Ilse Grocott

Ilse Irene Boehnke Grocott, age 80, a resident of Columbia, passed away Saturday, August 10, 2019 at her residence.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 3:00 PM at Theta Baptist Church with Pastor Tom Hagerty officiating. Burial will follow in Theta Baptist Cemetery. A visitation will also be held on Saturday from 1:00 – 3:00 PM at the church assisted by Heritage Funeral Home.

Ilse Irene Boehnke Grocott was born on August 20, 1938 in Schönbruck, Germany to Hugo Bruno Boehnke and Else Pauline Kirsch Boehnke. She became a believer and was baptized in December 1952. Ilse finished her schooling and took training for two years to learn to sew. She then got a job as a seamstress. It took a month’s wages to buy a pair of shoes and she then saved money to buy a bike to ride to work.

In September 1955 the family immigrated to the USA on a troop transport ship the USS General W.C. Langfitt and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. None of the family knew how to speak English, but they worked hard to get established in their new life. They were amazed at the availability of so much food and merchandise in the stores. In Germany they had gone to bed hungry every night. Ilse soon got a job as a seamstress at Bobbie Brooks and Joseph and Feiss, a men’s clothing company. She later worked at Hertner Electric where she met the love of her life, Ed Grocott. They were married on December 19, 1959 in Cleveland, Ohio. They moved to Tennessee where Ed was stationed in the Navy. Four children were born a year and a half apart each. Dolores, David, Daniel and Heidi. Ilse was a devoted worker and stayed busy caring for her four children.

In 1965 they moved to California. Ilse taught Sunday School and worked with the women’s ministry at her church. She loved to crochet, sew, and work in her garden. Beautiful flowers grew everywhere in her yard, in pots on her porch and in her house.

In 1996 they moved to Georgia to be closer to Ed’s family, and later they moved to Columbia, TN, where she lived until the time of her death. It was here that Ed passed away at home, and just ten months later, Ilse peacefully went to be with the Lord. They were both privileged to be able to remain at home until the Lord took them to be with him.

Survivors include her four children: Dolores (Carl) Clarke of Columbia, TN, David (Irene) Grocott of Columbia, TN, Daniel (Linda) Grocott of Hershey, PA, Heidi (Jim) Ellis of Hamilton, MT; two sisters: Edel (Ed) Tomm of Crescent City, CA, Sigrid (Don) Rynerson of Dodge City, KS; and one brother, Fred (Diana) Boehnke of Highland, CA; along with numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be: Daniel Grocott, David Grocott, Tim Grocott, Michael Hagerty, Carl Clarke, and Ronnie Sparkman.