Wray, Esther 1909-1996

WRAY, BADGER, AHRENS, PHIPPS, FANTON, CUMMINGS, MUCKLER, DUNTON, NOLAN

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 3/6/2010 at 09:21:19

The Grinnell Herald-Register (Grinnell, Iowa) Jan. 29, 1996

ESTHER WRAY

Esther Wray, 86, of Grinnell died Saturday, Jan. 27, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center.

Funeral services will be conducted Friday at the Grinnell United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Lon Lewis officiating. Organist will be Kathleen Heffner, and vocalist will be Marty Duffus. Pallbearers will be David Phipps, Diane Burk, Steven Phipps, Christopher Wray, David Palmer, John Nolan, James Ahrens and Andrew Phipps. Burial will be in Hazelwood Cemetery.

Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The family will be present at the funeral home from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Memorials may be made to St. Francis Manor Activity Fund or to Hospice Grinnell.

The daughter of John W. and Mary B. Badger Ahrens, she was born Oct. 4, 1909, in Chamberlain, S.D. The family moved to Grinnell where she attended school.

She was married to Laird Wray July 4, 1928, in Montezuma. They farmed the Grinnell area and also operated Wray's Floor Covering. Mrs. Wray also worked for Rexall Drug, Ben Franklin and Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance.

She was a member of the Grinnell United Methodist Church and was the first president of the former St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary.

Survivors include her daughter, Velma Phipps of Grinnell; her son, Larry Wray of Montezuma; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; two brothers, Claude and Donald Ahrens, both of Grinnell; and one sister, Elizabeth Fanton of Marshalltown.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one son, Laird; one granddaughter; four sisters, Katherine Cummings, Mary Muckler, Jo Dunton and Billie Nolan; and two brothers John and Carl Ahrens.