the Kerrville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, board member of the Hill Country Advisory council of Schreiner College, member of Former Texas Rangers Association, and life membership in the Texas Lions League for Crippled Children. He is also advisory board member of the San Antonio College of Mortuary Science, belongs to Kerrville Masonic Lodge #697, Alzafar Shrine, Hill Country Shrine Club, and Kerrville Order of Eastern Star Chapter No. 24. At the State Convention in San Antonio, in June of 2003, the Texas Funeral Director's Association honored John by naming him "Funeral Director of the Year."

SUSIE BARR GRIMES
 susie@grimesfuneralchapels.com

Susie Barr Grimes was born in Sinton, Texas, on April 23, 1946, to the late Edgar A. And Molly Sanders Barr. She married John Grimes on October 21, 1967, in Sinton. To this marriage two children were born, Rebecca Lynne (Becky) and John Arnold (Johnny). John and Susie have worked side-by-side for 35 years. They are both members of Trinity Baptist Church in Kerrville. Susie has been a board member of many organizations, including the Hill Country Youth Soccer Association (being registrar for many years), Kerrville Little League Association, and board member and past president of Friends of Hospice. She also was a coach for children's  soccer and baseball teams. She is also a member of the Order of Eastern Star in Kerrville. The great passion of her life, however, is her family. She loves being a Mother and cherishes her role as a grandmother (MumMum) to her three grandsons, Hunter, Walker and Austin. Pastimes she loves includes reading, gardening, swimming, hunting, and playing tennis.

JOHNNY GRIMES
 johnny@grimesfuneralchapels.com

Johnny is the son of John and Susie Grimes and was born in San Antonio, Texas. He was raised in Kerrville and graduated from Tivy High School. Johnny attended Sam Houston State University and Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston where he attained his funeral director's license. He married Stacey Brent from LaPorte, Texas, in 1997, and they have two sons: Hunter, who was born on November 1, 1999 and Walker Thomas, who was born January 20, 2003. Johnny and Stacey are members of Trinity Baptist Church (where they were married). Grimes is a member of the Kerrville Masonic Lodge No. 697 and Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. In his spare time, Johnny enjoys calf roping and team roping, golfing, hunting and playing with his sons Hunter and Walker.

LYNN ISHAM

Lynn has been a resident of Kerrville since 1979, the year in which he received his funeral director’s license and in 1980 his embalmer’s license.  He is a graduate of Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, graduating with honors. Lynn and his wife Sharon (whom he married in 1978) are members  of the First Baptist Church in Kerrville.  They have two children, a daughter Ashley, who graduated from Angelo State University in 2003 and a son Wade,  who is in the U.S. Air Force. In addition to his professional affiliations, Lynn is a member of the Kerrville Masonic Lodge, No. 697, AF & AM; member of the Kerrville Chapter No. 305 R.A.M. and served as recorder secretary; member of Kerrville Council No. 240 R. & S.M., served as recorder secretary; member of Alzafar Shrine Temple, and was the first group to go through the hot sands on Temple grounds; and  member of the Hill Country Shrine Club and is past president.

DAVID JOHNSON

David Johnson was born on January 2, 1962, in Midland, Texas, to the parents of Ann and Erd M. Johnson. David was raised in Midland and graduated from Midland High School. He attended Schreiner University in Kerrville and graduated in 1988 from Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. He has been employed at Grimes Funeral Chapels for 17 years. David married the former Beth Hagan and both are members of the St. Peter's Episcopal Church. His hobbies include barbequing and traveling.

JOHN "HUTCH" HUTCHERSON
 johnh@grimesfuneralchapels.com

John "Hutch" Hutcherson was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He attended North Shore High School;, East Texas Baptist University, and is a 2000 graduate of the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service. He joined the Grimes staff in July of 2000 to serve his apprenticeship under Larry Sheppard. Hutch received his funeral director and embalmer license in July of 2001 and decided his tenure with Grimes was far from over. Hutch married Sarah Belew of Kerrville in November of 2002. Their daughter, Ava Grace Hutcherson was born August 6, 2003 and their son Jack Richard Hutcherson was born November 7, 2005.  He is a 32nd degree mason and member of Bandera Masonic Lodge. Hutch is also one of just a handful of bagpipe players in the hill country.

BRADLEY CHARLES GOBLE
 brad@grimesfuneralchapels.com

Bradley Charles Goble, Funeral Director/Embalmer was born in Columbia City, Indiana in 1962. He received a B.S. in Public Affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana in 1986; an A.A.S. in Funeral Service from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston, Texas in 2001. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he served as a Commander, Operations Officer, and an Executive Officer. Brad moved to Kerrville, Texas, in February of 2002. He is a life member of the Air Force Association; Jewish Community of The Hill Country, member of the Rising Star Lodge #429, A.F. & A.M. in Center Point, where is currently serving as Treasurer, and active in local community events.

