Grace Oakes Obituary

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Grace was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on November 24, 1943, to a young unmarried servicewoman, Margaret Dohm. At just three days old, she was lovingly adopted by Mary G. Strong (née Petroff) and Willie L. Strong. She was raised on a small farm in Vicksburg where her family bred beagles. Grace was her father's constant shadow, learning from him how to build, fix, and create, as well as developing a lifelong love of gardening. During her school years, Grace's beauty and poise earned her a place as a finalist in a local beauty contest. She graduated from Culkin Academy in 1961.

Grace met the love of her life, James W. Oakes, in a story she often told with humor-when the brakes on her car failed and she crashed into the wall of his repair shop. The two were married later that same year. As a devoted military wife, Grace followed Jim through his service career, including time spent living in Germany, where they traveled extensively throughout Europe, visiting Switzerland, Italy, and France. She faithfully supported him through his deployments to Vietnam and later even traveled to Korea in the 1980s to be by his side.

Grace spent much of her professional life working as a bookkeeper for several companies in the Denver metro area. Outside of work, she was deeply creative and found joy in a wide range of crafts, from painting to quilting. She even owned and operated a ceramics business from her garage. Some of her most treasured moments were spent crafting alongside her grandchildren, sharing both her skills and her love.

Grace was preceded in death by her beloved parents; her husband, Jim; her brother, Bill Alley; and her sister, Lola Mitchell.

She is survived by her daughters: Kristi Zehr and her husband David; Michelle Oakes; Jennifer Sinkiewicz and her husband Mark; and Tanya Morrison and her husband Mike; as well as her brother, Terry Jones.

Grace was blessed with 15 grandchildren-Katie, James, Chelsea, Beth, Ben, Chance, Larissa, Emma, Nicole, Jonathan, Matthew, Jacob, Jon, Nate, and Matt-each of whom brought immense joy and held a special place in her heart. Her legacy continues through her 10 great-grandchildren: Brooklyn, Spencer, Belle, Scarlett, Violet, Jackson, Reagan, Chadwick, Paige, and Theo, who further filled her life with love and laughter.

Through the eyes of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, we celebrate the life of an extraordinary woman-funny, loving, and deeply devoted to her family. She will be missed beyond measure.

Services will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at First Baptist Church. A viewing will take place from 10:00–11:00 a.m., followed by the funeral service from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Family and friends will then gather at Fort Logan National Cemetery (Staging Area "Blue") at 12:45 p.m. for a 1:00 p.m. committal service.