GRAY, Jack O. R. - b. September 22, 1917 - d. November 6, 2006

[Janet Harrington]

(Taken from Independence Daily Reporter, Wednesday, November 8, 2006, page 2)

HOWARD - Jack O. R. Gray, 89, of Howard, died Monday at the Twilight Manor in Howard.
  Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Howard United Methodist Church with the Rev. Paul Lee and Pastor Robin Haines officiating.  Burial with military honors will be in Grace Lawn Cemetery.
  Visitation at the Zimmerman Funeral Home in Howard will be from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Firday.
  Memorials are suggested to the Howard United Methodist Church or Howard Twilight Manor Activity Fund.  They may be left with the funeral home.
  Mr. Gray was born September 22, 1917 at Wichita to Asmar and Beryl (Earnst) Gray.  He moved with his family to Elk County at an early age and attended Fairview rural school.
  On Dec. 4, 1939, he married Rosie Viola Miller at Wichita, and she survives.
  They began farming in Elk County before he entered the United States Navy in 1943.  After his service in World War II, the family moved from Howard to Independence, Mo.
  Mr. Gray was employed in the grocery business during most of his life, retiring in 1982.  He also worked in small construction and home remodeling before returning to Howard in 1989.  He entered Howard Twilight Manor in 2004.
  Mr. Gray was a member of American Legion Post No. 149 in Howard and the United Methodist Church.
  Surviving in addition to his wife are a son, Waldo Gray, Centennial, Colo; a daughter, Connie Rockstad, Concrete, Wash.; a sister, Reba Ashley, Independence, Mo.; and one stepgrandchild.

[Janet Harrington]

(Jack Gray's obit as taken from the Flint Hills Express, November 15, 2006, page 4)

Jack O. R. Gray died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006 at the Howard Twilight Manor in Howard.  He was 89 years of age and a resident of Howard.  Jack was born on Sept. 22, 1917 at Wichita to Asmar and Beryl Jannett (Earnst) Gray.  He moved with his family to Elk County at an early age and attended Fairview rural school.

On December 4, 1939, he married Rosie Viola Miller at Wichita and to this union was born a son, Waldo and a daughter, Connie.  They began farming in Elk County before Jack entered the United States Navy in 1943.  After serving his country during World War II, Jack moved his family from howard to Independence, Mo.  He was employed in the grocery business during most of his life and retired in 1982.  Jack worked in small construction and home remodeling before returning to Howard in 1989.  He entered Howard Twilight Manor in November of 2004.

Jack was an avid hunter and fisherman.  He was a member of American Legion Carter-Rader Post #149 in Howard and the Howard United Methodist Church.

He is survived by wife, Rosie; his son, Waldo of Centennial, Colo.; his daughter, Connie Rockstad of Concrete, Wash. and his sister, Reba Ashley of Independence, Mo.  He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Waldo; a sister, Wilma who died in infancy and his half-brother, Romey Nash.

Funeral serviced were held on Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Howard United Methodist Church with Dr. Paul Lee and Pastor Robin Haines officiating.  The casket bearers were members of Carter-Rader Post #149.  Memorials have been established with the Howard United Methodist Church and Howard Twilight Manor Activity Fund.  Contributions may be left with the funeral home.  The funeral arrangements were made with the Zimmerman Funeral Home of Howard.

[Janet Harrington]

Hey, Waldo,

What does the O. R. stand for in your dad's name?

[W. Gray]

The "O.R." was his grandfather's name. The initials did not stand for anything other than being a name.

If one looks through the greater Gray family tree there are many descendents of O.R. who have those initials as their first or middle name.

Apologize for not seeing your question earlier. The input on this forum goes so fast that I am sometimes derelict on seeing anything past the five latest five messages.

[Janet Harrington]

Now that is pretty cool.  We don't see that too often any more...giving someone initials that didn't stand for anything.  In the inmate business, we see alot of people with two middle names.

[Mom70x7]

My Jim has a middle initial A - no name, just the initial. He's a III, also, named after his Dad and Grandpa.

And we have Harry S Truman with the initial.

You're right, though, Janet, that nowadays people ADD names, but I think it's not just the inmate business with the added names.  It's showing up in the school system.

[W. Gray]

And then you have Hiram Ulysses Grant, who dropped his first name, made his middle name a first name, and added an S as a middle name. Supposedly, he was concerned about being known by his original initials, H.U.G.

Although many people thought the S stood for Simpson, his mother's maiden name, but he always insisted it had no meaning.