Ruth Bray

Ruth Bray

Ruth Mary Bray, 97, of Fort Dodge, died July 14, 2004 at the Trinity Regional Medical Center.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. July 19, 2004 at the First Presbyterian Church with the LPC Marcia Rich officiating. Ruth’s wishes were to have her body gifted to the Des Moines University of Osteopathic Medicine. Ruth, the daughter of Dorr Everett and Annette Rose (Grunig) Winegar was born on June 5, 1907 in Fayette County on the family farm. She attended country school near Westgate, Iowa and then graduated from the Oelwein High School. Ruth continued her education at the Iowa Methodist Hospital of Nursing in Des Moines and graduated in 1929 as Registered Nurse. She was united in marriage to Chalmer G. Bray on June 26, 1930. During her nursing career she devoted her tender caring heart and knowledge to those in Waukon, Ia, Friendship Haven, Fort Dodge, Corpus Christi, TX and retired in 1972 from Friendship Haven. Ruth enjoyed playing “Up-Words”, quilting, in which many were quilted with her friends from the Presbyterian Church and at Friendship Haven. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for 60+ years in Waukon, Ia. She was part of the Friendship Haven, Nimble Thimbles and Ruth’s Circle at church.

Ruth will be greatly missed by her 3 daughters; Celia Bernadine Torgenrud, Merilynn Gorman and Barbara Hastings; 2 nieces; 13 grandchildren; 28 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Ruth is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Chalmer Bray in 1965; son, George Bray in 2003; 2 son-in-laws, Don Torgenrud and Ronald Hastings; 2 sisters, Dorothy Evelyn Schwab and Annette Elizabeth Miller-Moeller; 1 brother, Kenneth Paul Winegar.

Bruce-Graham Funeral Home