Memorial Services Set for Grace Chance of Urbandale

Funeral services for Grace Mae Chance will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at New Hope Assembly of God Church, 6800 Townsend Ave., her mother, Shelly, announced Friday on her CaringBridge page.

Grace, 14, died Thursday of brain cancer. Her grace and courage in the face of inoperable cancer touched many Urbandale residents who have been supporting the Chance family in the nearly eight months since she was diagnosed.

About 600 people gathered for a prayer ceremony at the family's home Sunday night.

Interment will be at Chapel Hill Gardens Cemetery on Merle Hay Road.

Family will receive friends Sunday from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. at .

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN, which was treating Grace. Condolences for the family may be left at www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.

According to her obituary, complete with Grace's eighth-grade photo — she's smiling and looking radiant despite her bald head — "she was a softball player for the J-Hawks, played soccer, loved swimming, and wanted to be on the football team. Grace loved music. She taught herself to play the piano, saxophone, was active in band, and earned a spot on the school swing choir. 

"She loved dill pickles, red Skittles, and was 99.9% vegetarian, but she would eat hot dogs." 

In posting the entry late Friday afternoon, Shelly Chance wrote:

I apologize for not updating anything, but I am still so numb...

Grace is at peace now and no longer in pain. That is a true blessing!!! She was here on Earth for her short 14 years, but she taught us all how to love and live. I look through FaceBook and Caringbridge updates and feel how she touched each and every one of us.

We have made all of the arrangements for her services, and I just wanted to pass that along. The services are open to everyone.

Maybe in a day or two, I can write more. Just so much going through my mind right now and I'll need to put that in writing soon.

Love to you all!!

Shelly