Harvey Gray

Former Putnam County resident Harvey Lee Gray passed away Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019 at Life’s Journey Hospice in Avon.

He was born in Montgomery County, the son of John and LaRue Gray.

Mr. Gray attended Cloverdale school and graduated from Reelsville High School in 1946.

After graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy and was on the USS Pakana (ATF-108), towing crippled ships back to port. He went as far as Midway Island and saw the aftermath of Pearl Harbor.

He was employed for 41 years with Public Service Indiana, first in Greencastle, then Terre Haute and later the Vincennes district.

In 1951, he married Luella “Tillie” Schroeder.

While at Greencastle, Harvey and other Jaycees built the first swimming pool at Robe-Ann Park.

He was a charter member of the National Campers and Hikers Association, the Jaycees and was a member of the Cloverdale Masons.

He enjoyed traveling and camping all over the U.S. with his family. After retiring, he and his wife compiled genealogy books for 40 relatives. They built their retirement home and barn in southern Indiana and wintered in Florida. He loved restoring antique cars and watching westerns on TV.

He and Luella “Tillie” were married 64 years before she passed away. Last year at age 90, he was presented with one of the “Quilts of Valor” at the veterans’ ceremony sponsored by three Putnam County Home Extension clubs.

Mr. Gray was preceded in death by four sisters, Mary Helen, Dorothy Ellen, Betty Louise and Mrs. Abby Underwood.

He is survived by a brother, Bill (Linda) Gray of White House, Tenn.; two brothers-in-law, Tom Underwood of Coatesville and Melvin Schroeder of Holland, Ind.; several nieces and nephews and numerous Gray and Brown cousins.

Also surviving are two daughters, Lee Ann Gray (friend Lonnie Deal) of Cloverdale and Ginger Ward of Sebastian Inlet, Fla.; one son, Michael (Sheila) Gray of Brownsburg; six grandchildren, Joe (Kaci) Siebrase and family of Zionsville, Nathan Siebrase of Tybee Island, Ga., Mahala (Jesse) Gadley and family of Newark, Ohio, Eric Ward of Lakeland, Fla., Suzette (Tony) Coradi and family of Brownsburg and James (Trina) Burton and family of Avon.

Funeral services will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Holland, Ind., with viewing one hour prior to service.

American Legion Post #343 of Holland will conduct military rites.

Nass & Son Funeral Home of Huntingburg is entrusted with the arrangements.