Elva Grace Elam, nee Carter, age 87, formerly of O'Fallon, born October 19, 1929 in Mocksville, N.C., passed away Saturday, January 7, 2017 at Bethesda Dilworth Community, Oakland, Mo.

Grace was born and raised in Mocksville, Davie County, N.C. and married her high school sweetheart. She attended Ashmore Business College, Thomasville, N.C. and worked as an accountant at Deaton Food Market in Thomasville. Following the Korean War she and husband moved to Fort Knox , Ky. , back to Raleigh, N.C. and then to Springfield, Va. where they resided for more than 20 years. She worked at Fairfax Hospital in Virginia as an X-Ray Staff Manager for the majority of that time.

Grace and family moved to O'Fallon, Ill. in 1976 when her husband was transferred from Washington, D.C. to Scott AFB. She remained a devoted wife, homemaker, and a wonderful mother. She enjoyed all types of crafts to include sewing, quilting, embroidery, painting and costume and clothing construction. She eagerly shared her talents and charitable good nature at numerous events benefiting the needy, the church, and community. Grace worked for over 20 years as the pastoral administrator at O'Fallon First United Methodist Church where she was active in numerous ministries. She was a proud member of PEO Chapter L J.

She was preceded in death by her husband Clarence B. Elam, Jr., her sister Josephine McClamrock, and her parents Hasten and Mary, nee Garrett, Carter.

Surviving are her three children Barbara (John) Richardson of Arden, N.C., Larry (Janice) Elam of Union, Ky., and Cynthia (Scott) Early of Webster Groves, Mo., grandchildren Wendy (Brian) Rush, Laura Grace (Jeremy) Miller, Christopher (Elise) Elam, Kyle Elam, Aaron Elam, Alex Elam, Grant Early, Grace Early; three great-grandchildren Olivia Grace Miller, A.J. Chua, and Madeleine Elam; her brother Lawrence (Kathy) Carter of Mocksville, N.C., and sister Margaret (Don) Bryant of East Flat Rock, N.C..

Memorial donations are requested to O'Fallon First United Methodist Church.

Visitation: Friends may visit from 10:00 am – Noon, Thursday, January 12, 2017 at O'Fallon First United Methodist Church, 504 East Highway 50, O'Fallon, Ill.

Funeral: Funeral Service will begin at Noon, Thursday, January 12, 2017 at the church, with Pastor Don Long officiating. Burial will follow at O'Fallon City Cemetery, O'Fallon, Ill.