Francis Drew Grantham, age 89, of Jasper, FL. passed away on November 4, 2022 at Suwannee Valley Nursing Center in Jasper, FL.

Starting near the end, Drew is best known as (one of) our lawn mowing residents. While some may find it odd that Hamilton County has had so many gentlemen out driving their lawn mowers, it really is a good thing as it actually speaks to the longevity of life as well as their pure determination. Never one to give up or give in and contrary to the wishes of his family (only because they feared he would be injured driving or injure someone else), Drew meant he was going to be independent just as long as possible. That said, back to the beginning.

Drew was born June 24, 1933 in Suwannee County, FL. to the late Emory and Nellie Hurst Grantham but lived most of his life in Hamilton County. He was a hard worker from early childhood well past what any man should have been working. It was not necessarily that he had to work, but that he desired to busy his hands with work and not be left with idle time. Drew was a longtime member of the H & F Breakfast Club as long as they were in business and then he joined the Hardee's Breakfast Club. In his early days he enjoyed hog hunting and he would forever love riding his horses and pulling the horse drawn buggy Mr. Harry T. Reid had purchased. Drew served in the Florida National Guard for a number of years. He served as Fire Chief for the Jasper Fire Department and also worked as a volunteer. He was an excellent mechanic and worked for several dealerships, often as manager of their service departments. He worked at the local Western Auto for 15 years and ended his "public" career with Gulf Life Insurance Company where he worked in door-to-door sales. He was basically forced into retirement because he took in so much work as a shade tree mechanic. Folks knew he was one of the best mechanics around and so they just drove over to his house and dropped their vehicles off under the "shade tree" to be serviced. Drew seldom turned a job away. If he wasn't on a job that required a mechanic, you could most assuredly find him on his tractor or lawn mower out mowing for folks in the community that could not get out and do it themselves. He was likely paid far less than he should have been, but Drew had a big heart and there were several of the widow ladies that knew he would come and mow as soon as they called for him. It was not often that one saw Drew without a smile but for a span of time, Drew fought with the sadness of losing the love of his life, Juanita in June of 2004. He loved that little lady, but he would acknowledge that he would not bring her back if she would have had to suffer. As Drew's eyesight began to fail and his heart started to fail him, he went to live at Suwannee Valley Nursing Center. Oh, he would voice his absolute dissatisfaction to his children at having to stay there all of the time, but he truly brought joy to those that he came into contact with. He was able to visit so many people while sitting on the front porch or in the foyer by the fireplace. It is believed that he really did love it but he couldn't possibly admit it since he had thrown such a fit to begin with. Drew loved his children and was so very proud of them.

Survivors include his son, Buddy Grantham of Madison, FL.; his two daughters, Ann Lessman and Susan Bozeman and her husband Mark, all of Jasper, FL.; his nine grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 in the chapel of Harry T. Reid Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday beginning at 10:00 a.m.