Agnes Cecelia (Cleary) Gries, lovingly known as Cookie, passed away in the morning of August 17 surrounded by a home full of love, family and memories. She was welcomed to heaven by her father, Pearl Harbor Survivor PFC Bill Cleary, her devoted mother Aggie (Ahrensfield) Cleary, her vivacious sister Peggy Decker, and will again get to embrace in her loving arms, her granddaughter Lizzy Gries. Cookie's surviving family includes her deeply dedicated and unwavering husband, Robert F Gries Sr, her eldest son Clayton Brunner (wife: Jan Brunner), Robert Gries Jr (wife: Adriane Gries) and her daughter Melanie (Gries) Poncheri (husband: Zachary Poncheri).
Cookie possessed unconditional love for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren throughout her life, cherished her time babysitting, playing, crafting, and cuddling on the couch for a movie binge. Cookie began her life in Orwigsburg Pennsylvania, playing with her younger siblings (Peggy, Katheleen, Ruth Mary, Bill, and Phillip) while causing havoc by hiding in boxes in the middle of the street. She graduated high school from Nativity BVM High School and moved to Reading, PA, where she raised Clayton and married Robert Gries in 1978. She went on to have two more children, Bobby and Melanie. Cookie enjoyed traveling, where as a family they moved across the country to Texas and Georgia. She vacationed to Florida, where family vacations were spent at Disney World, California, Alaska, Hawaii, St. Johns, Tenerife, United Kingdom and many other countries throughout Europe. Card games and drinks were a frequent party activity, where the game of choice was Pass the Ace, with round of chorus singing "Na na na na, Hey Hey, Goodbye" by Steam, was sung at each loser. Later in life, she enjoyed gardening and floating in her pool with her grandchildren and great grandchildren: April DuBois and son Dominic, Holli Brunner and son Finnley, Sean Brunner, Michael Poncheri, Zoey Poncheri, Madeline Poncheri, Jaqueline and Katherine Gries. She will be remembered by all her family and friends for her love, life coaching, whether good or bad, her smile, her perseverance, and most notably for her strength. She showed us that strength not only comes from yourself but from surrounding yourself with family and friends. Cookie will be missed and her memories cherished. A viewing will be Monday August 24, 2020, 12-2pm in Auman's Inc Funeral Home, 390 W. Neversink Rd., Reiffton with a graveside service immediately following at Forest Hills Memorial Park. www.aumansinc.com
