Ray was born in Tryon, Nebraska, a small town north of North Platt, on August 25, 1907 to the parents of William and Mary Gross, who were settlers and ranchers in the area. Ray's first wife was Lottie Beck of Wallace, Nebraska. They had two sons, Richard Alvin Gross(January 1932)and Ralph (February, 1933). Lottie died of scarlet fever 12 days after Ralph was born, leaving Ray with two sons to raise.
Ray met Ilah Frances Parker and the two went across the border to Kansas and eloped on May 1, 1934.
The union of Ray and Ilah produced six (6) more children over the span of the next eight years. They were Robert Edwin (1935), Doris Darlene (1936), Verna Rae (1937), Walter Clyde (1939), Ilene May (1940) and me, Donald Lee Gross (1941).
Ray and Ilah moved to Idaho in 1937 to try potato farming, which didn't work out very well due to the drought during those years. In 1941 they moved to Seattle, Washington, where they heard jobs were available. They remained in Seattle until their deaths. Ray died of lung cancer at 61 years of age in 1968 (smoked a pipe and "roll-your-owns." Ilah died on Christmsas morning, 1999 at the age of 84.
Ray met Ilah Frances Parker and the two went across the border to Kansas and eloped on May 1, 1934.
The union of Ray and Ilah produced six (6) more children over the span of the next eight years. They were Robert Edwin (1935), Doris Darlene (1936), Verna Rae (1937), Walter Clyde (1939), Ilene May (1940) and me, Donald Lee Gross (1941).
Ray and Ilah moved to Idaho in 1937 to try potato farming, which didn't work out very well due to the drought during those years. In 1941 they moved to Seattle, Washington, where they heard jobs were available. They remained in Seattle until their deaths. Ray died of lung cancer at 61 years of age in 1968 (smoked a pipe and "roll-your-owns." Ilah died on Christmsas morning, 1999 at the age of 84.
Ray was born in Tryon, Nebraska, a small town north of North Platt, on August 25, 1907 to the parents of William and Mary Gross, who were settlers and ranchers in the area. Ray's first wife was Lottie Beck of Wallace, Nebraska. They had two sons, Richard Alvin Gross(January 1932)and Ralph (February, 1933). Lottie died of scarlet fever 12 days after Ralph was born, leaving Ray with two sons to raise.
Ray met Ilah Frances Parker and the two went across the border to Kansas and eloped on May 1, 1934.
The union of Ray and Ilah produced six (6) more children over the span of the next eight years. They were Robert Edwin (1935), Doris Darlene (1936), Verna Rae (1937), Walter Clyde (1939), Ilene May (1940) and me, Donald Lee Gross (1941).
Ray and Ilah moved to Idaho in 1937 to try potato farming, which didn't work out very well due to the drought during those years. In 1941 they moved to Seattle, Washington, where they heard jobs were available. They remained in Seattle until their deaths. Ray died of lung cancer at 61 years of age in 1968 (smoked a pipe and "roll-your-owns." Ilah died on Christmsas morning, 1999 at the age of 84.
Ray met Ilah Frances Parker and the two went across the border to Kansas and eloped on May 1, 1934.
The union of Ray and Ilah produced six (6) more children over the span of the next eight years. They were Robert Edwin (1935), Doris Darlene (1936), Verna Rae (1937), Walter Clyde (1939), Ilene May (1940) and me, Donald Lee Gross (1941).
Ray and Ilah moved to Idaho in 1937 to try potato farming, which didn't work out very well due to the drought during those years. In 1941 they moved to Seattle, Washington, where they heard jobs were available. They remained in Seattle until their deaths. Ray died of lung cancer at 61 years of age in 1968 (smoked a pipe and "roll-your-owns." Ilah died on Christmsas morning, 1999 at the age of 84.
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