Funeral service for Mr. Grover Lee “Tar Baby” Gresham, 95, of Nacogdoches, Texas will be held on Sunday, November 27, 2011, at 2:00 pm at Laird Funeral Home with Rev. Jerry Wilson and Rev. Dock Lazarine officiating. Burial will follow at McKnight Cemetery.
Mr. Gresham was born in Looneyville, Texas on February 14, 1916, to the late Henry Gresham and Martha Harteler Gresham. He passed away peacefully on November 23, 2011, in Nacogdoches.
Grover grew up in Looneyville, Texas. He retired from Tucker, Brannon and Horton in Nacogdoches where he worked as a mechanic. Grover had many interests and hobbies but his first love was going to church. He was a long standing member of Westside Missionary Baptist Church where he was the “official” greeter before services. He also loved to rebuild motors, gardening and tending his flowers and chewing tobacco. He enjoyed building bird houses, fishing and he loved to laugh and talk with his family, friends and church family. Grover was a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys and his famous qoute about them was “When I get to be 100 years old, I’m going to go to work for the Dallas Cowboys because they don’t do nothing no way.”
Grover was a wonderful son, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He would go out of his way to help anyone in need. He will be missed greatly by all who knew and loved him.
He is survived by his wife, Laverne Lazarine Gresham of Nacogdoches; a son, Larry Gresham of Nacogdoches; a step-son, Everitt Rhodes and wife, Linda of Lufkin; a step-daughter, Lois Nell Gibson and husband, Bill of Pine Hill, Alabama; two sisters, Ether Crawford of Enid, Oklahoma and Erma Houston of Canyon, Texas, eight grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and twenty five great-great grandchildren; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other extended family, good friends and church family.
In additon to his parents he was preceded in death by his first wife, Syble Gresham; infant son, Garland Gresham; daughter, Shirley Ann Jinkins; two sisters, Odell Boman and Lether Gresham Brinkley; one brother, Lester Gresham.
Pallbearers will be Rodney Rodriques, Bud Koonce, Larry Gresham, Jr., Jay Bennett, Stacey King, Lance Gresham, Edward Work and Wade Allen.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of Mr. Gresham’s Sunday school class.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 26, 2011, from 6-8 pm at Laird Funeral Home.
To offer condolence or to sign an online register book please log onto www.lairdfh.net.
