Grace C Holmes
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Grace Caroline (Hardcastle) Holmes of Wilmore, KY (formerly of Middlebury, IN) entered into her eternal rest
on July 12, 2022, at age 83, with her husband and children by her side.
Grace was born on July 4, 1939, near Goodlettsville, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Antony and Carrie Hitt Hardcastle; and the youngest of a large, blended family - with three brothers, and nine half-siblings. Grace graduated from Goodlettsville High School and went on to earn a BA in Education from Asbury College, and later received her MA from St. Francis College. While at Asbury, in Wilmore, KY, she met her husband of 60 years, Allen Keith Holmes. They were married on September 1,1962 at the little country church of her youth - Walkers' United Methodist - a place of influence where she learned to love God and listen to His leading for her life.
God gifted Grace with many talents, but none more important to her than the gift of music. As a preschooler, she came home from church one Sunday, and sat at the piano and began to play by ear a hymn that had been sung that morning. With complete surprise to her family, that day began a lifetime using her God-given talent to bless others and serve the Lord through music.
The priorities of Grace's life were her love for God, for her husband, her children & their families, and her love of music. She enjoyed working alongside her husband as he pastored over thirty years in northeastern Indiana. She enjoyed teaching school nearly 40 years - especially those last 28 years as a music teacher in the Westview School Corporation. She loved any chance to get together as a family... holidays were especially meaningful to Grace. She was a wonderful mother who loved her kids very much; but her children all stepped aside when she became a grandmother. She was the most special Mimi, leaving a
handprint of unconditional love on each grandchild's heart.
Surviving along with her husband are her four children: Scott Holmes (Emily) of South Bend, IN; Craig Holmes (Suzanne) of South Bend, IN; Rodney Holmes (Joy) of Middlebury, IN; and Elizabeth Fought (David) of Lexington, KY. Grace is also survived by two brothers: Noel Hardcastle, Tony Hardcastle (Bettye). Grandchildren: Garrett Holmes (Jillian), Brandon Holmes, Kara Holmes (Steve), Jacob Holmes (Cassi), Rachel Holmes, Emilee Downey (Lee), Brock Downey (Samantha) - and ten precious great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 30th at 1:00pm at Eden Worship Center (4095 S 900 W, Topeka, IN). Visitation, also at EWC, will be Friday, July 29th from 5:00 - 8:00pm; and Saturday, 10:30am -12:30pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to:
The Grace Holmes Memorial Music Scholarship
PO Box 1252
Middlebury, IN 46540
The GHMMS is an annual scholarship given to a Westview High School senior pursuing music education.
The family would like to thank the nursing staff at Wesley Village Senior Living Community for their attentiveness and kindness to our beloved. Although we'll miss her dearly, we know she's in a better place and we're quite certain, heaven's music is now a whole lot sweeter.