James W. Grimes Jr.

March 3, 1925-Jan. 20, 2022

Posted

James W. Grimes Jr., 96, of Crawfordsville went to be with the Lord on Jan. 20, 2022.

He was born March 3, 1925, at Danville, Illinois, the son of James W. “Bill” Sr. and Jewell (Pyle) Grimes. In 1935, the family moved to Wallace, Indiana, where he graduated from Wallace High School in 1942. Bill worked at Donnelley’s until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March 1943, serving in the Southwest Pacific. 

After discharge, Bill responded to a call to the Gospel ministry and trained at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He married Mary Katheryn Jackson of Wallace on Dec. 18, 1949. Bill was ordained to the ministry in 1950 and they were commissioned for missionary serviced by Pleasant View Baptist Church in Crawfordsville. They served the Lord in Munich, Germany with Baptist Mid-Missions until 1959, at that time, their infant son contracted Polio, making it necessary to return to America for extended medical care.

They continued Home Missions, serving several churches in Indiana until retirement. The moved to Kingman, where they helped in their home church, Yeddo Baptist, plus pulpit supply to area churches. In 2006, they moved to Crawfordsville, where Bill taught a Bible Class for the past several years.

Bill is survived by his wife, Mary K.; two daughters, Judith Ann Kuriatnyk of Gig Harbor, Washington, and MaryRuth Taylor of Crawfordsville; sister Lois Jean Larsh; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by son James William III and daughter Deborah Sue.

Visitation will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 28, with service following, with the Rev. Phil Taylor officiating, at Sanders Shoemaker Funeral Care, Waynetown. Interment will be at the Waynetown Masonic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to Baptist Mid-Missions earmarked “Jewish Missions.”


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