Gladys Gray

Born Jan 25, 1916 in Manford, Oklahoma to Jesse and Esther Carter.

Her family first came to Winter Haven in 1928 when she was 12 years

old, and she attended Central Jr. High on Central Ave. She had three

other siblings: Raymond Carter, Ethel Eason and Doris Beasley. Ethel is

the only one who survives.

Gladys was an excellent pianist, and as the children grew in numbers

there were many gatherings around the piano to sing as a family harmony

group. She worked for many years packing citrus fruit for the many

packing houses of the day. She was once selected, because of her style,

as a display packer for the Citrus Exposition which was held near the

old Nora Mayo Hall downtown Winter Haven. In those days Winter haven

was called the Citrus Capitol of the World.

Gladys married Ervin Taft Gray at the Courthouse in Bartow on May 21,

1932. They went back to the farm in Lawrence County Tennessee and lived

there on their farm until November 1943 when they made the move to Eagle

Lake to what is today called Gray Rd, named for the family. The family

grew and ultimately there were 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls.

Her husband, Ervin, died on the first day of Spring 1991 at the age of 83.

The children are:

Patricia Watson - Deceased July 17, 1956 Walker County, Alabama

Shirley Gray - Winter Haven

Donald Gray - Auburndale

Jesse Gray - Deceased Apr 16, 2006 Bailey, Colorado

Virgil Gray - Lake Alfred

Janice Lambert - Eagle Lake

Sylvia Grenier - Winter Haven

David Gray - Deceased Jan 21, 2009 Delano, Tennessee

Cathy Harless - Lakeland

Terry Gray - Albuquerque, New Mexico

There are 21 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.