Donna A. Bray 1921 - 2006

BRAY, GROOM, RILEY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 12/26/2016 at 19:51:37

Sioux City Journal
13 February 2006

Donna A. Bray, 84, of Sioux City died Friday, Feb. 10, 2006, at Westwood Nursing Home.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Whitfield United Methodist Church, with the Revs. Lee Williamson and Merrill Muller officiating. Graveside services will be 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in St. Clair Township Cemetery at Ute, Iowa.

Visitation will be 1 to 9 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 9 p.m. and a prayer service at 7:30 p.m., at Larkin Northside Funeral Home. Visitation will resume 9 a.m. Tuesday at the church.

Donna was born on Dec. 7, 1921, in Mapleton, Iowa, the daughter of Harvey and Clara (Groom) Riley. She was raised in the Mapleton area and graduated from Onawa High School in 1939.

On Dec. 21, 1941, she married Charles F. Bray at First United Methodist Church in Oakland, Calif. The couple lived in Oakland while Charles was in the service. In 1946, the family moved back to Mapleton and lived there until 1955, when they moved to Sioux City. In 1979, the couple bought an acreage north of Sioux City. Charles died on Aug. 27, 2003, in Sioux City. Donna remained on the acreage until May of 2005, when she moved in with a son in South Sioux City. She had recently been a resident of Floyd House assisted living and the Westwood Nursing Home.

She was a very active member of Whitfield United Methodist Church and served on and chaired many of the church's committees with the women's society.

Survivors include three sons, Charles M. "Mick" Bray of Sergeant Bluff, Don and his wife, Kim of Sioux City and Cecil T. and his wife, Patricia of South Sioux City; a daughter, Margie A. Crain of Dakota City; five grandchildren, Jerry Gengler and his wife, Joan, Jodi and her husband, Chris Mitchell, Charles T. Bray, Tonya and her husband, Steve Kramer and Becky Bray; eight great-grandchildren, Justin, Jordan and Matthew Mitchell, Colton, Cameron and Chloe Kramer and James "J.T." and Joseph Edward Gengler.

Pallbearers will be Steve Kramer, Charles T. Bray, Chris Mitchell and Jerry Gengler.

A memorial has been established in Donna's name.