Ethel Vivian Gross, 98, went to meet her Lord on August 24, 2012, in Springfield, Missouri. She was born on August 8, 1914 in Detroit, Michigan to Harold Clinton and Francis Mildred Riggs. Ethel grew up in Port Huron, Michigan where she met the Love of her life, Lawrence Ellis Gross, her husband of 58 years. Preceding her in death were her parents, husband, two children, Gary Richard and Margaret Roberta and two brothers; Donald William Riggs and Robert Harold Riggs.
In mid-life she and their three children followed her husband to Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri and then ministered at several churches in Michigan. After ministering in Michigan, she and her husband moved to Springfield, Missouri and worked at the General Council of the Assemblies of God. In retirement she and her husband lived in Florida.
Ethel enjoyed collecting things – – from embroidery thread to knitting yarn, from hand made handkerchiefs to collector dolls and clothes. Never did she receive a picture or card but it would be carefully stored for future review and she knew exactly where each was placed. On her 90th birthday she received 80 cards and made a special scrap book for the occasion. When her husband died in 1991, she wrote a biography of their life together and prepared a copy, complete with pictures, for each grandchild.
Surviving Ethel are her brother, Richard (Geri) Riggs; three children, James Lawrence (Mary Corine) Gross of Springfield, Missouri, John Arthur (Rosemary) Gross of Carmel, Indiana and Janet Dotson of Willard Missouri; six grandchildren, -Rebecca (John) Snook of Ash Grove, Missouri, Shelley Gross of Springfield, Missouri, Clint (Kathy) Gross of Springfield, Missouri, Marc (Alana) Dotson of Wichita, Kansas, Jennifer Gross of Kiev, Ukraine and Timothy Gross of Indianapolis, Indiana; three great grandchildren (another one due in February) and five great-great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m., Monday, August 27, 2012 in Greenlawn Funeral Home North. Services and burial will be held on Friday at Lakeside Cemetery in Port Huron, Michigan.