Grace Cronce Rush

89 year old Grace Cronce Rush died Friday in McMinnville. She was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Alger and Amelia Cronce.
Rush enlisted in the U.S. Navy “Waves” during World War II and served as a Petty Officer Second Class at Fleet Post Office San Francisco. She was a recipient of the World War II Victory Medal for her service as part of our country’s “Greatest Generation”. Following the war, she returned to Milwaukee until she joined Trans World Airlines in 1946. She was one of the first classes of TWA stewardesses who were not required to be registered nurses. Rush was based by TWA in Los Angeles, California where she met her future husband, H.J. “Dick” Rush, who was also a Navy veteran of World War II.
Grace and Dick were married in 1949 and moved to New Jersey where he was stationed as a flight crew member for Eastern Airlines. They transferred to Miami, Florida in 1951 where they made their home until they moved to Hendersonville in 1963. Rush was an active member of the Lutheran Church and was one of the founding members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Gallatin. Rush was also a member of the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in McMinnville.
Rush is survived by her husband, Dick; her three children, Douglas of St. Louis, Missouri and his wife, Janette Lohman; Stevan of Naples, Florida; and Gregory of McMinnville and his wife Susan; and four grandchildren, Britney, Brie, William, and Melanie.
The funeral will be Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Gallatin. Burial will be in the Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Nashville. Visitation will be Monday from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at DeKalb Funeral Chapel and Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until the service time at 10:00 a.m. at the church. The family requests that donations be made to the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at 4083 Yager Road, McMinnville 37110, in lieu of flowers.