Mary Nell Gray

Memorial service for Mary Nell Gray (Gilbert-Overstreet) will be 1 p.m., Fri., April 4, at the MMS-Payne Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Lonnie Sanders officiating.

Mary passed away Tues., April 2, 2014, at the age of 94.

The daughter of Truman Samuel Gilbert and Jetta Lou (Hamilton) Gilbert was born March 3, 1920, in Catoosa. Mary Nell’s parents lived in Tulsa, but were on a visit to her mother’s parents home when she was born. She grew up in Tulsa and received her education there.
Mary Nell married R.W. Overstreet in 1944. After his death she later married Robert Gray.
Mary Nell and Bob moved from Tulsa to Wayne, PA, then to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and next to Houston, Texas, where they lived for a number of years. Both enjoyed playing golf and played three or four times a week for as long as their health allowed.

After Bob’s death in 2003, she moved to Claremore, OK, to be near family. She has resided at Sterling House for eleven years. Mary Nell had no children of her own, but was very fond of her two nephews and four nieces.

During the time she spent at Sterling House she went from playing golf and bridge (and she was very good at both) to playing dominoes and bingo. Of course she said she always won. She especially enjoyed her table buddies and also her domino buddies.

Mary Nell was preceded in death by her parents; her two husbands; a sister, Mildred Shockley; and niece, Debbie Laramie.

She is survived by a sister, Betty Holman and husband Bill of Claremore, OK; nieces and nephews, Barbara Stelzer and husband, George of Claremore, Kathy Williams and husband, Mike of Tulsa, Jerry Shockley and wife, Sharron of Houston, TX, Marilyn Wood and husband, Howard of Bonne Terre, MO, and Kent Shockley of St. Louis, MO.

The family would like to express our gratitude to the staff at Sterling House, Serenity Hospice, and the doctors and nurses at Hillcrest Hospital Claremore for the care they have given to Mary Nell.