NEIL GRAY obituary

HAYS - Neil Stewart Gray, 53, of Hays died at his residence on Saturday, March 25, 2006, due to a gun shot injury to the head.

A funeral Mass was scheduled for 11 a.m. today in St. Paul's Catholic Church with burial following at Family Three Butte's Cemetery. A wake and rosary began Monday evening in the Mission Recreation Cemetery.

Neil was born to Gordon Gray, Sr. and Judith Ann (Myrick) Gray on March 18, 1963, at Fort Belknap Agency. His grandparents were Andrew (Jenny) Gray, Agnes (Walter) Longfox of Lodge Pole; Bertha (James II) Snow of Hays and Paul Myrick of Poplar. Neil had two daughters, Ashley Lynn Gray with Sherry Shambo and Monique Marie Gray with Stacey Werk. Neil lived his whole life in Hays and his playground was the Little Rockie Mountains and the Breaks. Besides his children, the love of his life was hunting, and fishing. Neil, Oly and friends spent many hours tracking deer, casting lures and getting chased up trees by mountain lions. If Neil wasn't hunting, he was roaming the Little Rockies. Neil found many things while roaming: antlers, old homestead items and the Creator. Neil loved his daughters, his nieces, nephews and grandchildren. His greatest pleasure was to take the little ones fishing. Neil was a renowned Montana Indian fire fighter and earned the respect of his peers and colleagues.

Neil was preceded in death by his father; mother; uncle, Billy Myrick; niece, Erin Lewis; Grampa Jim Snow II; cousins, Grant Boe Jr., Todd Myrick, Uncle Charlie Gray Sr.; aunties, Lydia “Pink” Long Fox and Nona “Pixie” Pitkanan; and all his relatives.

Survivors include his beloved daughters, Ashley Lynn Gray and Monique Marie Gray of Hays; common-law wife, Stacey Werk of Hays; brother, Gordon Gray Jr. (Charlo Doney) of Hays; sisters, Michele Lewis (Donnie Brockie), Jari Lynn Werk (Ivan Werk) and Stacy Jo Gray, all of Hays; maternal grandmother, Bertha Snow of Hays; and many nephews, nieces, cousins, aunts, uncles, great aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.