Obituary of Grace Alcorn

Grace Smith Alcorn, 88, of Lodi, California, died June 24, 2003. Mrs. Alcorn was born in Helena, Ohio on January 23, 1915 to Benjamin Smith and Maude (Garner) Smith. Grace attended local schools in Ohio and was a graduate of Risingsun High School, Class of 1933. After high school, Grace completed business college courses at Davis Business College in Toledo, Ohio. On June 17, 1939, Grace married James L. Alcorn. They made their home in Ohio and had two daughters, Judith and Dolores. Grace said: "My most important job is being a mother." She was known for her devotion to her family and kindness to others. Besides her family life, Grace led a successful career as a secretary for over 20 years. She enjoyed history and enjoyed traveling with her husband doing genealogy work. She was delighted in keeping her house, having friends over to the house for barbecues, and visiting family in Ohio and Michigan. She loved watching baseball, playing cards, listening to her brother's honky-tonk piano music, Louis Armstrong and jazz. She enjoyed collecting antiques and beautiful famous paintings out of Life Magazine. She danced the Charleston in the 1920's and enjoyed wearing the garb that was in fashion always. Her goal was to stay under 120 pounds to fit into fashionable clothes whether they were expensive or not. Grace was quite the American patriot, and watched CNN news avidly. She remembered her grandfather who fought in the Civil War and told stories about him. She was very proud of her great-grandfather, who started preaching when he was 17 in the county of Lincolnshire in England. As a devout Christian, Grace had a deep admiration for Dr. Robert Schuller's teaching (from California's Crystal Cathedral) and loved his books. Grace is survived by her two daughters, Dolores Mayfield of Lodi, California and Judith Fisher of Holly, Michigan; four grandchildren, Kimberly Fisher of Pontiac, Michigan, Dr. Louisa DeBolt of Berea, Kentucky, Christopher Mayfield of Lodi and Dotti Mayfield Bunn of Oceanside, California; two great-grandchildren, Annabelle and James Bunn, also of Oceanside, CA; and one brother, Virgil Smith of Vaughnsville, Ohio. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, James L. Alcorn in 1987; three brothers, Paul, Herbert and Richard Smith; and her sister, Lucille Smith Holcomb. Friends are invited to attend funeral services at 1:30 P.M. on Friday, June 27, 2003 at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 1055 S. Lower Sacramento Road in Lodi. Rev. Father Richard Matters, officiating. Visitations will be from 8:00 AM to 8PM on Wednesday and Thursday, June 25th and 26th; and from 8 AM to 11:30 AM on Friday, June 27 at Lodi Funeral Home, 725 S. Fairmont Avenue in Lodi. Memorial contribution may be made to: St. John's Episcopal Church Building Fund, 1055 S. Lower Sacramento Road, Lodi, CA 95242.