Irene Eleanor Gray

Irene Eleanor (Porter) Gray, 93, of Devils Lake, ND died in her sleep at Heartland Care Center early Sunday morning July 4, 2010. Eleanor was born August 16, 1916 in Sauk City, Wisconsin the daughter of Reuben Scott and Audrey Luella (Danforth) Porter. As a young adult she lived in Minneapolis. In 1952 Eleanor moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a full charge bookkeeper and secretary of the Board of Directors for three small corporations. She retired at age 75. Eleanor was very active in The Children’s Home Society and played bridge in four different bridge clubs. She moved to Morgantown, West Virginia at age 80 where her sister Audrey Luella, brother-in-law J.J. Faltis and nephew John Joseph Faltis resided. After their unfortunate deaths, her niece, Bonnie McNaughton, moved Eleanor to Devils Lake where she resided, at Lake Country Manor from October 2003 until May 26, 2010. Eleanor was married to William Frye (1938-1946) and Paul Gray (1958-1971). While living in Devils Lake she enjoyed celebrating special occasions with her nieces, Bonnie McNaughton and Barbara Krayk, great-nephew Robert “Tom” Serumgard, Kristi (Mead) Serumgard and their children Brady, Robby and Isabelle. Eleanor was particularly fond of Marvin and Cindy Mead and their extended family that be-friended her as well. She was a member of the Lake Region Pioneer Daughters and took pride in the fact that it was her mother, whom at age eight, traveled to the Dakota Territory by covered wagon. Eleanor is survived by her brother Charles Danforth Porter and his wife Jean (Grabowski) of El Segundo, CA. Although she was married twice Eleanor was not blessed with children of her own. She took great joy in babysitting, reading to and playing with her nine nieces and nephews, Rosemary Eileen (Porter) Powell, Barbara Luella (McNaughton) Serumgard-Krayk, Nancy Louise (Porter) Neudecker, John Joseph Faltis III, Bonnie Eleanor McNaughton, Gary Scott Porter, Charles Danforth Porter II, Gardys Jean (Porter) Kohmann and Dorshelle Gay (Porter) Meyer and also Carol and Kelly Faltis. There are numerous great nephews and great nieces as well as four great-great nephews and a great-great niece who enjoyed her playfulness and sharp wit. She will always be remembered as their “Auntie Koochie”. She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Gardys Evelyn McNaughton (Thomas), Audrey Luella Faltis (John Joseph), brothers Hershel Otto Porter and Reuben Scott Porter and nephew John Joseph Faltis III. The family wishes to send special thanks to Dr. Bharath, Heartland Care Center and Mercy Hospital Hospice for all their help and loving care. Eleanor bequeathed her body to the Deeded Body Program at UND in an effort to train and enhance the skills of future medical professionals. Services and interment in the Columbarium will be held at Gethsemane Cathedral in Fargo, ND at a later date in the care of the Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home in Fargo.