Garnet Elaine Grider

Garnet Elaine Grider was born July 18, 1925, in Parkston, South Dakota. The youngest of three sisters, she was preceded in death by Frances (Fannie) Fergen and Hazel Bestul, and her parents, Clarence and Nora Ida (Turgeon) Benson.

Garnet was married to John Driscoll and their union produced two children, Richard John Driscoll and Linda Ann Driscoll. She later married Arthur Davis “Skip” Grider, with whom two daughters were born: Nancy Lu Grider and Tammy Sue Grider.

Garnet had several jobs and careers, including as a teacher in the same one-room schoolhouse she had attended. She was most known for her career with the Division of Family Services, where she started as caseworker in June, 1967. She soon worked her way up from casework supervisor to Wright County Family Services Director, where she served for 29 years until her retirement.

Garnet loved her family, her cat and her flowers. Every spring she would plant a multitude of annuals and her yard was a landscape of flowering shrubs and perennials that she spent hours tending. Her last cat, Sheba, is a black she-devil that loved only her. Mom kept at least three feeding stations throughout the house, so Queen of Sheba never had to walk too far to get food or water. In her younger years, Garnet loved to dance and talked often of dances she attended as one of three beautiful sisters in her home state of South Dakota.

She spent many years being a horse show mom extraordinaire, and served as officer in Norwood Saddle Club and South Central Horse Show Association. She loved it, but sometimes joked that if she had known where it was going to lead, she would never have allowed that first pony on the place.

Garnet was a proud Norwood Pirates booster, following her children’s, her grandchildren’s and even her great-grandchildren's basketball and baseball games. She was always up for a trip. At first fearlessly packing her children into a car and traveling to wherever her husband, Skip, might be working on a pipeline at the time, or for the annual Memorial Day visit to South Dakota, where her children learned to love her native birthplace, their grandparents and numerous relatives. Later trips might be to Chicago, North Carolina, Arizona or San Diego, attending sons’ and grandsons’ military ceremonies. Many day or weekend trips to places of interest with daughter, Linda, and granddaughters, Cristy and April, or barrel races with Nancy and Tammy.

Her passing leaves a huge hole in the hearts of her children: Richard Driscoll and wife, Carol, of Fort Worth, Texas; Linda Moore and husband, Terry, of Mountain Grove, Missouri; Nancy Ellis, Norwood, Missouri; Tammy Russell and husband, Wayne, of Norwood; 9 grandchildren: Jennifer Driscoll Franke and husband Tyler; Andrew Driscoll, Cristy Moore Holloway and husband, Robert; April Moore Rosso and husband, Daniel; Acelyn Baker and wife, Amanda; Colt Ellis and wife, Chelsea; Jake Russell and wife, Stephanie; Shianne Russell Hunnicutt and husband, Matt; and Hayden Russell. 11 great-grandchildren: Jillian Franke, Jaqueline Franke, Emily Holloway, Jacob Holloway, Cyria Rosso, Myria Rosso, Hailey Baker, Nathan Baker, Brayden Baker, Jayla Russell, Jaycee Russell, and soon-to-be, Odin Miles Ellis; and many other relatives and friends.

Mom, Grandma, Grandma Grider or Gramma Gramma; whatever name you knew her by you knew she had a heart full of love and a home full of snacks, and you never had to leave there hungry. She had a soft spot for any extra dogs or cats that showed up at her door, and her covered front porch, where she loved to sit and visit, was hung with hummingbird feeders. She loved the cardinals and other birds that would flock to her feeders in the winter, blue jays and squirrels not so much.

Garnet passed peacefully to the arms of the Lord on March 3, 2020, in her home surrounded by loved ones. She was greeted by her husband, parents, sisters and a granddaughter, Denise Elaine Moore, infant daughter of Terry and Linda Moore. Her survivors know that they are as happy to see her as we are sad to lose her. This is only temporary, so until we meet again, Garnet, Yankee, Mom, Grandma, Grandma Grider or Gramma Gramma, goodbye.