Frances Gray

Frances Marie Gray was a devoted daughter, wife, mother and grandmother. Her family meant everything to her and she would have done anything for them. Her hard work ethic and strong faith in God sustained her every day of her life.

Though the 1920s roared with jazz and flappers, many people were largely removed from the glitz and glamour associated with these times. This was particularly true in the Midwest, where most families made their livelihoods by cultivating the land. In Boone County, Indiana, Leroy and Ida (Edwards) Hanks didn’t work the land, but they did work hard. Both worked for the telephone company, Ida as an operator, using the old “plug-in” system while Leroy was a lineman. They were also busy caring for their two daughters Beatrice, or Allene as she was called, and Irene, and preparing for the birth of their third child. Frances Marie was born on January 6, 1922, much to the delight of her parents and sisters. She would later be joined by brothers Jim and Clarence and sisters Rosalie and Sondra. While growing up in Boone County, Frances was never at a loss for playmates, and was especially close to her sister Irene, attending square dances together.

Frances attended the New Ross schools through the 10th grade. She later married Ronald Eddingfield. The marriage did not last, but it did produce four wonderful children – Robert, Beverly, Nancy and Tom. As a single mother with four children to care for, Francis often found herself working two jobs at a time. Frances was a great cook and cherry cobbler and homemade pies, especially banana cream and chocolate, were among her specialties. This enabled her to find work making pies for dessert at Brownie’s Bait House, a restaurant that sold bait on its lower level, located in the community of Geist. At different times, she also worked for Stuart Warners, Western Electric and Simpkins Restaurant in Fishers. Here she waitressed as well as cooked.

In spite of the hardships, Frances was always there for her children – and later her grandchildren. They considered her a friend as well as a parent. With her cooking skills, there was always a good meal on the table, usually consisting of “comfort food”. A meal might include fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, rice, biscuits; she never served a bad meal. But not every meal was traditional. One time her brother brought her a snapping turtle. Not afraid to try new things when cooking, Frances made turtle soup with some of the meat and fried the rest.

As busy as she was, Frances was not one to neglect her home. It was always immaculate and could be checked by a white glove. It was said that if you were a woman, you could put your makeup on by looking at your reflection in the shiny floor. And the kids had to keep themselves clean as well. There was plenty of time for fun, in spite of all the activity. Frances loved to dance and taught her kids how to dance, steps like the jitter-bug and other dances the kids were doing at the high school sock hops. Tom and Bob are still great dancers, and Tom teaches the western two-step.

In 1965, love came in Frances’ life. She had met a wonderful man named George Gray. Frances was 44 and George was 49, and on November 12, 1965 the two were married. Both would tell anyone around “I married the most wonderful person”. It truly was a match made in heaven. They were married at the pastor’s home in Noblesville, and 15 years later they received a letter from the pastor’s wife. They had just found the check for the wedding in the pastor’s pocket, and could the Gray’s please write another. The “newlyweds” celebrated their first anniversary by taking a honeymoon to Chicago. They had dinner at the Hilton, and received the royal treatment from the waiters. Knowing Frances and George were celebrating, the maitre’d seated them at a special table by a bay window, over looking the lake. Later, they had front row seats to watch an Ice Show.

After marrying George, Frances continued to work, but just one job now. She cleaned houses and later worked at a bakery, just to keep busy and stay active. She loved being married to George and they enjoyed the time they spent together. With the kids scattered across the country, it was a good excuse for them to go traveling. George worked in management for General Motors and was fortunate to get a month’s vacation every year. Beverly lived in California, Nancy in New Jersey, and Bob in Arizona. When Frances and Nancy got together, they always kissed 4 times and told each other how much they loved each other. One time, Frances was at the wheel as they were driving through a snowstorm in Colorado. The car hit a slippery patch and the car began to skid out of control. Frances truly believed that the Good Lord provided a clear spot on the road to help her gain control.

Faith in God was a big part of Frances’ life. She and George had been members of the Carmel Friends Church for over 30 years and were both very involved. When the church sponsored a breakfast, Frances and George were always there to help out. They made a great team, and when they set their minds to it, could do most anything. In fact, Frances had favorite Bible verses in the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and George would read from the Bible every night.

With her children in homes of their own, Frances now had time for other pursuits. She enjoyed listening to country western music, and of course, hymns. Some of her favorites were “Amazing Grace”, “In the Garden”, and “I’ve got a Mansion Just over the Hilltop”. The words to this song had special meaning for Frances and she often sang it while she worked. Her little dog Gigi was a constant companion, complete with its own towel on a dining room chair. Gigi had captured Frances’s heart and was often the recipient of an “extra” pork chop at meal time. Frances always sported her cherished watch, a gift from George a few years ago. She refused to go anywhere without her watch, even to bed.

Family was the most important part of Frances’ life. Every Saturday and Sunday was spent with family. They enjoyed playing cards, especially with her brother Clarence. And every July they had a family reunion, held at her sister Rosalie’s until the family got too large. It became a tradition for the children to gather every Christmas at Frances and George’s home. They were both looking forward to continuing this tradition this year.

George suffered a series of heart attacks and Frances was right there by his side every minute. Meals were brought up to him on a tray. In 2002, Frances suffered a stroke while doing laundry. Now it was George’s turn to return this loving care.

Frances Marie Hanks Gray, 82, died December 20, 2004. She was preceded in death by her two brothers, Jim and Clarence Hanks. Her family includes her husband of 39 years, George Gray; children, Robert Eddingfield (Bonnie), Beverly Neal (Leon), Nancy Ritchey (Jim), Tom Eddingfield (Brenda); sisters, Allene Evans, Irene Woodard, Rosalie Pursel, Sondra Deering; 10 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren. Friends and family will gather on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Leppert Life Story Funeral Home, Smith Carmel Chapel, 900 N. Rangeline Road, Carmel. Funeral services to celebrate her life will begin 11 a.m. on Thursday in the funeral home with interment following at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens. Please visit Francis’ personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a personal memory, arrange for flowers, or make a memorial contribution to Carmel Friends Church.