Gretta M. Vance, 97, a former Baker City resident, died April 6, 2005, at her home in Meridian, Idaho.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Relyea Funeral Chapel, 318 N. Latah St., Boise, Idaho. There will be a graveside service in Kansas at 1 p.m. CDT April 19 at the Medicine Lodge Cemetery.
She was born on June 19, 1907, at Medicine Lodge, Barber County, Kan., to Harvey Harris and Jennie Stone McCoy. She attended school at Medicine Lodge and graduated from high school there. She attended business college at Wichita, Kan.
She married Howard V. Vance on July 17, 1928, at Pratt, Kan. They had one son, Howard McCoy Vance.
Gretta was an excellent seamstress and made many of her clothes as well as those for grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She taught sewing in 4-H for many years. She was also proficient at crocheting. She made afghans for all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She and her husband spent most of their married life at Garden City, Kan. In 1953 they moved to Ulysses, Kan. During that time she worked for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
After retirement they made their home at Canon City, Colo. She moved to Baker City in 1987 to be near family. While in Baker City she attended the Methodist Church.
She moved with her son and his wife to Meridian, Idaho, in 1996, where she made her home until her death. She was lovingly cared for by her daughter-in-law, Jean, and great-granddaughters, Angie and Kayla Clark.
Gretta was a very gracious lady and very appreciative of all that was done for her.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1980; her parents; two brothers, Clay and Bill; a sister, Louise; and one granddaughter, Vickie Mae.
Survivors include a sister-in-law, Faye McCoy of Wichita; her son and his wife; six grandchildren, Clay and Cynthia Vance of Eugene, Doug and Carolyn Vance, Ed Vance, and Shanna and Kent Clark of Meridian, Kristine and Craig Atkinson of Boise and Rob and Tracy Vance of Twin Falls, Idaho; 19 great-grandchildren and three great-great- granddaughters; and several nieces and nephews.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, April 15, 2005
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor