Inez Grace Overcash James, 100 years old, entered into Heaven's gates on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 from Cla-Cliff Nursing Home in Brinkley, Arkansas. She was born March 27, 1916 in Dardanelle, AR to the late Christopher Columbus Grace and Effie Cleo Moore Grace. Inez was the third oldest child of 15 children in the Grace family.

Inez is survived by her three children and their families, Dr. Carl and Jane Overcash and children Mary Kathryn, Garrett, Christopher, William and Sarah Beth; Mark and Claire Brunson and children Beau (Kate) Brunson and grandchildren Eleanor and Alexandra, and Kendra Brunson; Ron and Beryl Ramsey and children Allison, Russell and Andrew, and her two step daughters Meredith James Tekell (Kenneth) and Nancy James and their families. Inez is also survived by her brother Lloyd (Pat) Grace, and sister in law Mary Lee Grace, brother in law Everette Lee Whitford, niece Linda Scallion Bell, numerous other nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and many other dear family members and precious friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husbands, Clarence N. Overcash and Oran C. James; brothers, Tom, Ben, Jack, Frank, Glen, John, Bill, Charlie, and infant Russell Grace; sisters, Elizabeth Fink, Anna Lee Richardson, Mary Roggenkamp, and Sarah Whitford.

Inez was lovingly known to her family and close friends as Gran-O, a name she created for herself when first grandchild was born. She was a Christian and faithful church member at Houston's First Baptist Church where she taught two year olds in Sunday School for over 40 years, and then continued to rock newborn babies in the nursery during church services for another 10 years. She was a member of the Dayspring Life Bible Study Class at Houston's First Baptist Church. She also attended West University Baptist Church in Houston and participated faithfully in their Senior Adult Choir under Ronny Barner.

Inez was a true Angel of Mercy, helping other seniors in her churches and in her community when her help was needed in life or even in death, sitting with family members as their loved ones went to be with the Lord.

She loved gardening and had quite a green thumb. She had a lovely yard full of day lilies, azaleas, sunflowers, climbing roses and other green and flowering plants.

She worked hard as unto the Lord in everything she did from the time she was a teenager. While her mother helped her husband in the fields farming at home, Inez would take care of her brothers and sisters who were too young to help in the fields. After graduating from Dardenelle High School, she went to nursing school in Russellville, AR. She joined the Army after nursing school and was assigned to go to nurse anesthesia school at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Luis, Mo.   When she graduated in 1945, WWII had ended so she started practicing nurse anesthesia at St. Joseph's Hospital in Memphis, TN.

She met Clarence Overcash in Little Rock, AR and shortly thereafter they were married, and moved to Corpus Christi, TX where she practiced anesthesia at Spohn Hospital. The Overcash family moved to Houston, TX in 1962, and there Inez practiced anesthesia at several hospitals including Hermann Hospital, Sharpstown General Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital.

After retiring from St. Joseph's Hospital when she was 72 years old, she volunteered at Texas Orthopedic Hospital for over five years and also at the Women's Center of Houston. She was a member of the Houston Day Lily Society, and Southside Place Garden Club.

She took excellent care of the body God gave her, participating in a water aerobics exercise class at the YMCA for over 20 years up until her stroke at 95. Every day she woke up with a predetermined project for the day, after she had her cup of coffee, read her Bible, ate her breakfast and had a tablespoon of chunky peanut butter.

She loved her family and her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She loved her Lord and she was full of life until the end. She enjoyed traveling, helping others, shopping and laughing. She always had a smile on her face when others stopped by for a visit. She enjoyed reading recipe books, looking for yummy new recipes to try and, she enjoyed cooking, sometimes adjusting a recipe in a way that may not always turn out as expected.

She lived a full life, one that we should all strive for, as the Lord must have greeted her today with, "Well done, Thou good and faithful servant."

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to New Hope Baptist Church or the Preschool Ministry at Houston's First Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00P.M., Friday, November 25, 2016 at New Hope Baptist Church in Dardanelle. Burial will be in New Hope Cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday, 1:00P.M. to 2:00P.M. at the church prior to the service.

Arrangements are by Cornwell Funeral Home in Dardanelle. Online guest book and condolences at www.cornwellfuneralhomes.com