Shirley Ann Gross (Espe), 91, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, died at 4:20 am, Sunday, May 3, 2026, at Parkview Regional Medical Center in Fort Wayne. She was born on March 20, 1935, in Kokomo, Indiana, to Floyd and Lena (Demaree) Hawley.
Shirley married Arthur Gross in 1954 in Kokomo, Indiana and began her career working for Dr. Artis as a medical assistant before joining the Kokomo Hospital Laboratory as a laboratory technologist. She remained there until 1966, when Art and Shirley moved to Wabash. Art was a CPA and partner in the accounting firm of Rea, Gross, Logan (now Rea Logan), and became the first Commissioner of the Wabash Little League in 1968. From 1966 to 1969, Shirley worked in the Wabash County Hospital Laboratory and afterward continued her career at the laboratory of the Family Physicians Clinic working for doctors LaSalle, Ferguson and Smyrniotis in Wabash until 1977.
In 1977, Shirley moved from Wabash to Hoopeston, Illinois, where she lived until late 1978 before relocating to Arizona. There she, and her companion, Merwyn “Mert” Davis, purchased 50,000‑acres and established the CV Ranch near Chino Valley, AZ in 1981 where they both loved to ride their horses while raising buffalo and cattle. In the 1990s Mert and Shirley built a home in the “Ranch” subdivision in Prescott, AZ, where her favorite pastime was hosting regular card games and parties with her neighbors. Upon Mert’s death in 2011, Shirley moved to Las Funtes Resort Village in Prescott. In 2022, Shirley returned to Indiana to be closer to her son, Dave.
She is survived by sons, Dave (Patricia) Gross of Fort Wayne, and Jon Gross of Arizona; foster son, Charles (Beverly) Kelley of Wabash, Indiana; grandchildren, Alizabeth (Jake) Coleman, and Alex Gross of Tucson Arizona, Gary (Tracie) Kelley, Greg (Meredith) Kelley, Gina (Ryan) Baker, Gabe (Stacey) Kelley, Grant (Dawn) Kelley of Wabash, IN; step grandchild Patrick (Cecile) Henderson of Tipton, nineteen great grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, and sisters, Beverly Crabtree, Barbara Towler, and twin-sister, Sharon Bradley.
Arrangements by Grandstaff-Hentgen Funeral Service, Wabash, Indiana.
The memorial guest book for Shirley may be signed at www.grandstaff-hentgen.com.
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