Grace Alice (Maggert) Sanders

Grace Alice Sanders, age 95, passed from her earthly life and entered her heavenly home to be with her Lord and Savior on March 11, 2020.  She was born April 16, 1924 on Rangeline Road west of Pleasant Hill, Ohio to Forrest Independence and Alice Mae (Hoover) Maggert, the 7th of 11 children.  She married John Eugene “Gene” Sanders October 3, 1941 at West Milton, Ohio.  They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary about 10 months before his death.  She lived her entire life in Ohio, mainly in Miami & Darke Counties.  She said she never wanted to leave the family farm north of Bradford where she has lived for over 53 and a half years.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Gene; son Jerry; granddaughter Arlene; brothers Floyd, Glen, Everett, Arthur, and Emmit; sisters Violet, Bertha Garwood Hinton, Rosetta Newman Tary, Verda Badgley and Eunice Morris Welch Pemberton; all her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, and several nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her children John of Apopka, FL, Justice of Mt. Dora, FL, Jeff of Bradford, Jay (Patty) of Eagar, AZ, Carol and Cheryl both of Covington, and Lee (Carol) of Gillette, WY; grandchildren Shelly (Brad) Gillen, Jerry Sanders, Darla Sanders, Shannon (Larry) Buller, Dana (Doug) Webb, Stephanie Sanders, Corrie (John) Tieman, Jared (Amanda) Sanders and Landry Sanders; great grandchildren Kaylee, Autumn, Alex, Alisha, Kelsey, Stanley, Alexia, Whitney, Jerry Gene, Connor, Bailey, Grace Ann, Emma, Samantha and Parker; great great grandchildren Ryleigh, Heather, Ryan, Ava and Oliver; sister-in-law Doris Saunders of Laura, Ohio; and many nieces and nephews.

She accepted Christ as her Savior in her youth and renewed her faith in 1972.  In the first few years of marriage while caring for one son and expecting another she received a telegram that her husband was injured while serving in Germany in WWII.  She cooked, canned produce from her garden, and cared lovingly for her large family, working very hard.  Through it all she had a happy disposition and a ready smile.  She loved to be with family, loved babies, loved to quilt (making nearly 200) and to read. She remembered her family every birthday, sending cards with a balloon included!  And many years children and grandchildren received boxes of yummy Christmas goodies in the mail, which started when she mailed care packages to 3 of her sons when they were in the military. A wonderful tradition of hers was making homemade doughnuts on New Years.  

Her husband's sisters called her "Shorty" in an endearing way and her sisters said she was feisty.  She attended many of her family reunions in Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Michigan and Canada.  She also enjoyed a special trip to see Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower, the Big Horn Mountains, a wedding and a new great grandchild in 2007.

She loved attending Camp Meetings, especially enjoyed listening to the missionaries speak.  In December 1986, she and her husband went on a mission trip to Mexico.  She liked the experience except for riding up the narrow mountain road in a van!

She was church treasurer for nearly 20 years and secretary for about half that time at the Bradford Pilgrim Holiness Church, retiring those positions in August 2018.  

At age 91 she got a smart phone and learned to text!  Even in the last years of her life she would text pictures and messages of what was going on medically with her.

Funeral service will be held Monday at 2pm at Stocker-Fraley Funeral Home, Bradford with Pastor Daryl Peeples officiating.  Interment Harris Creek Cemetery, Bradford.  Visitation will be held Monday from 12 noon until time of service at the funeral home.  Condolences may be left for the family at www.stockerfraley.com.