James Houston Grisham

Dec. 21, 1935 – July 1, 2023
James “Jim” Houston Grisham, 87, passed away on July 1, 2023, in Cody.
Jim was born on December 21, 1935, in Shell. He was the fifth child born to Shedrick “Hoot” and Bertha Grisham.
Jim learned to work hard at an early age and spent most of his childhood and teen years helping his family cut and haul timber out of the Big Horn Mountains.
Jim was passionate about his love for hunting and fishing. He loved to hunt so much that during hunting season in the ninth grade when his teacher told him to either come to class or turn his books in, he turned his books in.
Jim eventually joined the United States Navy. He proudly served our country for 20 years, 9 months and 19 days. During his military service he married Veleria Bonnell “Bonnie” Cox on January 25, 1964, and they started a family. He retired from the Navy in 1976 in Groton, Connecticut. He bought a gas station near the Naval base and worked as a self-employed mechanic for many years.
Jim always dreamed of moving back out west, and in the early 1990s that dream came true. He finally made it back to Wyoming, and eventually, he and Bonnie bought a small lumber yard and hardware store in Lovell.
Jim was a man of few words until you got him talking about hunting and fishing and growing up in those Big Horn Mountains that he loved so much.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Hoot and Bertha Grisham, brothers William and Harry Grisham, sister Betsy Harvey and his wife, Bonnie Grisham.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his son James (Steve) Grisham of Lovell; daughters Jazmyn Grisham (Gus) O’Haran of Lovell, Regena (Trip) Aiken of Cody and Tina Grisham of Ontario, Ohio; numerous beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brothers Archie and Freddie Grisham; sisters Nancy Pasdach and Ida Gilmore; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Sadly, his brother Freddie passed away on January 28, 2024, and sister Ida on June 29, 2024.
We invite friends to join the family for a picnic/memorial at City Park (north pavilion) in Greybull on Saturday, July 20, at 11:30 a.m. for a time to remember and celebrate the lives of Jim and Freddie Grisham. A service for his sister Ida Gilmore will be announced.