Penelope Griggs

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Penelope M. "Penny" Crenshaw Griggs, 65, of Charleston died Sunday, July 12, 2009, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo.

She was born Jan. 28, 1944, in San Diego, to the late Dr. Edwin Addison Taylor and Dr. Eva Gaede Taylor. Following her marriage to Richard V. Crenshaw, the couple moved to Bertrand, Mo., in 1967 to pursue beef cattle and row crop farming.

In 1977 she became the substitute rural letter carrier for Route 2 Charleston, then advanced to regular carrier, and remained in that position until she retired in 2004. She was co-owner and operator of G & G Trucking and the Vikings South 40 at Charleston. She had attended Bertrand United Methodist Church and was a member of VFW Ladies Auxiliary.

Penny loved the outdoors, especially the ocean. She was an avid gardener and bird watcher and loved cooking and camping.

On Jan. 30, 1966, she married Richard V. Crenshaw, who preceded her in death. On June 19, 1995, she married Sam Griggs.

Survivors include her husband; a son and daughter-in-law, Joe and Crystal Crenshaw of Watertown, N.Y.; a daughter and son-in-law, Tina and Jimmy Withrow of Sikeston; a granddaughter, Ashley Withrow of Sikeston; a grandson, Brent Crenshaw of Worden, Ill.; two stepsons, Michael Griggs of St. Louis, Steven Griggs of Charleston; a stepdaughter, Debbie Griggs of Charleston; a brother and sister-in-law, Edwin Addison and Bonnie Taylor Jr. of San Diego; her father-in-law, Roy D. Fletcher of Charleston; five stepgrandchildren; two great-stepgrandchildren; and her beloved chocolate lab, Sambo.

A brother, Donnie Taylor, preceded her in death.

Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Joe McCollough, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church of Sikeston, and the Rev. Robert Griggs of Webster Groves, Mo., officiating. Interment will follow in Smith Griggs Cemetery near Wyatt, Mo.

Pallbearers will be Joseph Crenshaw, Brent Crenshaw, Keith Quertermous, Larry Brown, Lee Michael Griggs and Nelson McMikle.

Honorary pallbearers will be Walter Welch, Dennis Quertermous and Roy D. Fletcher.

Online condolences may be left at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.