Obituary for Grace Bernice (Fanger) Engelmeier

 United States

  • Date Of Birth: January 22, 1933
  • Date Of Death: January 21, 2017
  • State: Missouri

Grace Bernice Engelmeier was born in Rosati, MO on January 22, 1933, and passed from this life on January 21, 2017.  She was the oldest daughter of Leo Fanger and Mamie Gross Fanger.  

On July 11, 1952 in Salem, Arkansas, Grace was united in marriage to Melvin Engelmeier whom she lost in August 2016.  She is survived by her three children:  Gary and his wife, Bonnie of St. James, Debra Kemnitzer and her husband, Henry of St. James, and Donna Adams and her partner, Crystal of Houston, MO.  Grace has 7 grandchildren:  Shelly, Julia, Brian, Jessica, Nathan, Mackenzie, and Elliott.  She, also, has 10 great grandchildren.

She is further survived by three sisters:  Irene and husband, Louis Gorman of St. James, Mary and her husband, William Stotler of Rogersville, MO and Betty and her husband, Clarence “Pete”  Happel of College Place, WA.

Grace attended the country schools, Friendship School and Collins School, until the 5th grade when she moved to the town school in St. James.  In 1952, she graduated from John F. Hodge School where she played softball all 4 years.  Softball continued to be a passion in her life after high school.  She played on town teams and coached her daughter’s summer softball teams.

Grace was a hard worker all her life.  As a child, she helped her parents with work on the farm.  During high school, she worked summers and after school at Dillon’s Store in St. James as a clerk and at the Shoe Factory in Rolla, MO.  During the first 4 years of marriage, she lived on an Air Force base in Salina Kansas with her husband.  When they returned to St. James, she worked at the dress factory and the International Shoe Factory in the office until December 1970.  In 1975, she started working at the James Memorial Library in St. James.  During that time, she always volunteered her time at Old Work’s Day every year.  She made many new lifelong friends and became an avid and lifelong reader while working at the library.  She retired from the library in 1993.

During Grace’s adult life, she was involved in the St. James Junior Club, and she belonged to a bowling team for several years.  She enjoyed many hours bowling with her friends.  Grace was skilled at gardening and cooked many delicious holiday meals for her family.  She was also a member of the First Baptist Church for 60 years.

Grace will be remembered for her bright smile, her sense of humor, her willingness to work hard, and her caring devotion to her family.

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