Inez E. "Ina" Green McGinness Dalton was born July 10, 1932 in Morris, Alabama to Ralph Edward and Lodena Kathryn (Hardin) Green and departed this life on December 15, 2015. Visitation will be held Friday, December 18, 2015 from 6-8 PM at Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, December 19, 2015,10:30 AM at Vansant-Mills Funeral Home, Clinton, Missouri. Interment will follow at Deepwater Cemetery, Deepwater, Missouri.

Ina and her mother returned to Northern Missouri and lived in and around the Pattonsburg area thru her grade school years. The family which now included a sister Barbara, later moved to Deepwater, Missouri where Ina attended and graduated from Deepwater High School.

In 1949, Ina met Leo McGinness, a handsome young man from Deepwater. They were married in 1950 and the marriage was blessed with three daughters. Joyce Annette, Jackie Sue and Janice Kay. Ina's family was her pride & joy. She raised her daughters in the First Baptist Church of Deepwater and instilled in them her faith and love of music.

Ina accepted Jesus as her personal savior as a child and continued to serve her Lord Jesus Christ until dementia/Alzheimer's disease prevented her participation. Ina her family and her church life. Ina especially loved to work with children in the church teaching Children's Church, Sunday school classes, Vacation Bible School, Sunbeams, Girls Auxillary, Blue Birds and especially leading children's choir.

Ina was the fun Mom. She transported pickup truck loads of neighborhood children to Pence's strip pit east of Deepwater for an afternoon swim. You could also find her hosting an impromptu cookout on the banks of Deepwater, Marshall or Cooper Creeks while children fished or floated on inner tubes in the shallow creek water. You might also find her conducting a backyard "ladies tea party" for her daughters and their friends while dressed in finery s resurrected for Mom's or Grandmother's closets.

Ina had a beautiful singing voice and was the soloist at multiple weddings, funerals and other events where she could share her talent. Ina taught piano and singing to local children. Ina didn't charge for her teaching because she loved to see children succeed.

Her husband, Leo, passed away in September 1994 after 44 years of marriage. In 1997, Ina found love once again and married Lee Roy Dalton. Ina & Lee Roy enjoyed country life, fishing and traveling to visit family and friends. After Lee Roy's passing in 2001, Ina moved to Napoleon, Mo and lived on the farm of eldest daughter Joy & her husband, Ralph Neasham.

Ina had several careers during her life including nurse's aide at Clinton General Hospital, tax collector of Fairview Township, utility clerk at Deepwater State Bank but her very favorite job was as a rural letter carrier for the US postal service. Ina loved carrying mail. She loved being Santa's helper and seeing that children's letters to Santa were delivered to the jolly ole elf. Sometimes Ina even took dictation directly from Santa to insure that the acknowledgement of the Christmas Wish List had been received by Santa. Ina retired from the postal service in 1998.

Ina was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years Wilber Leo McGinness, her second husband, Lee Roy Dalton, her parents, Lodena Kathryn (Hardin) Gilmore, Ralph Edward Green and step-father Lawrence Beck, a daughter, Janice McGinness Flint, her sister, Barbara (Beck) Tinkler and Barbara's husband, Jim Tinkler.

Ina's survivors include her daughters Joyce "Joy" Neasham and husband Ralph "Pooh" Neasham of Napoleon & Jackie McGinness Hoard of Buckner, son-in-law, Larry Flint Sr., Eldorado Springs, MO, grandchildren, Kathy Yates, Danny Neasham, Shelly Neasham, Brian Neasham, Philip Hoard, Paul Hoard, Larry Flint Jr., Sarah Flint Kemper and Leo Flint, thirteen great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren and a multitude of non-related children that she claimed as her own.

In lieu of flowers the family suggest donations in Ina's name to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Children's Mercy Hospital, or other child focused charity of your choice.