Lucretia V. Pace

Lucretia (Pete) Pace, age 86, of Searcy, Arkansas, mother and good friend, left Earth this week to join her husband Glen, along with family and longtime friends rejoicing around the throne of God. She is free of all pain and sorrow and will happily dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Following behind are: Her son David Pace with his wife Gracie and granddog Dixie; grandson Jason Pace and his wife Jenny, and their children Carson, Gracen, Andrew and Jack; grandson Jonathan Pace and his wife Morgan, and their children Madison, Caleb, Emma Grace and Tessa; granddaughter Sarah Chaffin and her husband Michael, and baby girl Avery on the way. Her son Joey Pace and his wife Lavada; grandson Michael Howerton and his wife Summer, and their children Brianna and Lillian. Mom was born and raised in Jackson County, Arkansas. Her father, Lockard Terrell, built her childhood home using cash from the sale of a giant drag line dredge he salvaged from the bottom of the White River near Newport. Mom and her younger brother Cherry ran the machine that pumped his air. This rock clad house mom grew up in still stands today in Newport on old Hwy 67N and is now a small animal clinic. Mom’s mother, Verneal, of Choctaw Indian descent, was a hair dresser who operated a small shop in downtown Newport. Lockard and Verneal are buried side by side in the main Newport cemetery. Mom attended the Diaz and Newport school systems, graduating from Newport High School in the early 40’s at the height of WWII. In her words, her younger brother Cherry would have never made it through most recesses if she hadn’t done most of his fighting for him. Her brother Cherry is buried in Batesville, Arkansas. Our Pop, Glen, also from Jackson County, and Mom were married in 1946 following his discharge from the Marines. Pop trained to be a preacher of the Gospel and served congregations in Newport, Batesville, Malvern, Benton, Searcy, Magnolia and Judsonia, all in Arkansas, along with a two year ministry in Snyder, Texas. Mom did all of the packing and unpacking while raising two boys and enjoying the life of a preacher’s wife. Mom kept the house, the checkbook, the mutt, the laundry, the meals, the boys, and the preacher. She sang a fine soprano and often taught the Tuesday Morning Ladies Bible Class, getting home just in time for Days of Our Lives. It all looked easy to the eyes of this child. She grew up working hard, and working hard all her life came just as natural as could be. She made all the boys’ sports events, never bothering to learn the rules of the game. As far as she was concerned, her boys always won. She was adept with mercurochrome, bandaids, hydrogen peroxide, cod liver oil and the willow limb. Mom had to stretch the preacher’s salary but managed to make some savvy investments over the years while the preacher wasn’t looking. This allowed her to provide for their modest retirement when Pop could no longer climb the steps to the podium. They had no debt and never owned a credit card until Mom started watching the Home Shopping Network. Now she’s left behind some of the most amazing things not sold in stores! Mom was diligent in caring for Pop and preserving his dignity until his death in December 2009. This broke down only once when Pop wandered off with her car because she’d hidden his keys. She filed a missing persons report and he was arrested 15 miles away trying to make a clean getaway to some imaginary destination. He was safely back in her care by nightfall. Everyone was welcome in Mom’s home and she readily hosted social gatherings, doing most of the work in the kitchen herself. She was a wonderful cook and loved to do it. All of the kids and grandkids expected her to set the Thanksgiving and Christmas table. No one else would do. She happily filled that role into her late seventies. Mom’s delight was her grandchildren. Her first time ever to see an ocean was after the birth of a grandchild. Her first time ever to fly in an airplane was after the birth of a grandchild. She was always available to “keep the kids.” She rocked and sang and “mugged on ‘em,” treasuring their words, stories and pictures into the final hours of her earthly life. All four grandchildren, and all ten great-grandchildren called her Gannie. She was the bedrock of the family, its foundation. She was and is our hero. And we are proud for her and happy that she has reached her heavenly home. Bye, Gannie. We love you and miss you and we’ll see you again one day. Tell Pop we “happens to love” him, too. Visitation will occur at Powell Funeral Home in Searcy, Arkansas, on Saturday, May 28, from 5 until 7pm. The funeral service will also be at Powell Funeral Home on Sunday, May 29 at 2pm. Interment will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Lucretia Pace’s name to any children’s charity, regardless of affiliation.

Lucretia V. Pace

July 28, 1924 - May 26, 2011