Wilma Benton Gray

Wilma Roberta Benton Gray - Our beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother & sister passed away August 19, 2014 at the age of 81 at the Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City Utah. She was born to George and Nellie Kassinger Benton in Lander Wyoming on April 26, 1933. She married Floyd Kenneth Gray in Cedaredge, Colorado on November 12,1949.While living in Colorado they had two children, Robert George and Linda Sue. They moved to Vernal, Utah in 1952 where another son, Jerry Lee was born. In 1956 the family moved to Santa Clara, California, due to a job offer. In California they had 3 more children, Mary Anne, Jo Deena, and James Kenneth. In 1978 after Floyd retired they moved back to Vernal, Utah to finish raising the two children still at home and to be closer to the rest of the family. Wilma loved to do crafts and knitting and crocheting and always provided wonderful homemade gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Another thing she loved was her gardening, there were always fresh vegetables from her garden at the dinner table in the summer, and home canned fruits and vegetables in the winter. She also shared here fruits of labor with all the family and kept us stocked up with Jams & Jellies. We never left her house empty handed. Wilma always loved to read, when she was 14 and lived in Cedaredge, her parents had to travel to a job for the summer as her dad built roads, she stayed at home alone and worked in the library all summer and found her love for books. Books were her greatest solace after she was diagnosed with COPD in 2006, her books and her kids and her grandkids lifted her spirits greatly even on the toughest days. It was during those days she found another joy, she loved watching the birds out her back window, so son Jimmy kept bird feeders full for her. She had several families of Quail living in her back yard, and they gave her such joy. She was always there for her family, and even when she couldn't get out of the house, she was just a phone call away and a great listener. She is survived by her brother Doug Benton, her children, Robert Gray, Linda(Jim) Showalter, Jerry Gray, Mary Anne (Clif) Harrison, Jo Deena Bullock, and Jim (Stacie) Gray, 12 grandchildren, Brandi Goldstein, Stacie Carrillo, Bobbie Gray, Jerry Gray, Bonnie Gray, John Bullock, Brandon Bullock, Tasha Bullock, Tawni Roberts, Roxanne Gomez, Alex Gray, and Jacie Gray , 4 great grandchildren, Dalton Grimm, River Gray, Kali Hedman, and Braiden Roberts Wilma was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd K. Gray, her parents, her brother Marvin Benton, her grandson Richard Campbell, her son-in-law Kirbin Bullock, and her son-in-law David Gomez Mom is at peace and walking with God in his everlasting garden. She was deeply loved and will be missed by all. Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, August 23, 2014 at 12:00 noon at the World Vision Assemblies of God Church (500 west 500 North) friends may call at 1 am at church prior to services Burial will be in the Maeser Fairview Cemetery. www.blackburnvernalmortuary.com