Obituary of Peggy L. Grimes

On the 26th of December, 2020, long time Elbert County and Simla resident, Peggy Grimes departed this life at the Good Samaritan Center in Simla. Peggy Leanore Grimes was born 9 December 1932 at Sharon Springs, Wallace Co., Kansas to David Soloman and Emily Garrett Hays. She was the youngest of 7 children. In fact, she had 2 nephews and 1 niece that were older than she was. Her oldest brother was 24 years older. When just a small child the family moved to a farm at Wauneta Nebraska. It is there that she attended school and graduated from Wauneta H. S. She then attended Kearney Teachers College and received her Teacher Certificate in 1950. She taught 1st – 8th grade in a rural one room schoolhouse for 3 years. It was during the 2nd year teaching school that she met and married Robert Grimes. They were married 4 June 1951 at Denver Colorado. Three children, Jackie, Jesse and Susan were added to their lives. While growing up Peggy helped on the farm and grew to be quite a horsewoman. She was always around horses and her one horse Adio she trained to be a barrel racer and she competed at rodeos and fairs, including Cheyenne Frontier Days. She also drove 2 horse chariot teams and raced them as well, often winning her races. Well, with that background, is it any wonder that she started her son Jesse on the rodeo way of life. You know the words to the song? “Mama’s don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.” That didn’t apply to her as she was the mama encouraging him to be one. She loved the excitement, hustle and bustle of the rodeo life. In 1955 Peggy and Bob moved to Laramie Wyoming. In the 6 years they live there Peggy worked for the Laramie Police as a meter maid and then also worked at Safeway. In 1966 the Grimes family came to Elbert Co. first to Agate for a year and then the Simla area (rural and in town) ever since. While living here she held many employment positions. Nurse's aide and cook at Evergreen Nursing Home in Limon, nurse's aide at Good Samaritan Center in Simla, mail carrier out of Calhan and Rush. None of these jobs were as important to her as the job she and Bob took upon themselves in the early 1980’s. That of taking care of grandson Jason Grimes. Peggy was preceded in death by her husband Robert, grandson Jason Grimes, granddaughter Joy Grimes, and daughter Susan Dole. She is survived by daughter Jackie Holifield and husband Mike, son Jesse Grimes and wife Angela, and son-in-law Tom Dole. 3 granddaughters, Sunshine Dalton, Cassie Sue Brown, and Jessie Shockey. 5 grandsons, Bobby and Neal Grimes, Justin and Jeremy Dole, and Jonathan Hoover. 4 great-grandsons, Tyler Dalton, Aiden and Ashton Zboralski, and Lane Brown, and 1 great-granddaughter Emylia Shockey.