Cecil Wayne Grisham, 89, met the promises of his faith, won the victory, and entered into his heavenly home on Friday December 13, 2024, at his home peacefully surrounded by his family.
Funeral Services honoring Mr. Cecil’s life will be held at 1 PM Monday December 16, 2024, in the Heritage Chapel of the Ripley Funeral Home with longtime friend and minister, Bro. Doc Shelton officiating. Visitation will be from 10 AM until time of service on Monday December 16, 2024, at Ripley Funeral Home. Graveside service will follow in the Pine Grove Cemetery.
On March 18, 1935, Mr. Cecil was born in Tippah County to the late Charles Franklin and Nora Velma Box Grisham. After moving to Pattison, MS, he attended Union Church High School, where he met his sweetheart, Ethel Smith. On September 7, 1956, the two were married and together built a life and raised their two children.
After pursuing work as a lineman for multiple years he attended Mississippi State University where he received his civil engineering degree. After graduating he served as a civil engineer with the Corp of Engineering for thirty-two years before his retirement.
After retirement and thirty-two years spent in the Pattison Community, Mr. Cecil and Mrs. Ethel returned to the Dumas Community of Tippah County. Faithful members of Dumas Methodist Church, Mr. Cecil had a deep love for music and was music leader to the congregation for many years. As they enjoyed the simple way of life, Mr. Cecil found much pleasure in traveling throughout the United States with his wife andproducing a bountiful vegetable garden every summer. Being in the outdoors with chainsaw, ax, or wedge in hand Cecil was in his favorite environment; cutting their own firewood, he would often say, “If you heat with wood, you get warm twice”. Quitethe innovator, Mr. Cecil loved “Cecilizing” things. He believed in bettering things around him and built multiple projects throughout his life which included an old daily driven car that he repurposed into a generator to run their power during outages and a one of a kind motorized brush trimmer from the ground up to help keep the farm clear.
First and foremost, in his life, Mr. Cecil’s Christian beliefs and devotion was to God. They were heavily involved in Cursillo and after attending as Pilgrams they then continued the ministry by leading multiple weekends sharing their walk of faith with other pilgrims.
Mr. Cecil lived his life with tremendous love, compassion, and dedication to his family, community, and his Lord and Savior, and his legacy will always continue to live on especially in all the hearts of those he touched.
In addition to his wife of sixty-eight years, Ethel Smith Grisham, those left to cherish memories include their two children, Renee Grisham and Mark Grisham (Jamey), and their bonus son, Joe Stafford, five grandchildren, John Myers (Tish), Hunter Myers(Cassie), Ceciley Myers, Andrew Grisham (Alyssa), Nora Grisham, and bonus grandson James Bersche, four great grandchildren, Braxton, Jude, Ezra, and Mason, and a host of family, and friends.
Mr. Cecil – better known as Baw Baw by his grandchildren and great grandchildren – was always sharing his years of wisdom and sage advice with great quotes:
• “Just think how good that’s going to feel when it quits hurting”
• “Its good to be loved”
• “Everything is simple if you know how to do it”
• “You don’t see me banging my head on the table about it”
• “Im not talking fast enough”
He is also preceded in death by one brother, Lee Earl Grisham.
Donations can be directed to Dumas Methodist Church in his memory to help towards the cost of wheelchair ramps being built for locals in the community.
Ripley Funeral Home invites you to share memories with Mr. Cecil’s family.
