Mary Mae Grenfell

Alzheimer’s disease.

Mary was born, Mary Mae Gray on Oct. 10, 1925, in Denver, Colo., the daughter of Phillip Vernon Gray and Edna Mae Swartz. She lived in Amarillo, Texas during her formative years where she graduated from Amarillo High School. Mary’s family included ten sisters and two brothers.

After high school, she married Joe Rogers Bruce and gave birth to their son Jimmy Rogers Bruce in September of 1944. Staff Sgt. Joe Bruce served in WWII and was killed in France in December, 1944.

While in Amarillo, Mary married Thomas W. Grenfell of Schaefer, Mich. in 1946. Tom and Mary had a son, Thomas Grenfell Jr. in 1948 and the family moved to Escanaba in 1956. For several years they were owners and operators of the Sports Bowl Fountain/Pool Hall and Patio restaurant on Ludington Street.

Mary was very active most of her life. She was a high school tennis star in Amarillo and spent decades as a superb bridge player with several bridge clubs in the Escanaba area. She was an avid reader, a lively jitter-bugger, and two-stepper on many dance floors in Delta County. Her prowess as a southern cook was wildly popular with her family and friends. Mary and Tom wintered in Texas for many years visiting family.

Mary’s work life was spent in the service industry as a waitress, business owner, and customer service representative with several establishments. She spent several years as a bartender/manager at CJ’s bar in the lower level of the Delta Hotel in Escanaba.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Tom Grenfell; son, Tommy Grenfell Jr.; parents; nine sisters; and two brothers. She is survived by her son, Jimmy (Sally) Bruce of Escanaba; two grandchildren, Christopher and Tony Bruce; two great-grandchildren, Owen and Kenna Bruce; sister, Jeanette (Bill) Smallwood Gray of Amarillo, Texas; daughter-in-law, Debbie Hurley; and granddaughters, Ashley Hurley and Abbie Koch.

Services will be held at a later date.

A message of condolence may be directed to the family by visiting www.crawfordfuneralhomes.net. The Crawford Funeral Homes are assisting the family.