Keith Gray 1893-1962

GRAY, JACOBIA, SCHULTZ, WITHROW, WICKERSHEIM, CARPENTER

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 3/3/2010 at 01:52:30

Keith Gray Is Heart Victim

Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 13, 1:30 p.m., at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Postville, for Keith Gray, former postmaster, who passed away suddenly of a heart attack Monday evening.

Mr. Gray retired as postmaster in December 1959, after more than 42 years in civil service. He entered the railway mail service in 1912 and served there until 1916. He then accepted a position as clerk in the Postville Post Office under Postmaster Emma Nicolay, and with the exception of five years had been in the local office until his retirement. In 1923 he was appointed postmaster by President Calvin Coolidge and served in that capacity until 1935, when he requested transfer to postal clerk here. He served as clerk until 1953 and was then renamed to the postmastership, which position he had held until his resignation in 1959.

The full obituary will appear in next week's issue of the Herald.

~Postville, Iowa newspaper of the time clipping, hand dated 1962, from my mother's obituary collection. [newspaper date was December 12, 1962]

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Rites Held for Keith Gray

Keith Gray, the son of Otis Gray and Myra Jacobia Gray, was born at Rock Valley, Iowa on March 4, 1893. He was baptized in St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Postville on March 29, 1953 and confirmed on April 4, 1953. He died suddenly on December 10, 1962 at the age of 69 years, nine months and six days.

The family moved to the Postville area when Keith was at an early age. He attended Grinnell college.

He was married to Louise Amelia Schultz on October 11, 1916 in Clayton county, Iowa. To this union were born two sons, Earl and Roland.

He worked in the railway mail service from 1912 to 1916, and then became a postal clerk at the local post office in 1916. He served as postmaster from 1923 to 1935 and again from 1953 to December 1, 1959, at which time he retired, having served 42 years in civil service.

Keith was active in many community functions, and served as secretary of the Postville School Board since 1935.

He is survived by his wife; two sons, Earl of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Roland of Postville; three grandchildren; one sister, Mrs. Ethel Withrow of Pamona, California; two half-sisters, Mrs. Nelda Wickersheim of La Crosse, Wisconsin and Adelaide, Mrs. Dale Carpenter of Coon Rapids, Iowa; one half-brother, Harold Gray of New York City, New York, and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were conducted at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Postville on December 13, at 1:30, with the Rev. Charles E. Witt officiating. Burial was in the Postville Cemetery.

~Postville Herald, December 19, 1962

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