James Franklin Grief, age 92, died Tuesday, June 5th, at Lourdes hospital following a brief illness. James was born February 11th, 1920, to Roy and Elvia Simmons Grief of Bethel Church Road in western McCracken County.

James was a member of Harmony Baptist Church of Grahamville for 60 years. He served in World War II in the U.S. 3rd Army, Artillery Division and fought in 5 major battles including the Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was a farmer and owner/operator of Grief’s Ashland Service on Highway 60 at the entrance to the Atomic Energy Plant, now USEC. During the 1950s he managed teams for Metropolis Lake and the West McCracken Lions in the Twin States Baseball League. In 1958 he was responsible for building the first ballfield at the West McCracken Community Center and got Ashland Oil to donate the lights. In retirement he spent much of his time fishing, camping and watching baseball and basketball games.

He is survived by his son, James R. (Jim) Grief and wife Donna of Paducah; two granddaughters and their husbands, Shannan and Ed Gabe of Lexington and Lindy and Adam Davidson of Lakeland, Florida, and three great-grandsons, Will, Aaron and Levi Davidson of Lakeland. He is survived by two brothers, Charles Grief of Memphis, Tennessee, and Bobby Grief of West Paducah, and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Jeanette Moyers Grief; an infant daughter, Sheryle Ann Grief; his parents; a sister, Ravenell Diehl; a brother, Roy Grief Jr., and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday at the Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah with Rev. Andy Shelton officiating. Burial will follow in Palestine Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Harmony Baptist Church, 9215 Ogden Landing Rd., West Paducah, KY, 42086 or to Sunrise Children’s Services, 300 Hope Street, Mount Washington, KY 40047.

You may leave a message of sympathy and light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com.