CASEY – The Rev. Ronald Lee Gross, 86, of Casey, passed away Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, surrounded by his family at the home of his daughter, Ronda Reynolds, Newburgh, Ind.
Funeral services are 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 21, at New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 20975 E 2100th Ave, Yale, officiated by the Rev. Carroll Richards and Pastor Chris Parr. Burial is in Butternut (Willow Creek) Cemetery, rural Martinsville. Visitation is from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at the church.
The Rev. Gross was born Feb. 28, 1930, at Fisk, Mo., the son of the late Everett and Neva Cooper Gross. He married his high school sweetheart, Evelyn June Cramer July 28, 1951, and she survives.
He is also survived by daughters, Venita Hooper of Chandler, Ind., and Ronda Reynolds of Newburgh, Ind.; sons, Bruce (Shanna) Gross of Casey, and Dan (Marsha) Gross of Newburgh, Ind.; grandchildren, Joshua Hooper, Philip (Amanda) Hooper, Angela (Eric) Hooper Mushrush, Nathan Brown, Aaron Brown, Derek (Susan) Gross, Trevor (Paige) Gross, Elisa Gross, Alex Gross and Emily Gross; eight great-grandchildren, who brought real joy into his last years of illness and decline; sisters-in-law, Evelyn Gross and Kay Cramer; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Eugene Gross and Edwin Gross; and an infant son, Phillip.
After growing up with three generations of his family on their farm south of Hoguetown, he answered God’s call to pastoral ministry. He graduated from Casey High School in 1947, Bob Jones University in 1952 and was ordained as a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
The Rev. Gross and his wife worked together for 65 as he pastored churches in Bethany and Trilla, Illinois and Chandler, Ind. In 1974, the couple moved to his home place where he pastored churches in Casey and Yale, and served the New Hope Church for the last 24 years of his pastoral ministry. During his years as a pastor, he preached thousands of sermons, performed hundreds of baptisms, marriages and funerals and served in many capacities in the communities.
His life was an inspiration to all who knew him as he humbly and generously gave his time and resources to anyone who needed it. His hospitality knew no bounds and hundreds of people from many different countries enjoyed staying in his home. Any time was a good time for loading up the trailer with youngsters and heading back to the woods or going to the North Fork to wade or fish in the stream. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed teaching his grandchildren how to hunt, fish and care for sheep. He planted countless trees, was a talented woodworker and provided the farmhouse with a limitless supply of firewood. Although farming was not his vocation, it never got out of his blood and he enjoyed raising all kinds of animals and helping his brothers and brother-in-law with work on their farms.
The Rev. Gross had a heart for Christian mission work and the family home was opened to many missionaries, and he supported their work in many ways.
Memorial donations may be made to the Stott-Wallace Missionary Offering Fund of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, Tenn. 38016.
Online condolences may be left at www.markwellfuneralhome.com.