Anna Mae Negray

  Anna Mae Negray, 96, of Streator passed away Wednesday, June 28 at Heritage Health Therapy and Senior Care in Streator. 

  Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 A.M. July 6 at St. Michael the Archangel Church, Streator.  Soloist will be Chelsea Negray, accompanied by Nancy Mueller.

  Visitation will be from 9-11 A.M. Thursday, July 6 at the Solon Telford Funeral Home.  The rosary will be recited at 8:30 A.M.

  Burial will be in St. Stephen’s Cemetery.  Pallbearers will be Steve Gallick, Chris Gallick, Troy Negray, Tim Negray, Dave Wargo and Larry Wargo. 

  She was a member of the former St. Stephen’s Church and was a current member of St. Michael the Archangel Church.

  She was born on January 2, 1927, the oldest of 4 children of Stephen J. and Anna (Micklos) Wargo.  She married Robert (Ray) Negray on May 7, 1949.  He preceded her in death on May 24, 2000.

  She is survived by her daughter, Rosanne Gallick of Streator; son, Ken (Theresa) Negray of Princeton, KY, grandchildren Steven Gallick, of Gridley, Christopher Gallick, of Santa Clara, CA, and Chelsea Negray of Memphis, TN.  Also surviving are great granddaughters, Lily Rose and Grace Gallick; sisters-in-law, Barb Wargo of Streator, and Marilyn Wargo of Dunlap.  Many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews also survive, as well as her beloved family pet Sparky.

  Anna Mae was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, John and Edward, sister, Maryann (Paul) Klein, and son-in-law, Jim Gallick.  She was the last of her immediate family.

  Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, she worked as a bookkeeper at John and Joe Florist, later being employed at Streator National Bank.  She began her career there as a teller, then worked her way to becoming an administrative assistant, retiring in December, 1987.

  She loved spending time with friends and family, especially her grandchildren, attending many baseball games both locally and throughout Illinois. She was a “train watching” grandma who knew the various rail cars that constantly rumbled past her house every day on a regular basis.  She enjoyed the scenic trips to Kentucky to attend musicals, sports activities, and other events in which she was happy to participate.  She was a loyal Cubs fan who faithfully watched the games, and proudly displayed the “Win” flag after a victory.

  She was an excellent cook and baker, preparing tasty meals and desserts for picnics, family gatherings, and any other time a party was being planned.  Family members were appreciative of the specialty cakes she made for birthdays and other special events.  She canned many fruits and vegetables from garden produce.  When all of this got to be too much, her favorite party meal was pizza, washed down with a cold beer, and rocky road ice cream for dessert.

  She enjoyed her time with the ladies of the St. Stephen’s/St. Michael’s Altar and Rosary Society Bakers, who were affectionately known as the “holy rollers,” making delicious Slovak pastries and goodies for Christmas and Easter celebrations.

  Before the organizations disbanded, she was the treasurer of the Altar and Rosary Society of her church, and a member of the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary.  She was also the financial secretary of the Junior Branch of the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association.  In April, 2017, she humbly accepted an award presented by the National Council of Catholic Women given by the Diocese of Peoria and St. Michael Church.  Until recently, she volunteered her time at the former St. Mary’s Hospital.

  Anna Mae lived a good, full life, she loved her family, her friends, and her faith and she will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

  Memorials may be directed to St. Michael the Archangel Church, St. Michael the Archangel School, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.solontelford.com

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