Coos County OR Archives Obituaries.....McCray, Leah Eleanor September 22, 2009 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Donell Frazier d_frazier40@yahoo.com May 7, 2010, 3:07 am The Coquille Valley Sentinel - 9/29/2009 Leah Eleanor McCray March 26, 1926 - September 22, 2009 Eleanor was a long time resident of Powers, Oregon, but she spent her early childhood in Bandon, Oregon. She is survived by her husband, Robert H. McCray, Sr., sons Robert Howard McCray Jr., Grants Pass; John Robert McCray, Ketchikan, AL; and daughter Timisha Pearl Bengtson of Oregon City. Grandchildren Raelynn McVee, Arkansas; Shane McCray, Grants Pass; Eric McCray and Dane McCray of Washington; Garrett Milojevich and Nolan Milojevich of Portland; Timisha Leah Milojevich, Denver CO; Joshua Kawai, Kevin Hudson and greatgrandchildren Drake Milojevich and Nova McCray and great-great grandchild Lana Kawai She is survived by sisters, Juanita Crew of Coquille, Oregon; Arleta Gibbs of Arrigon, Oregon; brothers Francis Smith and foster brother Joe Anderson. She was preceded in death by brothers Carl Smith, Elbert Smith and a sister, Betty Louis Smith. She was known as a tomboy in her early years. Eleanor could challenge even the tough boys in her neighborhood. (At one point, she challenged and subdued a local bully who had been tormenting her brother). That spirit would return when she became an activist with other local women who took their cause to the Department of Transportation in Salem, Oregon. Their activism resulted in improvements to Highway 42. In her adult years she was best known for her Native American basket weaving for which she won many ribbons at the county and state fairs. She was a self- taught botanist and was well-known for her knowledge of native plants and flowers. She was asked to teach a class at the South Slough National Estuarine Reserve Interpretive Center. Eleanor served as the Powers Senior Center President for years, putting in long hours of dedicated service to the elders of that community. Eleanor loved to fish and did so often. Many people admired and loved her. She will be missed. The family requests donations in her name be made to the Powers High School or the Powers Senior Center. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/coos/obits/m/mccray4158gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 2.6 Kb