Dr. Dallas LaVerne Grant

Dr. Dallas LaVerne Grant was born September 9, 1945 in Herrin, IL to Lowell LaVerne (Cubby) Grant and Mary Garland Burden Grant. He was raised in the family home in Ferges and attended first grade in the one-room Ferges school before it was incorporated into the Johnston City Unit 1 School District in 1951. He then attended school in Johnston City through 8th grade before the family bought a second home in Marion, IL so Dallas could attend high school there from 1960-1964 where he was active in all the sports offered: baseball, basketball, football, and track. He was awarded a baseball scholarship to Murray State University where he met his future wife, Carolyn Mae Hopper. They married June 3, 1967 in Mayfield, KY and both continued their education at Murray State University until they received their first in a series of degrees. Dallas majored in psychology and English and minored in business. Carolyn majored in math and English and minored in speech. Carolyn also earned a master's degree in education at Murray State.
They moved to Centralia, IL where their two daughters were born: Carolyn Renee and Angela Kay. In 1973, they moved to Danville, IL where their two sons were born: Brian Dallas and Kevin Gregory. Carolyn was a very talented seamstress and owned and operated Carolyn's Drapery Center from their home so she could devote most of her time to raising their children to school age. She also taught 2 years in Marshall County schools while Dallas was getting his PhD. at the University of IL in Champaign-Urbana (while working for the Vermilion County School District.) Dallas received his Ph.D. in psychology in 1979, and Carolyn later completed all the necessary courses required for a Ph. D. in education administration.
Dallas was preceded in death by his parents, Cubby and Garland Grant and two infant sisters, Mary and Carolyn Sue, paternal grandparents, Harry and Lena Grant of Ferges, and much-loved aunts and uncles, Clarice (Tot) and Helen Grant of Elizabethtown, KY, Eddie Grant and Bill Grant of Ferges, Mable Grant of Herrin, and Esther (George) Hazel of Ferges, maternal grandparents, Granvel R. Burden of Jeffrey and Ruie Elms Burden of Beaver Dam, KY, uncle Leonard Burden of Evansville, IN and brother-in-law John Robinson of Johnson City. His wife, Carolyn, passed away June 4th, 2024, the day after their 57th wedding anniversary.
Dallas was proud of the fact that his great-great grandfather, Luke Sanders, was a friend of then General, John A Logan, and they served together in the Mexican American War and the Civil War. Luke and his flute played an instrumental part at the gathering on the Square in Marion, IL on August 19, 1861, when Congressman Logan's speech, along with patriotic tunes Luke played with his fife, convinced Williamson County to support the Union Force and not the Confederacy.
Dallas is survived by his children, Renee (Brent) Schulte of Urbandale, IA, Angela (Kent) Sulzberger of Morton, IL, Brian Grant of Eden Prairie, MN, and Kevin (Sandy) Grant of Harrisburg, PA. He is also survived by his 6 grandchildren, Cecilia, Rachel, Savanna, Kevin Jr., Alayna, and Logan as well as his two sisters, Kathie (Floyd) Brush of Marion, IL and Lana (Dave) Peck of Herrin, IL, special cousins, Kimbra Hazel Lange of Springfield, IL and Gregory (Kim) Hazel of Champaign, IL.