Patricia Alice Gress Obituary (2025)

Patricia Alice Gress, age 98, passed away on August 8, 2025, at Willow Springs Care Center in Yakima, WA. Pat (as she was known to most) was born at home in Wheatland County Montana, near Harlowton on April 21, 1927, to Owen Lunceford and Alice Edwards Lunceford, the fifth of eleven children. During the depression the family moved many times during her younger life, following her father's occupation as a sheep shearer and ranch hand. They lived in Oregon and several places in Eastern Washington, finally settling in East Yakima. The final home was on North Seventh Street where her Mother lived until she passed away in 1980. Her Father passed away in 1953. Pat met Paul Sherry in Yakima through mutual friends of the Disabled American Veterans organization. After an eventful courship they were married in Reno, Nevada in 1947 and their first daughter Pamala was born in Reno. A better job offer brought them back to Yakima. Pat's health began to be a problem, and she spent most of several years in T.B. sanitariums, where her second daughter Sandra was born. Her parents cared for both girls for a time, but the family was reunited and moved to Grandview, WA. Since Paul was a mechanical engineer in the frozen food industry, they tried many endeavors including a restaurant in Albany, Oregon. In 1954 they decided they needed a son, and adopted Michael Dean Sherry, who was two at the time. The fmaily was complete. A job opening brought them back to Yakima for the last time in 1955. They bought a property on East Yakima Avenue-Terrace Heights Way at the bridge to Terrace Heights and began the next chapter of life, running a cold storage and locker rental business. They later added a go-cart track. The whole thing burned to the ground, so they purchased a house on North Eighth Street and Paul went to work for the City of Yakima. Paul passed away in 1960 and Pat was left to raise three children on her own. She did a fantastic job!! Although she was not a Catholic (yet), she continued to raise the children Catholic and was very involved at St. Joseph Catholic Church and School. Through this involvement she met George Gress. She and George spent several years spending quality time together and were married in 1969. They bought an Argosy travel trailer in 1976 and began a new life as snowbirds, spending winter in Yuma, Arizona and summers in Yakima or wherever a whim would take them. A motorhome was next, and many long jaunts were taken to visit George's relatives in North Dakota, Pat's familiy in Montana, to Alaska, to visit friends in Texas and even to the East Coast. George's health began to deteriorate in the mid 90's so they slowed down a little, but finally called it quits and settled in at Mobil Manor. George passed away in 1998. Pat condintued to live their on her own until it became too much. She moved into an apartment at Rose of Mary Terrace in 2017. She made many new friends there and was very involved in their activities. The Catholic faith became more important to her after she formally joined the church in the late 60's. Mass on Sunday and Tuesday Adoration were fixutres in her life until earlier this year when she was unable to get out much. After a bout of congestive heart failure in early April, she was transferred to Willow Springs Care for rehab and was doing fantastic. Unfortunately, she fell from her bed, fractured her hip and had to have a partial hip replacement. She came through the surgery great, but this time recovery was very slow and her body could not come back. She passed away in her sleep. Pat is survived by her daughters Pamala Kingsboro and Sandra (Richard) Doss; grandchildren, Gina Catron, Paul Kingsboro (Kim Perrault and her children, Haddie and Brayton), Christina Doss, Patsi (Ron) Bauman, Brandon Sherry and Derick Oakley; great-grandchildren Haley Kingsboro Catron, Kyle (Kindra) Doss, Kimberly (Joe) Fuerst, Cassandra (Marcus) Monson and Katie Bauman; great-great-grandchildren Hadley Kingsboro Cook, Kayden, Kenzie and Kenna Doss, Colt and Camryn Fuerst, Grey and Blake Monson and one on the way. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara Jones and numerous nieces and nephews, including special nieces Kathy Jones VonEssen and Glenda Farnsworth Seward. Pat was preceded in death by her parents Owen and Alice Lunceford, and nine of her siblings, Bertha (B.B.) Johnson, Virginia Farnsworth, Dick, Teddy (deceased as a toddler), Lester, Jack, Don, Roy, and Kenny Lunceford; both of her husbands Paul Sherry and George Gress, her son MIchael Sherry and son-in-law Gary Kingsboro. At her request no services will be held, a privagte familiy interment of her and George's cremains will be held at a later date. If you wish, a donation may be made to the Diocese of Yakima, 101 S. 12th Ave, Yakima, WA 98902, for the Priests' Retirement Fund. Brookside Funeral Home is caring for the family. Memories and condolences may be shared at: www.brooksidefuneral.com