Clara Grywalski
Clara Grywalski, age 98, of Summerfield, Ohio, passed away Thursday, July 23, 2026. She was born October 21, 1927, in Noble County, Ohio, daughter of the late Fred M. and Sarah Lou Celia Davis Davis. Clara was a 1945 graduate of Sarahsville High School and was employed for 16 years by NCR in Cambridge. She was a member of the Summerfield Church of Christ. Clara enjoyed reading, working jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and playing board games and dominoes. Her family was the center of her life, and she was especially fond of her grandchildren and sons-in-law.
If you asked Grandma what mattered most, the answer was always the same, her family. She loved fiercely, and if you were lucky enough to be one of her people, you knew it. She raised four incredible daughters, who we all lovingly referred to as “the sisters.” In her later years, those sisters became her greatest caregivers, returning every bit of the love and devotion she had spent a lifetime giving them.
Now, if you ask any of the sisters, they’ll probably tell you Grandma, (or “mother” as they referred to her) could be pretty stubborn with them, but somewhere along the way, grandchildren came…and the rules seemed to disappear. As the grandkids, we were convinced we could do no wrong. We got the softer side of Grandma, and the sisters never let us forget it. Looking back, we think they might have been just a little jealous, and honestly, they probably had every right to be.
Our childhood was filled with time spent at Grandma’s. It wasn’t fancy or extravagant, but it didn’t need to be. Those ordinary days became the memories we’ll treasure forever. We didn’t know then that those little moments would become some of the biggest pieces of our hearts.
Grandma was funny, hardworking, and endlessly loving. She taught us what family looked like, not by talking about it, but by living it every single day. Because of her, our family grew into something beautiful: daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, all connected by the love she started.
If there’s one thing Grandma would want, it’s for us to keep telling the stories, laughing at the memories, teasing the sisters about how much easier we had it, and loving each other the way she loved all of us. That’s the legacy she leaves behind, not just in the family tree she grew, but in the family she held together. She’d want us to smile when we remember her, and maybe even argue a little about who was really the favorite. Since I’m the granddaughter writing this, I’d like to claim the title, but the truth is, Grandma had a way of making every one of us feel like we were her favorite. And that was just one more way she loved us. We will miss her more than words can say.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Carl Grywalski, who died in 1983; four sisters, Marybelle West, Viola Hill, Margaret Trott, and Nellie Cline; and two brothers, Henry Davis and Sam Davis.
Surviving are her children, Joseph C. (Lynn) Grywalski, Jr. of Summerfield, Vicki J. (Terry) West of Pleasant City, Paula M. (James) Cline of Caldwell, Carolin L. (Doug) Niswonger of Caldwell, and Beth A. (Doug) Hannahs of Summerfield; 10 grandchildren, Chris (Keith) Albaugh, Trent (Angie) West, Leanna West, Adam (Jordan) Cline, Katie (Klay) Conaway, Jessica (Michael) Postlethwait, Emma (Jessie) Niswonger, Bradley (Sammie) Niswonger, Clay (Chelsea) Hannahs, and Gracie Hannahs (Kyleigh); 22 great-grandchildren; 7 great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Friends may call Monday, July 27, 2026, from 11AM-2PM at McVay-Perkins Funeral Home, 416 East Street, Caldwell, where the funeral service will follow visitation at 2PM with Jimmie Moore officiating. Burial will follow at Olive Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Summerfield Church of Christ, c/o Terry Wiley, 26390 Fiddle Creek Road, Summerfield, Ohio, 43788. An online guestbook may be signed at www.mcvay-perkins.com