Mona Morgan Gross

01/04/1925

06/29/2014

FACTS

Born: January 4, 1925
Death: June 29, 2014

Mona Morgan Gross, born January 4, 1925, in Portland, Maine to William and Laura (Hamilton) Morgan, slipped into eternity on Sunday, June 29, 2014. Mona was a classy, strong-willed, intellectually curious, resilient woman, whose sense of humor and love of fun turned her life of challenges into wonderful adventures. From a rootless childhood lived all over the United States, she joined the war-effort, first by helping build B-17 bombers and later enlisting in the Navy Waves. After WWII, she married Daniel Cole McMartin, Jr. and settled in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she built life-long friendships with other strong women raising children in the 1950’s model. The social turmoil of the 1960’s marked the end of her first marriage, which was followed by marriage to Robert C. Gross. When that marriage ended more than a decade later, she pragmatically went to work as an optician, quickly rising in the ranks to district manager for Service Optical. In retirement she would spend her winters in Anguilla with her best friend, before moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan in her eighties due to declining health. Over the last 9 years of her life she forged new friendships while searching out Grand Rapids’ best restaurants. She loved good food! She had always said what she was most proud of in her life were her five children: Kate Cragwall, Laura Maune, Mary Testa, Cole McMartin III and Lisa Jones. All, but Cole, survive her, along with their spouses, Richard Paschke, Ernest Maune, Ken Testa and Chris Jones. She is also survived by eight cherished grandchildren, Chris Maune, Jack Cragwall, Julia Testa, Olivia, Ethan and Delaney Jones, David Paschke and Elizabeth Van Der Meulen. A memorial service will be held July 19, 2014 at 2:00pm at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Chapel, 3980 Cascade Road. The family will greet visitors one hour prior to the service. Gifts in memory of Mona may be made to the Greater Grand Rapids Chapter of the American Red Cross, 1050 Fuller N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503. The family would like to thank the staffs of Diamond Health and Spectrum Health Hospice for making Mona’s final journey full of wonderful people with loving hearts.

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