Maurice John Grant (Buffalo)'s Obituary
Maurice John Grant, 76, of Phillipsburg, MO was born on August 18, 1947 to John Alvin and Esther Louise (Humphrey) Grant in Alexandria Bay, NY and departed this life on July 11, 2024. At the time of his passing he was 76 years, 10 months, and 24 days of age.
Maurice was raised in Cape Vinent, NY on his family dairy farm, and as a child he enjoyed catching minnows to sell at his grandfather Humphrey’s bait shop. Maurice’s favorite past time all through childhood, teenage years, and into adulthood when he wasn’t working was to play or watch sports. He loved almost all types of sports. While his father was living, he would have competitions with his dad to see who could throw a ball the farthest. He always loved to play baseball with his father, his children, and his nephews or “barn ball” with the whole community in their upstate NY hay loft. He has watched countless hockey games in Canada and later in Springfield, MO with his wife, sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
Maurice worked with his father his entire life hauling milk, crop farming, and dairy farming. He took over the family farm in 1979 where he began his family and started raising his first five children with their mother, Marie. He farmed in Sackets Harbor, NY until 1991. He moved to Phillipsburg, MO in 1991 where he continued farming and finished raising his family. He was united in marriage to Thelma Barber in 1997 and finished raising his family consisting of eight children total. On his farm in Phillipsburg he had stock cows, raised horses and sheep, and there he kept his prize possession, his cutting horse named Chrissy. He started dairy farming again in 1994 and retired from dairy farming in 2019.
Farming was his passion and dairy was his specialty. People would always say Maurice knew a good dairy cow, and he could tell you if a baby heifer calf would be a good milker. People from all over the US and Canada would hire him to buy and sell cows for them. Maurice traveled a lot because of this, and the children would help with the farm and travel with him, as well as his wife, Thelma who was his chauffeur across the country in his later years.
Maurice’s youngest son, Garrett would often manage the farm and the hired help, as a young teen, while his father traveled. Garrett loved to travel with him when given the chance. Maurice enjoyed to play video games with Garrett when all the work was finished. Maurice also enjoyed going on vacations with his children whenever he could. He just got back from a wonderful vacation in Florida with his wife, his daughter Jennifer and her family, just four short days prior to his passing.
Maurice was proceeded in death by his parents and two sisters, Bonnie McWayne and Sandra Ellingsworth. He is survived by his wife, working buddy, and trucking buddy, Thelma; his children, Eric (Johnna) Grant; Donna (Tracy) Stuckey, John (Jennifer) Grant, Jason (Kimberly) Grant, Justin (Misty) Grant, Justin Jobson (Catherine), Jennifer (Jessy) Portis, and Garrett (Chelsy) Grant; 23 grandchildren, Ethan and Allison Grant, Kyle, Adam, Caden, and Aleina Durham, Braden and Dakota Grant, John Grant, Julia Calfee, Brianne Stubblefield, Kaydon and Kassius Dame, Natalie and Jaxon Jobson, Isabella Hendrix, Donavin, Payton, Ariahna, Adalynn, and Tylee Portis, and Aubrey and Judson Grant; one great-granddaughter, Zoey Stubblefield; and one sister, Linda Aubertine. As well as a host of family and friends that loved him very dearly.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 18, 2024 in the Cantlon-Otterness & Viets Funeral Home with Bro. Bill Autry officiating. Escorts will be Braden Grant, Donavin Portis, Dakota Grant, Payton Portis, Ren Cole, and Micayah Stadler. Honorary escorts will be Judson Grant, Jaxon Jobson, John Mathews, Maurice Weaver, Dan Dryer, and Daniel Scott. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Wednesday at the Funeral Home. Interment will be in the New Hope Cemetery near Long Lane, MO under the care and direction of the Cantlon-Otterness & Viets Funeral Home of Buffalo.
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