Beth Gray

Beth Anne Austin Gray, the third of nine children, was born to Forrest and Janice Austin at her Grandpa and Grandma Austin’s home in Madison County, Iowa, on March 6, 1942. She passed away on September 28, 2022 at Azria Health in Winterset. She was 80 years old.

Visitation will be held from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., Sunday, October 2, 2022 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home, Winterset Chapel. Funeral service will take place at 11:00 a.m., Monday, October 3, 2022 at the St. Charles Parish (305 W Main St. St. Charles, Iowa 50240). A private family burial will take place in the St. Charles Cemetery at a later date. Memorials may be directed to the Friends of the Madison County Courthouse for the restoration project, the St. Charles Public Library and/or the Winterset Flower Fund. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.

Beth started school in Peru, Iowa, and was a member of the first graduating class of the East Union Community School District (Afton) in 1960. She was united in marriage to Charles “Chuck” Gray in Trenton, Missouri, on October 27, 1962. To this union, two children were born: Charles E. III and Tasha Anne.

Beth retired from the position of Superintendent’s Secretary from Interstate 35 Schools having served in that capacity for 30½ years. She was a member of the St. Charles Parish and served in a number of ways for both the church and Women United, belonged to 4-H and MYF during her school years, and was elected to the St. Charles City Council for several terms. She was also a member of the Madison County 150 Civil War Committee, a member of the Friends of the Winterset Library, an ex-officio member of the Madison County Historical Preservation Commission, and belonged to Tri-L Book Club in Winterset and also a book group in St. Charles. The most important group for Beth was Ssenippah, a widows’ group that included women from the greater Des Moines area, which she joined in 1997 after Chuck’s death in 1996.

Things that Beth enjoyed throughout her life were family gatherings, reading, sewing, crocheting, her flowers, coffee at Montross in St. Charles, traveling – especially bus tours with her sister Virginia – and trips around the Madison County countryside. She was a big fan of Iowa and Madison County.

Beth was preceded in death by her husband, Chuck; parents Forrest and Janice Austin; brothers, F. Marion, Gary, and Alan; sisters, Kathryn Siddens and Linda Larimer; brothers-in-law, Stephen Eckels and Dick Roberts; niece, Laneé Austin; and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Elmer and Ruby Gray.

She leaves to cherish her memory her son, Charles of Lovell, WY and daughter, Tasha (Bob) White of Greenwood, MO; grandsons, Austin White of Blue Springs, MO and Jake White of Blue Springs, MO; sisters, Virginia Roberts of Ozark, MO, Nancy (Lanny) Hofmeister of Creston, and Mary (Wayne) Hill of Afton; sisters-in-law Alice Austin and Kathy Austin of Afton; brothers-in-law Gary Siddens of Afton and Dennis (Cheri) Larimer of Osakis, MN, many nieces and nephews, a number of cousins, and many other relatives and friends.