Georgia L. Gray

Peg Gray was born Georgia Lorrayne Wells on March 9, 1929. She had a sister, Patricia (Pat) who was 2 years older than her. Ten days after Georgia was born, her mother passed away from tuberculosis. Her father, George had no idea what to do and left his daughters to the care of his mother, Stella, who took in Georgia and his sister, Jennie, who took in Pat.

So began the life of Georgia – who wasn’t really fond of that name and became better known as Peggy Jo. Her grandmother had raised 4 children on her own and now had a young granddaughter to look after. But with the love and help of three of her children and a passionate love for Peggy Jo, they began their adventure.

Peggy Jo was more than a rambunctious child – full of energy and a desire to learn as much as she could of the world around her. In the basement of the church where her Gram attended, 3-4 days a week, she discovered an old upright piano. She sat down and began picking at the keys. God gave her a rare gift and she used it for the rest of her years. It wasn’t long before she was playing songs she heard on the radio or around her world. The preacher saw and heard her play and somehow, made arrangements for that old upright to find its new home at Peggy Jo’s. At 4 years old, she had her first piano and began playing, and really never stopped.

Her grandmother scrounged together the money for Peggy Jo to begin piano lessons and there, Peg’s real story begins. She took to the piano like a fish to water and even the 6-8 hours of practice per day was a pleasure, not work. She became an accomplished pianist, playing classical piano. Yet, her love of Jazz ultimately won out.

Enter a very handsome young man who worked for her uncle on the farm. Peg would tell you that she was a “city” girl, if you could call Charleston, Illinois a city! Still, she mostly was. Her Aunt Mildred lived on a farm and she had four daughters, Donna, Marilyn, Corky and Sue, of whom Peggy Jo deemed them sisters. She spent many summers on the farm – but one summer, that handsome young man came along. She was a Senior in high school. The young man, who worked the farm for her uncle, was a year ahead of her and thus, a high school graduate. To hear the stories of her cousins/sisters. Peggy Jo flirted with the young man with abandon. One day, innocently according to Peggy Jo, she had donned a pair of white shorts and a white halter top and prepared to “sun.” By coincidence, the handsome young man was working on the tractor that afternoon. As she lay there sunning, he saw his opportunity and took it. He drove the tractor, at its highest rate of speed, through a nearby mud puddle, splashing Peggy Jo with mud and ruining her beautiful white shorts and halter top. Furious, and to herself, she vowed to get even with the handsome young man. So she married him on December 26, 1951. That was Robert Leroy Gray, with whom she was married 57 years.

Their honeymoon was memorable. The best man, Robert’s brother, Clyde, sabotaged their car and they spent their wedding night in the barn of her aunt’s. Things only got better after that.

Music was still embedded in Peggy Jo’s DNA. She had a Bachelor of Arts degree in piano and voice from Eastern Illinois University and an acceptance to Julliard. Yet, the handsome young man had her heart. He had joined the Army and served in Korea. When he returned to the U.S. and they were married, she became a soldier’s wife. But this soldier’s wife took her music with her. She played with the USO with greats like Bob Hope and Lee Marvin. She jammed with the likes of Nat King Cole. She played with the Jordonnaires, later the back up group for Elvis. Yes, “the Elvis.”

As the years passed, she and Robert had 3 daughters, Sherry, Robin and Debbi, but still, she retained her love of music. She acted in plays that were really off Broadway, but great none the less. She became a church choir director – first in Baumholder, Germany, and then every place that she and her family lived. In Laarbruch, Germany, she produced vaudeville shows, musical comedies, wrote and arranged music for the Post choir and on and on.

Robert retired from the Army and he and Peg settled in El Paso, Texas, where Peg once again took up the directorship of church choirs and started and directed a city-wide choir that performed for several years.

As time passed, her musical DNA became somewhat corrupted by her football Cowboys, whom she loved with a scary intensity. On Sundays, when the Cowboys played, she would direct the church choir through the anthem and then sneak out to her car to listen to the Cowboys on the radio. Some of you may know her well enough to know that if the Cowboys played on Sunday in the noon game, she was often “absent” from church, pleading fatigue. Her unconditional love of the Cowboys culminated when they signed Tony Romo, an alumni of Eastern Illinois State University!

She was a strong willed lady who did things her way. Yet, still she was endearing. I described her as “challenging” sometimes as it was the kindest adjective I could come up with.

She loved her church, Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, and the people of it. She counted her trip to Israel in March of 2011, with folks who would become her true friend, as one of the most exceptional experiences of her life. She was so grateful for the love and patience of her fellow travelers. Thank goodness for Steve Riddle who kept her company outside as she smoked her cigarettes. And even our guide, Ian, would indulge her cigarette habit and often share a cigarette with her as the rest of us waited on the bus! And, thank goodness for Robert Rasmus. Without him, there are several hills that Peg couldn’t climb and so, he picked her up and carried her, more than once.

As we looked over the wall onto the Mount of Olives, we awaited our opportunity to get onto and ride a camel. Wouldn’t you know it, Mom was the first one the camel keeper grabbed, literally tossing her onto the camel (who was very patient). My luck, I was standing too close to her and I was the next one to be grabbed and directed to the backside seat of the camel. Believe it or not, Mom didn’t have know I was behind her! Geez! Robert, he was hiding way far back behind everyone because the last thing he was going to do was get on a camel.

And who of us who travelled with her could forget her delight to stick her feet into the Dead Sea, only to start up the hill when she was ready for a cigarette, to loose her footing and roll down the hill, fracturing her foot. Pastor Coulter actually saw her rolling down the hill and wondered what on earth she was doing. Shouts came from the shore yelling for me and telling me that Mom had fallen and to come quickly. I am not sure how many of you have actually had the experience of being in the Dead Sea, but moving quickly was not an option. Again, lucky for me, Robert was there to grab one arm and a large Egyptian life guard grabbed the other arm and literally they lifted me out of the mud and water and onto the shore. And yes, sure enough, she had fractured her foot.

It truly was an experience for her that she never forgot, nor did she ever forget the kindness of her fellow travelers.

Mom’s musical DNA really never diminished. If she saw a piano, no matter where she was, she would often simply sit down and start playing. No ever asked her to stop. She played until the end of her days, loving it and giving her love to others who always wanted to sit down and listen to her play. Since February 9, 2016, she plays for the Lord and Christ Jesus, the Angels, and all of those who met her there.