Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Grice, Thomas July 31, 1839 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com May 29, 2010, 9:36 pm Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 329 - 330 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company The members of the St. Johns Undertaking Company are Thomas Grice and his son, Henry C., and they conduct a funeral home which is complete and modern in every detail and is the only establishment of the kind in St. Johns, Portland. Thomas Grice is now eighty-nine years of age and is probably the oldest active undertaker in the United States. A native of Toronto, Canada, he was born July 31, 1839. After crossing the border into the United States he lived at several places prior to locating in Caldwell county, Missouri, where he remained until 1894. In the year 1887 he had become interested in the furniture, lumber and undertaking business at Braymer, Caldwell county, Missouri, and following his removal to Moscow, Idaho, in 1894 he conducted a combined furniture and undertaking establishment at the latter place for a time. Eventually, however, he disposed of his furniture interests and has since devoted his attention exclusively to the undertaking business. He remained at Moscow, Idaho, until 1910 and then located in Vancouver, Washington, whence he came to Portland three years later, in 1913. Here he purchased the undertaking business which had been previously established in St. Johns and conducted the enterprise independently under the style of the St. Johns Undertaking Company until 1922, when he was joined by his son, Henry C. The building now occupied by the company was erected in 1923 by the Doric Masonic Building Association in accordance with plans prepared by Harry C. Grice and is thoroughly modern in every particular. Thomas Grice has many interesting recollections of pioneer days in the undertaking business. He learned the cabinetmaker's trade in young manhood and remembers that he made caskets from one and one-quarter inch solid black walnut which he sold for fifteen dollars. The wife of Thomas Grice bore the maiden name of Agnes Lundy and is now eighty-eight years of age. Her father was a pioneer of Saginaw, Michigan, and constructed the first salt blocks in the famous salt works at that place. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Grice are the parents of four sons and a daughter, namely: Ada L., at home; Frank, a resident of Boise, Idaho; Otto, who is engaged in the bond and investment business in Portland; and Harry C. and Glenn who are associated with their father in the conduct of the St. Johns Undertaking Company. Harry C. Grice was born in Caldwell county, Missouri, and followed various lines of business in his early manhood. During the period of the World war he was connected with the United States shipping board in Portland. Since 1922 he has been associated with his father. While a resident of Moscow, Idaho, he joined the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and was also made a Mason. Glenn Grice, who is now associated with his father and brother in the successful conduct of the St. Johns Undertaking Company, lived in Idaho for many years and engaged in the undertaking business at Moscow, that state, for seven years. He held the office of county coroner in Latah county, Idaho, for seven years. In 1922 he disposed of his business interests in the Gem state and thereafter traveled for a wholesale undertaking supply house until 1928, when he became identified with the St Johns Undertaking Company. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/grice1076gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb