Grace Elrod

Grace Kinsler Elrod, of Enterprise, Ala., aged 97, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, December 24, 2024. 

Memorial services will be held at 4:00 PM, Friday, January 17, 2025 at Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory in Enterprise with Perry Humble officiating and Searcy Funeral Home and Crematory directing. The family will receive friends from 3:00 PM until service time.  Burial will follow in Southview City Cemetery in Thomaston, Ga., at a later date.

Grace was born on July 21, 1927, to Clifton and Corine Kinsler, and was blessed with eleven siblings: five brothers and six sisters. After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School in Thomaston, Ga., Grace met Roger R. Elrod, whom she married on June 8, 1945. Grace spent over 30 years as an Army wife, moving to many military posts in the continental U.S., Hawaii, and Germany. During this time, Grace and Roger had three children: one daughter and two sons. Grace will be remembered as a loving mother who often maintained full responsibility of the household and children while her husband was deployed overseas.

After her husband retired from the Army in Fort Rucker (since renamed to Fort Novosel), Grace and their family remained in Enterprise where she fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse, graduating from LPN school at the age of 45. Grace was employed by Enterprise Medical Center and worked on several wards and at the pharmacy before retiring. Grace had many hobbies including crafting and reading, but her biggest enjoyment came from being outside, planting her flower beds or riding on the lawnmower tending to their property. She also loved to cook and excelled at making candy, especially divinity and fudge, and perfected her famous pralines recipe while helping in Effie’s Restaurant in Enterprise. Christmas was her favorite time of year – along with crafting beautiful handmade ornaments, Grace and her son Roger spent many hours in the kitchen baking fruitcake cookies to share with friends and colleagues. Grace also enjoyed entertaining and welcomed family and friends into the house she always made a home. Grace’s family already miss her terribly but are comforted by the wonderful memories of special times spent together that will be held dear in their hearts forever. Heaven truly welcomed a very special angel this year.

Grace is preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, CW4 (Ret.) Roger R. Elrod; a son, Rory Thomas Elrod; her parents Clifton and Corine Kinsler; and her 11 brothers and sisters.

She is survived by her daughter, Rosalind Foust (Jerome) and son, Roger R. Elrod, Jr.; her grandchildren William Scott Foust (Janelle), Kelley Foust Villegas (Leroy), Melissa Elrod Hoffman (Mark), and Ryan Thomas Elrod; great-grandchildren Ella Foust, Jacob Rodriguez (Elizabeth), Patrick Rodriguez, Alexandra Rodriguez, Seth Rodriguez (Chloe), Avery Mason, Brooke Elrod, and Charlotte Grace Hoffman (“Little Gracie”). Grace recently became a great- great-grandmother for the first time upon the birth of Maisy Rodriguez on December 13 and is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.