PEGGY SWEENEY

Peggy Sweeney joined the staff of Grimes Funeral Chapels in January 2005. She is a graduate of Bethel College in McKenzie, TN and received her diploma in Mortuary Science from John A. Gupton College in Nashville in 1989. Peggy is a licensed funeral director and embalmer as well as a bereavement educator with over 14 years experience providing help to adults and children coping with grief and emotional trauma. Peggy recently relocated to the Hill Country from Michigan. Although she has been a visitor to Kerrville for many years, Peggy is very happy to finally call Kerrville her home. Peggy has three grown children and enjoys reading, crafts, and fishing in her spare time.

E. LAMAR HODGES
 lamar@grimesfuneralchapels.com
 
E. Lamar Hodges is a third generation Kerr Countian, being the great grandson of the first District Clerk of Kerr County, Sidney B. Rees, when the Kerr County Courthouse was located where Grimes Funeral Chapels is located today. He has been the controller of Grimes Funeral Chapels since May 1, 1973. He married  Jewell Jones Hodges in June 1978. She passed away December 23, 2002 after a long battle with cancer. They had no children. His hobbies include gardening, crafts and reading. Lamar has been a member of the board of Texas Arts and Crafts Educational Foundation for two years. This organization produces the Official Texas State Arts and Crafts Fair on Schreiner University Campus on Memorial Day weekend each year. In addition, he has been a member of the Masonic Lodge and Order of Eastern Star since 1965.

GILLIAN FETTERS
 gillian@grimesfuneralchapels.com
 
Gillian Fetters is the secretary at Grimes Funeral Chapels. She was born on  November 28, 1979 in St. Paul,  MN to David and Marian Thomas. Her parents and four siblings moved to Kerrville in 1982. Following their oldest son, they moved the family to Seattle, Washington in 1991. After graduating from North Seattle College, Gillian married David Fetters in Reno, Nevada on September 7, 2000. She and her husband relocated to Kerrville from Seattle, Washington in March 2002 while visiting her two sisters during a brief road trip.  They have one son, Camdyn, born August 4, 2004 and a dog, a golden retriever named Cassie.  Gillian's hobbies include reading, watching movies, and spending time with her family.

CAROL WOERNER

Carol is no stranger to the funeral business. She was a funeral counselor for over 13 years. She is happy in her position as front desk receptionist and enjoys being able to serve others. She is a native of Kerrville and is a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.

BETTY FLOOD

Betty Flood is a part-time receptionist. She and her husband, Charles, live in a "little bitty house with a great big porch on the bank of the Guadalupe River in downtown Kerrville." They moved back to town in 1996 after a nine year stay in Austin. Kerrville is Betty's hometown and it gives her great pleasure to be living here again. Most of Betty's immediate family live in Kerrville and she plays an active role in the lives of her grandchildren. Her free time is spent with the family, gardening, reading, sewing, cooking and "day trips." In past years, Betty has owned assisted living homes, produced commercial videos, sold industrial paint and has 15 years of newspaper experience ranging from proofreader to owner. Her first job was writing a column for the Kerrville Daily Times while attending Tivy High School. She considers her job at Grimes perfect for her since her favorite hobby is exploring graveyards!

MAEVORENE STEHLING

Born and raised in Ingram, Texas, Mae moved after marriage to San Marcos, Texas. She raised three children, has four grandchildren, and was widowed in 1979. She retired after 12 years with the Texas Board of Private Investigators and Private Security of the license division in Austin, Texas. Mae moved back to Kerrville in October of 1999 and was glad to be "back home". She began working for Grimes Funeral Chapels as a night receptionist and feels like they are her "second family". Her hobbies are fishing, dancing, sewing, and working in her yard.

DORA SMITH

Dora Smith was born and raised in Medina, Texas, graduated from Medina High School, and Tower College of Business in San Antonio. In 1991 she moved back to Medina and started to work for Grimes Funeral Chapels in Bandera in 1994 as office manager/secretary.

ELIZABETH MICKELSEN JAMES

Elizabeth Mickelsen James has been a resident of Bandera County 55 years. In 1952, she married John Grover James, and they have one daughter, Minneana. When Elizabeth retired in 1994 after serving as Bandera County Treasurer for 24 years, she wanted to keep in contact with people in the area. Part-time employment as a receptionist and secretary at Grimes Funeral Chapels in Bandera affords her this privilege as well as the opportunity to be of service to others and be associated with a congenial staff of professionals. She and her family are active members of Bandera United Methodist Church.