Dale Rex Grandstaff

Dale was born in Bixby Oklahoma on November 15, 1928, to C. R. (Nig) Grandstaff and Ethel Faye Stiles Grandstaff. He was raised in the East Texas oil fields and went to school at Arp public schools. Played baseball, football and earned two basketball scholarships to East Texas Baptist College & State Teachers College (now SFA University).

Visitation for family and friends of Dale will be on Saturday, February 22, 2025 from 4 pm to 6 pm at Cottle Pearson Funeral Home. The celebration of life and funeral service for Dale will be held on Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 2 pm at the First Methodist Church, 213 E Henderson, Overton, TX 75684. Burial will be immediately following at the Overton City Cemetery.

He was drafted into the Korean War in 1951 and proudly served, in combat, as Sergeant, 1st Class Gunner on a Patton Tank and Tank Commander.

He worked for Shell Oil Company for 37 years, as a roughneck, vacuum truck operator and pumper.

On November 5, 1954, he married Billie Marie Morrow at Fair Chapel Methodist Church and moved to Overton, TX where they lived on The Hill for 70+ years. There they raised three daughters, several herds of cattle and attempted to strike it rich in the hay business.

He was a member of Overton Methodist Church since 1959, taught many different Sunday school classes, served on several different boards, food pantry, debris/grounds cleanup, condemned building removal and anything at the church that needed done (other than kitchen work), Dale was in on it.

He and Billie were active in the Lay Witness Mission movement/crusade/renewal for over 20 years, both domestically and internationally, they traveled extensively to share God’s word.

He actively served local Veteran of Foreign War (VFW) Post #9185 “to honor the dead by helping the living” and served as Post Commander (2007 - 2013). Even after all other members passed away and the post closed, Dale continued to manually maintain the VFW Sign with messages, since the Overton Press no longer existed, he spent hours every week keeping the community in-the-know.

Dale knew he was abundantly blessed, he enjoyed working hard to be a good steward of the land. And he enjoyed helping others, especially the elderly, the poor and the forgotten. Age was not a deterrent for him, if he couldn’t climb it or dig it up by hand, he could always manage anything on his tractor. No telling the tons of tree limbs, trash and unmentionables he hauled to his back pasture. He lived by 2 Corinthians 9:7, "…God loves a cheerful giver” and Dale really gave it all he had.

Among many formal awards, the City of Overton named him Citizen of the year, and he was Grand Marshall in the Overton Christmas parade for two years straight (got rained out 1st year).

Seems everybody in East Texas knows Dale Grandstaff could spin-a-yarn like nobody’s business. The type of person everybody wants to be around, because he wants everybody to enjoy life as much as he does and to trust the scripture "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.

Of all the things he did and all the people he knew, he made his girls feel like they were most important. Never missed their ball games or special events, always there to offer encouragement or brag you into doing the right thing. Then there is the only granddaughter, Proverbs 17:6 says it best “Children’s children are a crown to the aged…”

He always said, “the greatest thing an individual could say about another is, ‘because of YOU, I am sure of my salvation.’ ”  That’s the man he was.

Preceded in death by wife; Billie Grandstaff, two sisters; Ramona (Sis) Swain and Yvonne (Punk) Jones and brother; Buddy (Shot) Grandstaff.

Survivors include: three daughters and their husbands; Tammy and Stan Strickland of Winona, Sharon and Ed Holden of Irving, Rexann Howell and Milton Braun of Longview, and granddaughter; Rachael Holden of Austin. Numerous nephews and nieces.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Methodist Children's Home (mch.org) or the First Methodist Church of Overton, Texas.

The arrangements for Dale Rex Grandstaff are under the direction of Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home.

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