OBITUARY Lillian Hays Morris Ray June 28, 1921 – October 1, 2018 Lillian Hays Morris Ray, 97, a resident of Evergreen Community of Johnson County, has gone to her heavenly home. She was preceded in death by husbands, Jacob Morris and Leroy Ray, son, Tommy Morris, parents, Quincy and Letha Hays, siblings Byron Hays, Raymond Hays, Glen Hays, Irene Campbell, Maureen Swanson, Webster Hays and Chester Hays. Lillian was born in 1921 in Fortuna, Missouri and was one of ten children born to Quincy and Letha Hays.
She grew up during the depression years on a farm in the vicinity of McGirk, Missouri, but in 1940 moved to the greater Kansas City area where she lived most of the rest of her life. During the war years she was employed at Lake City Ordinance Plant where she worked in the charging wing filling 50-millimeter bullets. After the war she was a stay-at-home mom until 1959 when she went to work as an order clerk for Lowe Brother’s Paint Company and later Sherwin Williams.
In 1982 she left the work force and opened a day care in her home. Lillian married Jacob Morris, December 26, 1940, and after almost 41 years of marriage he passed away December 1, 1981. On March 22, 1985, she married Leroy Ray and they were married 24 years before he passed away February 27, 2009.
With a lifespan of 97 years and a love for people, she impacted the lives of countless. Throughout her adult years she was always very involved in church. She especially loved children and working with them.
She taught children in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Missions from the time she was a teenager until her 80s. She operated a day care in her home for 7 years where she was affectionately called “Grandma Lillian”. She leaves behind a loving family.
She is survived by her three children and their families, Richard Morris and his wife Beverly, Carolyn Reniker and her husband Russell and Deloris Berry and her husband Michael as well as step-sons Jim Ray and his wife Beth, Louis Ray and his wife Sue, and Jeff Ray and his wife Ginny. Six grandchildren, Terri Bomar, Toni Carroll, David Reniker, Ken Berry, Krista Shurtz and Heather Storms, and many step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. She is survived by two sisters, Lucille Lotz and Norma Altis.
Friends and family are invited to a Visitation from 10:00am to 11:00am followed by an 11:00am Funeral Service on Monday, October 8 at Mt. Moriah, Newcomer & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, Missouri. Entombment will follow in the Faith Mausoleum II at Mount Moriah Cemetery.
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