Roylynn Jane Brundage

Roylynn Brundage

Roylynn Jane Brundage, Unionville, Missouri, passed on to her heavenly home on June 20, 2009 at the age of 79.
Roylynn (Gray) Brundage was born on February 9, 1930 to Mary (Johnson) Gray and Jay Gray near Unionville. Roylynn attended country schools around the Unionville area. At age 16, she ended her formal education and began work at Ross Produce Company in Unionville. During her early adult years, she also worked at Yount’s Café.
Roylynn married Robert Brundage on October 27, 1954 in Unionville. This marriage lasted over 50 years until the death of her husband in October, 2007. Roylynn and Bob began this union on a farm near Lucerne, Missouri. They remained in farming until moving to Unionville in the late 1970’s. The couple worked together at Baxter Box Company in Centerville, Iowa and also at McGraw-Edison in that city.
Roylynn began working at the Putnam County Care Center in Unionville as the activities director. While there she became a well-respected and popular member of the staff. She remained in that position until her retirement, volunteering at the center after that for a number of years.
Robert preceded Roylynn in death on October 24, 2007. She was also preceded in death by her father, Jay Allen Gray, mother, Mary Magdalene Gray, sister, Enid Elizabeth Gray, sister, Valdean Womack, and a niece, Patricia (Gray) Slater. Roylynn is survived by two brothers, Joe Clayton Gray and his wife Lucille of Newnan, Georgia and Jack Lee Gray and his wife Reba of Altoona, Florida. She is also survived by a sister, Donna (Gray) Dixon and her husband, Shelby, a nephew, Orv Spence and his wife, Ricee, of Johnston, Iowa. Orval was raised in the home and Roylynn felt he was like a brother to her and her siblings. Also surviving are nieces Judy (Womack) McDonald, Debbie (Gray) Horne, Rhonda (Gray) Locklear, Beth (Gray) Donaldson and nephews Dennis Gray and Bill Womack, as well as many great and great/great nieces and nephews, of which she was so fond.
Roylynn made friends easily and kept them for a lifetime. People found that she was always the person that they could count on for anything-- all you needed to do was ask. Her generosity of her time and resources was immeasurable and Roylynn never expected anything in return, a testament to her nature of service to others. Although she and Robert never had children of their own, they were always considered by family youngsters to be surrogate parents and were never too busy to spend time with them, playing games, going places and entertaining. She never forgot a birthday, even when the family tribe reached quite a number of members.
Roylynn enjoyed the simple pleasures of her life. She was a competitive game player and never tired of “mixing it up” with her fellow players in a good-natured way. She was fun, caring and a friend to all. Roylynn made quilts for people, and she was proud that they looked forward to being the next honored recipient of her art talents and creative skills.
Roylynn accepted Jesus Christ as her savior and became an integral part of Broadlawn Baptist Church in Unionville. Her respect for her pastor and fellow Christians was a tribute to her faith in God. In the end, it was surely her faith that kept her strong. Her leadership in her family was her strong sense of realism, tempered with optimism and forgiveness. She will always be remembered in that way.
Funeral services for Roylynn will be at Playle and Jones Family Funeral Home on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. with visitation on Wednesday, June 24th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Interment will be in the Unionville Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Broadlawn Baptist Church and may be entrusted to Playle and Jones Family Funeral Home, 709 S. 27th, Unionville, MO, 63565.