Our challenge is that there are no words to express our gratitude for the impact that this dear lady had on our community, and in our lives.
With that award winning attitude, Liz Ray departed this life on May 7, 2025 at 1:37 PM. By her side were her son, Mark; sisters: Mary Lou Wilkes and Katherine Binkley; and a host of friends...and, of course, her ole friend Jesus was there to take her by the hand and lead her home.
Memorial services will be held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 11:00 AM at the Adrian Optimist Building in Adrian, MO. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to Adrian United Methodist Church.
Liz was born on June 23, 1937, at the family home in Eugene, MO, and was delivered by the pastor. She was welcomed by her parents, Ernest and Florence Ekstam, and sister, Mary Lou, and later joined by her younger sister, Katherine, and brother, Junior. Liz embraced her great love of nature and marveled at all of God's Creation. She treasured all animals, wild and domestic, plants and flowers, sunrises and sunsets. She even accepted bugs and ants, which, on occasion, ended up in her oatmeal raisin cookies and angel food cake. Not a problem according to Liz, just added protein. In her youth, she had for a pet a one-legged turkey. With patience and perseverance, Liz taught that turkey to ride on the handle bars of her tricycle. Liz loved the water and swam professionally with The Dolphins at The Lake Of The Ozarks. This was an Esther Williams style water ballet. Liz's family were fried chicken people. Family gatherings would always have fried chicken. On occasion, fried squirrel or fried rabbit was allowed, only because they tasted like chicken. Liz would say that she came from good folks, good stock...a little crazy, but good all the same. It was that childhood that molded Liz into that person that we so loved and admired. There are those that think and live outside of the box. Liz was the one that thought and lived outside of their box. There never has been nor will there ever be another Liz Ray.
Liz attended school in Eugene, MO, graduating from Eugene High School. She then enrolled in and attended Warrensburg Teachers College in Warrensburg, MO. It was during a weekend visit to Adrian, with a girl she met at college, that she first met her future husband, Jim Ray. Her friend and her friend's boyfriend both lived in Adrian. They set Liz and Jim up on a blind date and the two couples went out for the evening. When they returned home, her friend and her friend's boyfriend began to engage in some extracurricular activity in the front seat of the car, leaving Liz and Jim awkwardly in the back seat. Liz suggested to Jim that he could give her a grand tour of the town. Which he did, and when they returned...well let's just say that there was no room in the inn, so the two of them sat on the front step of the house until the fire went out. The next day Jim called and asked Liz out for a second date. Liz agreed, and then didn't remember if the date was for Friday Night or Saturday Night. So to cover the bases she was ready on Friday Night. Good Pick. Friday was correct. Jim and Liz seemed to be that "Match Made in Heaven." As their love grew, Liz just knew that Jim was the one. She went from thinking someday...to better sooner than later. Liz's mindset evolved. Originally it was "He'll be mine in 59" then "It'll be too late in 58" and finally "Turns out heaven in 57." Jim and Liz were married on August 3, 1957, under the arch in her childhood home in Eugene, MO. Jim and Liz enjoyed 58 years together until Jim's passing in 2016. They were blessed with two sons, Mark and Matthew.
The first couple of years of their life together, Jim and Liz lived on campus in Columbia while Jim finished his education at The University of Missouri. Later they lived in Tacoma, Washington, while Jim was stationed at Fort Lewis during his service in the U.S. Army. Eventually, they made their forever home right here in Adrian and we have all been very blessed because of that. Jim and Liz's first pet was a skunk. Throughout the years they fostered exotic fish, alligators, exotic chickens which would roost on the shoulders of unsuspecting guests, numerous barn yard animals and bulldogs. Now Liz wasn't a world renown breeder of bulldogs, but in certain circles she certainly was a legend. At their home in the country, Jim and Liz had a very nice swimming pond and later a pool behind their house. Their door was always open to friends and neighbors, but it was always a good idea to call first. You see, Jim and Liz enjoyed an occasional skinny dip, or as Liz called it, "Swimming Unencumbered." Until the day he died, Melvin Jones never forgot about the day he pulled in, waved, and just kept on going. And oh my, the flowers, the garden, the bamboo room and the koi fish pond. Jim and Liz invested countless hours, days, weeks, months and years in their yard. I think it was their way of fluffing up God's natural beauty. Liz was very frugal. Never one to discard anything before every useful purpose for that item was exhausted. Proof of that was her patchwork garden pants. It appeared as though the actual pants were long gone and what remained was a plethora of patches sewn together. Then the time the Rays, Jones, and Burns went fishing at the strip pit and caught several nice bass. Joe Burns filleted the fish and discarded the remains in the trash. Liz said, "You can't waste all of that" and pulled the skeletal remains out, cooked them and picked the bones clean.
