Grace Dunn Tice

Grace (Dunn) Tice, age 84, of Cleveland, Mississippi, passed away on Saturday, May 31, 2025,at Indywood Personal Care Estates in Cleveland.

Grace was born February 28, 1941, to Charles Cleveland Dunn and Maddie Lee (Jones) Dunn in Coila, Mississippi. She attended Blackhawk School and graduated from Vaiden High School.

Grace enjoyed playing basketball in high school with her beloved sisters and teammates.

Grace studied court reporting at Delta State University, The University of Mississippi, and took additional court reporting courses in Florida. In 1983, Grace was appointed as the official court reporter for the Eleventh Circuit Judicial District, comprised of Bolivar, Coahoma, Tunica and Quitman Counties.. She had an extensive career as an official court reporter for Bolivar County courts. As many reporters were at this time, Grace was a pen writer of shorthand. To improve her skills, Grace took a correspondence course to learn the art of Steno and quickly utilized this method in the courtroom. 

Grace worked as a legal secretary for Griffith & Griffith for many years. She was also a court reporter and legal secretary for Judge John A. Hatcher, Judge John L. Pearson, and Judge Elzy Smith. She was a member of the Mississippi Court Reporters Association until her retirement in 2000. She always enjoyed attending seminars with her fellow reporters and friends. 

She was a loyal friend, and she had a sense of humor that provided a release for all the participants during tense moments that may occur during court trials.

Grace was a member of First Baptist Church, of Cleveland, where she enjoyed fellowship with her Ladies Sunday School classmates. She also enjoyed all kinds of music, but especially country-gospel music, particularly Elvis Presley. She enjoyed playing her keyboard at home.

She always looked forward to the Old Blackhawk Schoolhouse singings and family reunions.

She had an enthusiasm for food…Grace was always up for a roadtrip with family and friends to try any new restaurant. Grace loved her family, extended family, and grandchildren with all her heart.

Grace was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Cleveland “Charlie” Dunn and Maddie Lee Dunn and grandson Franklin Chandler McClain. She is survived by her husband, Joseph Dale Tice, of Cleveland, Mississippi along with her beloved sons, William Reed “Bill” Coleman of Waco, Texas and Robert Oliver “Bob” Jones, Jr. (Elizabeth Anne) of Cleveland, Mississippi, stepdaughter, Julia Suzanne (Jones) Lambert (Mark), of Greenback, Tennessee, and stepdaughter, Mechelle Tice McClain of Bethel Springs, Tennessee. Her cherished siblings, Edward “Zeke” Dunn (Annice) of Tupelo, Mississippi, Ida Alderman (Alton), of Greenwood, Mississippi, and Bess Norville, of Jackson, Mississippi. Grandson, Colby Reed Jones, of Oxford, Mississippi, and granddaughter, Anna Caitland Jones, of Cleveland, Mississippi, granddaughter, Emily Katherine Coleman, of Austin, Texas, granddaughter, Savannah Tice, of Selmer, Tennessee, grandson, Joseph McClain, of Bucksnort, Tennessee and great grandchildren Chevy Blair Tice and Carter Tyce McClain. She leaves behind a myriad of nephews and nieces. Also, her special friend, and daughter by heart, Brenda Davis Blackburn, of Foote, Mississippi. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

We would like to extend our appreciation to Indywood Estates Personal Care Home & VitalCaring Home Health and Hospice Group of Cleveland, Mississippi.

Graveside service will be held at 2:00 PM Tuesday June 3, 2025 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church Cemetery in Coila, MS.