Delores Mae (Popke) Gray was born on February 12, 1927 to the late Irma (Trettin) and Lester Popke in New London, Wisconsin and went to join her two mothers, father and husband in the eternal home on Monday, July 7, 2014.
Delores grew up on her grandfather’s farm from age 5 to 14 and due to her mother’s confinement to the tuberculosis sanitarium, she grew up surrounded by aunts and uncles and had a sister relationship with her Aunt Naomi June. Irma died in 1942 and she was blessed in gaining a second mother when her father married Laura Sims. After graduating from New London High School in 1944, she worked in the Chicago area. On April 26, 1947, she married Howard Gray. They lived in Houghton, Michigan; Saginaw, Michigan; Neenah, Wisconsin and finally settled in Green Bay in 1964. Delores worked and loved being a homemaker and in 1965 she began to work at the H. C. Prange Company in Green Bay, first as a sales clerk and then as a secretary. She retired in 1990. She was very active and involved in charitable activities including a member of Fidelity Chapter 94 Order of the Eastern Star in Appleton, Daughters of the Nile, EAA Auxiliary and Shrine Auxiliary. She also enjoyed the social activity of her neighborhood group. Her hobbies included homemaking, cooking, sewing and gardening. Despite all of her activities, her focus and energies were always on providing a warm, loving home for her husband and sons.
She is survived by her two sons, William (Wendy) Gray of Lake Forest, Illinois and Leslie (Kay) Gray of Marion, Wisconsin; four grandchildren, Jeffry (fiance’, Veronica) Gray of Munster, Indiana; Andrew (Brenda Natzke) Gray of Arlington, Virginia; Patrick (Kelsey) Gray of Green Bay, Wisconsin and Christina Gray (fiance’, Matt Fries) of Tomah, Wisconsin; one great-granddaughter, Riley Truckey of Green Bay; and a special aunt/sister, Naomi June Close-Baehman of New London, Wisconsin.
Visitation will take place at Lyndahl Funeral Home, 1350 Lombardi Avenue, on Thursday, July 10, 2014 from 9:30 a.m. until the Eastern Star service at 11:00 a.m. followed by the funeral service with Rev. Janice Kuder officiating. Entombment will be at Shrine of the Good Shepherd Mausoleum. Online condolences may be expressed at www.lyndahl.com. A memorial fund has been established in her name. Special thank you to Dr. Patel of Aurora BayCare, Aurora Hospice Staff, especially Val and Mary, to the friends and angels who were her caretakers from Home Instead Senior Care and special neighbors, Arvin and Judy Schultz.