Anna Gregory
Photo
Anna Faye Murrell Gregory of Poplar Bluff, Missouri graced this earth for 82 years and passed away Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.
Anna was born in Success, Arkansas to Novie and Irene Murrell on May 11, 1939. Later the family would move to the Harviell, Missouri area. Anna married L.W. (Dub) Gregory on Jan. 6, 1958, in Los Angeles, California. They realized they wanted to be closer to family and moved to Saint Louis. Deciding city life was not for them, they returned to southeast Missouri with two daughters to begin their family dynasty. Another four children soon followed.
Anna worked at the Gossard Garment Factory for several years while the family was growing and farming. As her children started school, Anna decided she needed to keep a closer watch on them and started working for the Neelyville School district at Hillview Elementary school as a secretary and librarian aide. As she searched for things to keep her children busy and out of trouble, besides working on the farm, she was deeply involved as a leader, with the Hillview Clovers 4-H club. The Hillview Clovers 4-H Club taught children many life skills as well as practical skills.
Anna and Dub, along with their children, farmed in the Harviell Neelyville area. Finding shipment of farm grain a problem, they started Gregory Farms Trucking. In the early 1980s this business grew into a full-fledged trucking company, Gregory Transportation. Anna was an intricate part of the company’s success and nurtured it and the employees like her own children.
Anna also was very proud of her accomplishment of earning an AA degree in Early Childhood Education, summa cum laude, from Three Rivers Community College in 1985. She was able to achieve this while working at the college library, doing books for the trucking company and raising a family.
She and Dub loved to travel. In 1999 they drove their RV to Alaska. She also loved to cruise and in 2010 took the grandchildren, with other family members tagging along to Alaska on a week-long cruise.
Anna was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Jim Murrell of Peoria, Illinois, and Clifton Murrell (Georgia) of O’Fallon, Missouri, and her baby sister, Mary Wagner (Carl), Harviell.
Anna is survived by her husband, L.W. (Dub) Gregory, her six children, Patty Peters (Ray) of Poplar Bluff, Terri Chilton (Jeff) of Williamsville, Larry Gregory, Poplar Bluff, Kim Gregory Puckett, Poplar Bluff, Lindel Gregory (Angie) Ellsinore, and Sherry Gilton, also of Poplar Bluff. Anna has three surviving siblings, Norma Riley of Neelyville, Geraldine Hover (Don) of Harviell, and Clayton Murrell (Cathy) of Buffalo, Missouri.
Anna adored her grandchildren, and they were the “apple of her eye.” They are Miranda Gregory, Greg Chilton, Ashley Chilton Patterson (Nathan), Laramy Gregory (Jessica), C.J. Giebel, Aaron Puckett, Trenton Gilton, Trista Gilton, Abby Gregory, Kacey Gregory, and Lily Gregory. She also adored her bonus grandchildren, Chris Peters (Gwen) and Kim Peters Porter (Corey). Also surviving are 12 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Anna Gregory will be greatly missed by her family, by her church family at Highland Church of Christ, and by her many good friends at T.O.P.S.
A visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, at Willow Ridge Funeral Chapel with the funeral service following at 1 p.m. Pastor Vernon Curry of Highland Church of Christ will conduct the services. Burial will follow in the Woodlawn section of the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery.
Cotrell-Willow Ridge Funeral and Cremation Services are honored to serve the family of Anna Faye Murrell Gregory.
Online condoles may be expressed to the family at www.cotrellfuneralservice.com.