GRAY, Darrell Milton 'Bud' 1917-2002

GRAY, HANNUM, GUEFFROY

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 1/25/2009 at 17:39:10

[The Charles City Press]

Darrell 'Bud' Gray

Darrell M. 'Bud' Gray, 85, a resident of 707 Allison Street, Charles City, Iowa, died Friday, October 4, 2002, at the Floyd County Memorial Hospital in Charles City.

Funeral services for Darrell 'Bud' Gray will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Trinity United Methodist Church. The Rev. Gayle Wilcox, pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Charles City. There will be a flag presentation by the Charles City Ceremonial Unit.

Friends may call at the Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, and an hour prior to the services at the church on Monday.

Darrell Milton Gray was born Feb. 24, 1917, in Floyd County, the son of Milton and Alice (Hannum) Gray. He graduated from the Charles City High School and worked for C. G. Gray Coal and Oil Company. 'Bud' joined the United States Army Air Force in February, 1942, as an aviation cadet following a college refresher course sponsored by the local Elks Lodge. Upon completing his pilot training in November, 1942, he was assigned as a B24 pilot and sent to the South Pacific with a heavy bomb squadron to bomb Japanese airfields and naval supply ships. After his combat tour of duty he was assigned to headquarters flight section of the South Pacific Area ferrying VIP's to various South Pacific islands. He remained active in the Air Force Reserve until retiring in 1977 as a Lt. Colonel.

On October 25, 1942, he was united in marriage to Margaret Gueffroy. Together they owned and operated Bud Gray's Economy Oil Company until they retired. They enjoyed their summer home in Northern Minnesota for many years and their travels about the United States during the winter. Margaret died on July 5, 1994. On Sept. 27, 1996, 'Bud' married Verna Idler. They went on many bus tours and a few boat cruises around the U.S.A. including a visit to the Hawaiian Islands where 'Bud' had served as an Air Force pilot. He was a lifetime member of Trinity United Methodist Church, American Legion, V.F.W., Reserve Officer Association, Elks Lodge, Moose Lodge, and the Senior Citizens Center.

Living family members include his wife, Verna of Charles City; a daughter Jean Bennett and husband Robert of Storm Lake; a grandson, Jason Bennett and wife Amanda, a granddaughter, Bethany Bennett; two step daughters, Connie Francis and husband Frank of Fort Dodge, and Julie Rice and husband Al of Scottsdale, Ariz.; two step granddaughters, Becky and Tracy Reitmeier; a sister, Susan Depew and husband David of Kerkhoven, Minn.; brother, James Gray and wife Judy of Bemidji, Minn.; and several nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, Mary Kelsey, Evelyn Godfrey, and Maxine Brady; and step mother, Dorthea Gray.