Grace Arney

Beautiful lady, beautiful soul. Grace A. Arney, 80, of Lake Odessa, Michigan, passed away peacefully in her home on the evening of Tuesday, July 28, 2015 in the company of her loved ones. Aptly named by her beloved mother Leona in 1934, Grace met every challenge in her life with an inner strength and toughness that belied her slight, sub-100 lb frame. Grace Himmel grew up one of nine children on a dairy farm in Carrolltown Pennsylvania, before leaving the farm to head east for work and adventure right after graduating from high school. She was married for 13 years during which time she had three children. She never remarried after her divorce in the early 1970's. She raised her three children on her own while working full time. The original house-flipper, Grace loved to renovate old well-worn houses and bring them back to life. And she wasn't shy about getting her hands dirty. Roofing, plumbing, painting, cement work whatever the job, Grace was there with hammer in hand ready to get to work. She was sanding drywall and laying floor tile a month before she passed at the age of 80. Grace was born with a strong sense of justice, fairness and compassion, and was passionate about civil rights, the rights of workers, and especially the rights and welfare of animals. Generous to a fault, Grace was a long time benefactor to numerous charitable organizations. Being a spiritual person, her faith never faltered and provided her comfort throughout her life. A great listener who always placed the comfort and feelings of others over her own, and was always free and ready with a smile and a cup of coffee, Grace was loved by everyone who knew her. She fit her name in every sense of the word, and we were blessed to be in her circle. We will miss you, mother, sister, friend, beautiful lady, beautiful spirit. Grace is preceded in death by her parents; two brothers; and one sister. She is survived by her children, Wayne (Kathie) Arney from Charlotte, Christopher (Andrea) Arney from Alto, and Debbie (Alvin) Smith from Beverly Hills, FL; six grandchildren; three great grandchildren; four sisters; one brother; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a memorial in mom's name to an animal organization of your choice To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Grace Arney, please visit our flower store.