Gretchen M. Bray

Gretchen Marie Morrow Bray breathed her last on 25, 2026 and will be inurned at Resurrection Cemetery in St. Peter, Minnesota. She now rests in the arms of God.
Born on June 3, 1958 in Armour, SD, Gretchen was quickly declared "the last hatch of the season" by her parents Ronald and Darline Morrow who operated the chicken hatchery in town. Gretchen roosted In Armour until attending Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD. She graduated with honors in Music and German in 1980 and married Alan Bray the following year. Together they headed to St. Paul, MN where Alan attended seminary and Gretchen made it possible for him to do so.
Upon his ordination, Alan and Gretchen served Lutheran congregations in Thief River Falls, MN; West Berlin, Germany; Upsala, MN and St. Peter, MN. While in Germany, Gretchen gave birth to their only child, Julia Morrow Bray, and was witness to the fall of the Berlin Wall - two life changing events.
Throughout her life, Gretchen had an artistic eye and a passion for color. She was an avid watercolor painter, an aspiring gardener, and she loved learning about the arts in general. Gretchen was also an accomplished musician. She had a lovely soprano voice, played the piano, flute and organ, directed church choirs and gave piano lessons to many children and adults. During her time in St. Peter, Gretchen's artistic talents and friendly disposition served her well as a salesperson (and for six years manager) at Swedish Kontur Imports.
Gretchen was a principled person, quiet, serious, yet graced with a deep sense of humor and a lively wit (she never met a quip she didn't like). She longed for a world in which people might embrace each other, put away hatreds and live with compassion and joy. Gretchen especially loved her time in Berlin, where her eyes were opened to ways in which people of different beliefs and ethnic backgrounds could worship together in the same village church. But by her own admission, Gretchen's greatest learnings came from her daughter Julia who was born with Down syndrome. Julia taught both of her parents how to enjoy life, how to be kind and how to celebrate each other's varied skills and abilities.
Gretchen was preceded in death by her father, grandparents, and sister-in-law, Janet Morrow. She is survived by her husband Alan; her daughter Julia; her mother Darline; her siblings Joe, Jane (David Cascadden) and Ann (Gregg DeSpiegler); her brother-in-law Michael Bray and his wife Becky; many nieces and nephews; countless friends and family members all over the world.
A memorial service of remembrance and celebration, which will be live-streamed online, will take place at First Lutheran Church in St. Peter on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 11 a.m. The service will be preceded by an hour of visitation and followed by a light lunch. The family requests no flowers. Instead, please contribute to the charity of your choice in Gretchen's memory. To leave a condolence or view the service livestream, visit www.saintpeterfuneralhome.com.
Gretchen's family also wishes to express profound gratitude to "the host of saints" who walked so lovingly with Gretchen during her last days. "God bless you all!"