In Memory of Carol Grayson

Carol Grayson, age 74, of Ida Grove, Iowa, died Thursday, March 21, 2013 at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa, from pulmonary complications.Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 26, 2013, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ida Grove, Iowa, under the direction of Christiansen-Huffman Funeral Homes.  The Reverends Richard Salcido and Adam Peck will officiate with burial to follow at the Ida Grove Cemetery. A celebration of life luncheon at St. Paul Lutheran Church will immediately follow committal services.  Visitation with the family present will be at Christensen-Huffman Funeral Home in Ida Grove on Monday, March 25, from 5-8 p.m.

Born January 20, 1939, in Hadley, Minnesota, Carol Jean Grayson was the daughter of Harold and Ruth (Amundson) Hendrickson.  She was baptized and confirmed at Slayton Lutheran Church and received her education at Slayton High School, graduating as co-salutatorian in 1957.  She attended St. Barnabas Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis, graduating in September, 1960. She went on to make nursing her career at Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove for more than 40 years, retiring in May of 2007.

She met her soul mate and the love of her life at a bus stop in Minneapolis and was united in marriage to Carl Eugene “Gene” Grayson at Christ Lutheran Church in Slayton on September 25, 1960.  Three daughters, Lisa, Shelley, and Karen were born to this union.  Gene and Carol made Ida Grove their lifetime home and were able to celebrate 45 wonderful years of marriage before Gene’s death in 2005.

 Carol was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ida Grove where she was active with volunteer activities and really enjoyed bible study.  She was also an active volunteer at the Horn Memorial gift shop and other community activities.  Traveling was a passion and brought her great joy.  She traveled with the Emerald Club to many parts of the country and Europe and also independently to visit family and friends and to attend her grandchildren’s activities.  She enjoyed her weekly coffee dates with friends, her Friday nights out for dinner, her frequent trips to Omaha for theater events and the arts, reading, and taking an occasional trip to the casino. 

She was known for her caring and gentle nature, her genuine compassion for others, her radiant smile, and her abundant love for God, her family and friends.  She blessed us with wonderful memories to fill our broken hearts as she will be greatly missed by all that loved her. Survivors include her daughters, Lisa (Dan) Bunting of Cottage Grove, MN, Shelley (Dan) Schneider of Lehigh Acres, FL and Karen (Miguel) Martinez of Lehigh Acres, FL; four grandchildren, Carlin and Lucas Bunting, Sierra Schneider, and Alex Spratt; two sisters, LaVonne (Raymond) Priebe of Slayton, MN and Cheryl (Tony) Krant of Hadley, MN; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other extended family members.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gene in 2005; her parents; a brother and his wife, Larry and Carolyn Hendrickson; and a sister-in-law and her husband, Marian and Wilbur Rohlk.