SIKESTON -- Mary Ellen Whitmire, 74, died Feb. 11, 2017, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston.
Born Jan. 29, 1943, in Lake City, Ark., to Lorene (Holt) Starkey Crader of Miner and the late Troy Starkey, she had been a school bus driver for several years in Texas and had moved back to the Sikeston and Dexter area about four years ago.
In 1961 in California, she married Junior Grubbs, who preceded her in death.
In addition to her mother, she is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Bill Criswell of Frankston, Texas; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Ricky and Kimberley Grubbs of Augusta, Ga., DeWayne Grubbs of St. Louis and Curtis and Jenny Grubbs of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; three brothers, Troy Starkey of Frankston, Texas, Carl Starkey of Dexter and Kirby Jack Starkey of Elizabethtown, Ky.; one sister, Bernice Hill of Sikeston; and 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two grandsons, one brother and two sisters.
Private family memorial services will be held at a later date.
Online condolences may be shared with the family at blanchardfuneral.com.