By profession, Liz was a teacher, but that title does not do her justice. Liz was a "Molder of Lives," young and old. Fellow teacher Sheila Adkins tells it best. With any student that was angry or had a problem, Liz had a unique method to deal with it. She would stand toe to toe with a student (at times a student twice her size), she would listen intently, her tiny frame radiating concern, and then, without fail, she would say, "Alright, let's let God handle that. I'm gonna pray about it." and you just knew, deep down, that it wasn't a figure of speech. Somewhere, Liz had a direct line to God's help desk and she wasn't afraid to use it. Every single student got the same treatment. All of them mattered equally to her. She simply lived her life engaged with everyone. Everyone mattered. There were no exceptions. Throughout her thirty years of teaching, she received many accolades as an English Teacher and Journalism Adviser including MO State Journalism Teacher of the Year and later the MO State Teacher of the Year. Liz was a member of the MO Retired Teachers Association for twenty-five years. She was honored as West Central's Retired Teacher & Public School Personnel Distinguished Retiree in 2024. Liz retired from teaching in 1990 and that's when her encore career began.
Liz set out to groom her little piece of Heaven right here on Earth. Over the years she developed a botanical garden surrounding her home. She hosted numerous garden club meetings, shared her knowledge and talents in gardening and journalism as a 4-H Advisor. Liz was a very active member of The Adrian United Methodist Church and served over the years in numerous capacities. For years, Liz and Jim volunteered a couple of days a week to clean and care for the church. As an extension of her service to The Lord and community, Liz faithfully visited residents at the Adrian Manor and other care facilities. She enjoyed her Saturday Morning Tai Chi sessions with Dr. Rusty and the group and without a moment's notice, Liz was known to jump up on a table or desk to do her "Attitude Song." In recent years, Liz was honored by serving as our Fourth of July Parade Grand Marshall. She rode in the back of a black convertible driven by Warren Atchison, one of her AHS Students from back in the 60's.
Her True Calling, her greatness, was centered within her prayer life.
Throughout her life, the love of Jesus Christ has radiated from this dear lady. She has been at the epicenter of all that is good, all that is just. She set the bar and was the standard by which we can measure what is good and what is evil. Filled with compassion and a heart of grace. Never judging, only finding the good in others and Liz prayed...Oh how she prayed!!! Liz believed that prayer was a gift from God and with her frugal nature, it wasn't something to be wasted and it was available 24/7, 365 days a year. How many times have you said to another, "I'll pray for you" only to never give it another thought? When Liz said "I'll pray for you" she meant RIGHT NOW!!! She would take your hand and pray and then continue to pray for you in the days that followed. For years, her daily walk along the country road included fence post. Each fence post represented a person in Liz' life. As she passed that post, she would pray for that person. Each day she would pray for hundreds of people. Liz was a prayer warrior. She prayed with all of her might. Pound for pound, Liz had more prayers in her than anybody you will ever meet. Her life of service was to serve God, serve others, and in all things, to God be the glory. For over thirty years, Liz wrote a weekly devotional, "God in the Everyday" and it was published in the local paper and weekly church newsletter. We find comfort in the fact that on this very day, and every day for all of eternity, Liz is basking in the greatness, the love, and the light of God and her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
God of all Creation made some mighty wonderful things. Around these parts, we all feel as though Liz is right up there towards the top of that list.
Romans 3:23 states, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." It is obvious that Liz just didn't fall as far as the rest of us. She lived her live as one resting on a higher plain.
Liz is survived by her son, Mark Ray; sisters: Mary Lou Wilkes and Katherine Binkley; and a long line of extended family, friends, and loved ones. She is preceded in death by her husband, Jim Ray; parents, Ernest and Florence Ekstam; brother, Junior Ekstam; and son, Matthew Ray.
Liz was an extremely special person and will forever remain in our hearts.
