{"id":99520,"date":"2026-04-29T11:33:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?p=99520"},"modified":"2026-04-29T11:33:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:33:54","slug":"paula-jane-mckinney-gray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?p=99520","title":{"rendered":"Paula Jane McKinney Gray"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!--AUTO-AD-BEFORE-->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\"\n        data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n        data-ad-layout-key=\"-gw-3+1f-3d+2z\"\n        data-ad-client=\"0531879237494766\"\n        data-ad-slot=\"5600453644\"><\/ins>\n    <script>(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});<\/script>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"440\" src=\"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thumbnail_1-3.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-99521\" srcset=\"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thumbnail_1-3.webp 340w, https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Thumbnail_1-3-232x300.webp 232w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paula Jane McKinney Gray, 88, of Marion was welcomed to her Heavenly Home on Sunday, April 26,2026. Paula was born to Harold A. McKinney and Betty J. Carmack McKinney on February 3, 1938, in Clinton, IN, the oldest of 4 children. Paula\u2019s family moved to LaPorte County when she was young, but she continued to spend summers in Vermillion County with her maternal and paternal grandparents, along with her cousin and aunts and uncle. Paula graduated from Union Township High School, LaPorte County IN in 1956. Paula was fortunate to see Elvis Presley at a concert during her Senior Class trip to Detroit, MI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paula met her husband, Ben Gray, when she asked him and his parents for a ride home from LaPorte to her family\u2019s home in Kingsford Heights. She said she thought he was sort of scary; he looked like a gangster! Their first official date was to a drive-in in South Bend IN to see The Ten Commandments. The rest was history, as they say. Paula and Ben made their home in Kingsford Heights after marrying in 1958. They both experienced a life changing event when they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior in 1963 and began attending the Wesleyan Methodist Church. In 1968, Paula, Ben, and son David moved to Marion, IN so that Ben could attend Marion College. Paula soon found employment to help support the family at the Kroger supermarket at the South Plaza. Although finances were tight during Ben\u2019s college days, there were many good times meeting many wonderful people and creating lifelong friendships. One of Paula\u2019s favorite jobs was working with children as a teacher\u2019s aide at Center Elementary School alongside several wonderful teachers from the mid -70\u2019s until the mid-80\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1987 Ben and Paula received a call to pastor the West 8th St. Wesleyan Church, in Marion. The couple made a mid-life career change to serve God and the people of west Marion for the next 21 years. Paula became a fully involved partner in the ministry with her husband. Paula loved reaching children for Jesus and loving her church family and the people of the Westpoint\/Bucktown community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After their retirement in 2008 Paula and Ben moved back to south Marion and began attending Lakeview Wesleyan Church where they added a new set of friends. Paula had the ability to make lifelong friends wherever she worked and worshipped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paula is preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Betty McKinney; brothers-in-law, Dale Butler, Dallas Cole; and sister-in-law, Sharon McKinney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is survived by her husband of nearly 68 years, Sidney \u201cBen\u201d Gray; son, David B. Gray; brother, Charles McKinney, Greensboro, NC; sisters, Marilyn Butler, LaPorte, IN and Carol Susan Cole, Atwater. CA; as well as many nieces and nephews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The family would like to thank the staff of Stillwater Hospice and Colonial Oaks Health who gave wonderful care to Paula and became like a second family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The family will receive visitors from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral &amp; Cremation Service, North Chapel 1341 N. Baldwin Ave., Marion, IN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immediately following the time of visitation, a service to celebrate Paula\u2019s life will begin at 1:00 PM with Pastor Linda Cabe officiating. Burial will be at Grant Memorial Park immediately following the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Memories may be shared online at www.nswcares.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To send flowers to the family of Paula J. Gray, please&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/needhamstoreywampner-north-chapel.tributestore.com\/?oId=48236274&amp;tag=&amp;source=tco_description&amp;_cdx=GA1.2.1050496179.1738002651:GS2.1.s1777476525$o191$g1$t1777476776$j58$l0$h0&amp;tcouuid=538cbee5-f1d0-424f-8159-059292630c35&amp;mtph=1\">visit our floral store.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<!--AUTO-AD-AFTER-->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;text-align:center\"\n        data-ad-format=\"autorelaxed\"\n        data-ad-client=\"0531879237494766\"\n        data-ad-slot=\"9212395598\"><\/ins>\n    <script>(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paula Jane McKinney Gray, 88, of Marion was welcomed to her Heavenly Home on Sunday, April 26,2026. Paula was born to Harold A. McKinney and Betty J. Carmack McKinney on February 3, 1938, in Clinton, IN, the oldest of 4 children. Paula\u2019s family moved to LaPorte County when she was young, but she continued to &#8230; <a title=\"Paula Jane McKinney Gray\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?p=99520\" aria-label=\"Read more about Paula Jane McKinney Gray\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[261],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-obituaries-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Wade Weaver","author_link":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?author=3"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/?cat=261\" rel=\"category\">Obituaries2<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Paula Jane McKinney Gray, 88, of Marion was welcomed to her Heavenly Home on Sunday, April 26,2026. Paula was born to Harold A. McKinney and Betty J. Carmack McKinney on February 3, 1938, in Clinton, IN, the oldest of 4 children. Paula\u2019s family moved to LaPorte County when she was young, but she continued to&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=99520"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99523,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99520\/revisions\/99523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=99520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=99520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterzradio.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=99520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}