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 four grandsons, Hunter, Walker, Austin and Carson. 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 Hillsboro Junior College for two years and Sam Houston State University on a rodeo scholarship. Then he went to Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service in Houston and in 1998 he graduated from mortuary school.

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). Johnny is a member of the Kerrville Masonic Lodge No. 697 in Kerrville and Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. In his spare time, Johnny enjoys calf roping and team roping, golfing, hunting and spending time with his family.

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 and a son Wade.

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 25 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. He has two children, a daughter, Ava Grace Hutcherson was born August 6, 2003 and a 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.

CHARLES L. GRAY

Charles L. Gray was born in Kerrville on December 16, 1952 and is a graduate of Tivy High School, Class of 1971. He graduated from Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in 1975. He married the former Patricia A. Ficker on October 21, 1972. Charles and Pat had two children, Aaron and Missy and later on, had the privilege of accepting a third child, George, into their life.

The joy of their life is their grandchildren. Charles and Pat are members of Living Tree Baptist Church of Ingram where Charles serves as a deacon and is active in the music program. Charles worked in Lewisville, TX in funeral service for 5 years, then returned to Kerrville with his family and started with Grimes Funeral Chapels in 1976, working full time until 2000. Charles retired in 2000 due to ill health. He returned to Grimes in 2006 working part time.

DAVID RANDALL "RANDY" KLINKHAMMER

Randy was born in Port Arthur, TX and graduated from Port Neches-Groves High School in 1978. In September 1978, he joined the Navy and was stationed aboard the carrier U.S.S. Coral Sea as a Machinest Mate 3rd Class for four years. Before attending Commonwealth where he graduated with honors, he was a heavy equipment operator.

During his apprenticeship, he worked for Grimes. He then was employed by Dorman's in Orange, TX and later returned to Grimes Funeral Chapels. Some of Randy's hobbies include fishing, motorcycle riding and skydiving. He is married to Tracey, a med nurse from New York and has one son and one granddaughter

PEGGY SWEENEY
peggy@grimesfuneralchapels.com

Peggy Sweeney received her diploma in Mortuary Science from John A. Gupton College in Nashville in 1989. Peggy is a funeral director and embalmer as well as a bereavement educator with over 18 years experience providing help to adults and children coping with grief and emotional trauma.

Peggy conducts monthly support groups for bereaved parents and spouses. She relocated to the Hill Country from Michigan in 2004. 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 was a member of the board of Texas Arts and Crafts Educational Foundation for eight years, serving as vice president for three years. This organization produces the Official Texas State Arts and Crafts Fair at River Star Arts and Events Park on Memorial Day weekend each year. In addition, he has been a member of the Masonic Lodge and Order of Eastern Star since 1965 and is a member of Kerrville Sunrise Lions Club.

GILLIAN THOMAS
gillian@grimesfuneralchapels.com

Gillian Thomas has been the secretary at Grimes Funeral Chapels since April 2002. 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.
 

She relocated to Kerrville from Seattle, Washington in March 2002 while visiting her two sisters during a brief road trip. She has a son, Camdyn Fetters, born August 4, 2004. Gillian's hobbies include reading, watching movies, traveling 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.
 

CHARLES WOERNER

Charles is well schooled in the funeral business, having been actively involved since 1968, spending most of those years in management and sales. Charles is the husband of Carol who also works with us. We’re very pleased to have him here at Grimes Funeral Chapels.

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.

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.

Laura A. Harborth joined our team in December 2008.  She is an honors graduate of the National Institute of Technology and has 18 years experience in human resource management.  She was born and raised in New Braunfels, TX. 

Laura has traveled extensively throughout the United States with her past employer.  She adopted her daughter internationally as an infant and everything changed at that very moment. Laura enjoys the slower pace of her new career and life in a small town.  She looks forward to building new relationships and providing exceptional customer service to those in a time of need.  Her daughter, Hadley, is now 6 and has played 2 years of soccer and is starting t-Ball and attends Alkek Elementary School.  They attend Grace Lutheran Church and Laura is a member of the Bandera Optimist Club

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