Kinder- Johnny Grantham, a Pastor, loving father, carpenter and long-time Louisiana resident passed from his earthly home to his Eternal Home on December 19, 2021 at the age of 75. A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 7, 2022 at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home of Kinder. Rev. Darin Grantham, Rev. Trace Grantham, Rev. A.A. Haymon, Rev. Elridge Anselmi and Rev. David Cheramie will officiate. Burial will follow at Dry Creek Cemetery under the direction of Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.

The family will receive visitors at Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Home on Thursday, January 6, 2022 from 3-8 p.m. Visitation will resume on Friday morning from 9 a.m. until time of service.

Rodney John Grantham, Sr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 31, 1946. He married Shirley Jean Hamilton in 1965 and they were blessed with three children (Rodney J. Grantham, Jr. of Westlake, Louisiana, Charles Darin Grantham of Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Shelly Jean Collona of Dayton, Nevada). His extended education was completed as a Carpentry Apprentice, where he graduated as a Journeyman Carpenter. He went on to become a Carpentry Superintendent and Carpentry Educator at the VoTech School in Thibodeaux Louisiana. His civil service included serving as a Juvenile Officer in LaFourche Parish and participating as a role play actor at Fort Polk Military Training facility, where soldiers are trained for battle. He obtained his UPCI Ministerial license from the Louisiana District in 1976 and was ordained in 1979.

He became Pastor of his first UPCI church in 1976 at LaRose Louisiana and later pastored three other UPCI churches throughout Louisiana: Kaplan, LaCamp and Mt. Fair.  His love for Children's Ministry enabled him to touch many lives, throughout his 46 yrs. of ministry, with his great sense of humor and love for people.  He described his transition from working in the secular world of carpentry to the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ as "I stopped building houses and started building hearts". Rodney and Shirley relocated to Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 2020 after Hurricane Laura damaged their home and property in Mittie, Louisiana.  He lived with his younger son, C. Darin Grantham and family, until the time of his death. His great love was spending time with family and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with anyone who would listen.

Those left to cherish Johnny's memory include his loving wife of fifty-six years, Shirley (Hamilton) Grantham; three children, Rodney Grantham, Jr. and wife, Alisa, Darin Grantham and wife, Tammye and Shelly Colonna; five grandchildren, Brittany King and husband, Weston, Shelby Abbott and husband, Jeremy, Dayrin Bledsoe and husband, Ben, Trace Grantham and Dominick Colonna and his wife, Amanda; seven great grandchildren, Eisley King, Auden King, Jensen King, Beckham Abbott, Callum Abbott, Felicity Rose Howell-Colonna, and William Colonna; two nieces, Kathy Breaux and Pam Beard; and one nephew, Mark Wilson.

Johnny is preceded in death by his mother, AnnaBelle Prince; father, Jessie Grantham; sister, Maxine Wilson; brother, Anthony Lori Grantham; and son-in-law, Bill Colonna.