After graduating from Hartsburg-Emden High School (the 2006 State Volleyball Champions), Roberta went to work at Sheridan Village Bank in Peoria, Illinois.  In June, 1978, while working at the bank she met Senior Airman Ronald W. Gray of South Bend, Indiana, who was stationed at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois.  Ron was a keyboard player in the Air Force Rock Band "Tyme" and had traveled to Peoria to perform two concerts.  They  were engaged in December, 1978 and married June 2, 1979 at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Emden.

Their first assignment was Chanute Air Force Base, Rantoul, Illinois.  Ron played keyboards with the rock band and Roberta worked as a proof operator at the First National Bank of Rantoul.  During this assignment, Ron traveled to  the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs for an audition with the Air Force Band of the Rockies and was accepted.  So they were off to Colorado in June, 1980.  

While in Colorado, Roberta worked as a teller at the Air Academy National Bank Cadet Facility while Ron was the keyboard player in the Air Force Rock Band "Blue Steel" and the "Falconaires" Jazz Band.  Their daughter, Rebekah Luann, was born April 16, 1982, at the Air Force Academy Hospital. 

After 4 years in Colorado,  Ron, Roberta and Rebekah moved back to Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois.  It was wonderful being close to family again.  Their son, Robert William, was born July 8, 1986.  Ron received orders to Germany and left in October, 1986.  Roberta and the children joined him in January, 1987. 

In Germany, they lived in a small town called Morlautern which was north of Kaiserslautern.  Ron was stationed at Einsiedlerhof Air Force Base, near Ramstein Air Force Base.  The band rehearsed in Glenn Miller Hall.  Ron played for many dignitaries while in Europe.  Rebekah attended Kindergarten at the Montessori School in Einsiedlerhof and first grade at the Department of Defense School on Vogelweh Army Base.

  
The Grays traveled as much as possible, especially when friends and family came to visit.  They toured many castles and even traveled to Emden, Germany.  Roberta's hometown of Emden, Illinois was named after this city that is located on the North Sea.  One of their favorite trips was to East Berlin for Christmas 1988; the year before the Berlin wall came down.  They had to pass through 3 check points to get into East Berlin.  While in East Berlin, the Russian soldiers were their allies.  If they had any problems while in the East, they were to find a Russian soldier to get help.  Each day as they crossed back into West Berlin their car was search to make sure that no one was trying to sneak into the West with them.  The Grays lived in Germany for 3 years and then received orders to Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.  

They moved to Lebanon, IL and lived there for 2 years before moving to Aviston.  The Grays have been in Aviston since January, 1992.  Rebekah was in fourth grade--Aviston was the 5th grade school that she had attended.  Roberta started driving the bus that fall and was employed as a teacher's aide at Aviston Elementary the following year when Robert started 1st grade.  In 1998, Roberta became the Technology Coordinator at the elementary school. 

Ron was the keyboard player for the Band of Mid-America's Jazz Band.  He retired from the Air Force in January, 2003 and Roberta started working another part time job at the Community Bank of Trenton.  Ron has pursued several jobs since his retirement and at the present time he is an orientation representative for Administaff.  As an orientation representative, he travels to many states and meets a lot of people. 

Rebekah graduated in 2000 from  Mater Dei High School and 2004 from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois with a bachelor's degree in Music Education.  Her first teaching position was choir director at Dover Plains Middle School and High School in Dover Plains, New York.  While in New York she became engaged to Jason Long.  Jason was the band director at Dover Plains High School. 

In 2005, Rebekah was hired as the director of bands at Mater Dei High School in Breese, Illinois.  After her arrival in Illinois, Jason was hired as director of bands at Carlyle High School in Carlyle, Illinois. On New Year's Eve, 2005, Rebekah married Jason Long in Emden, Illinois.  They had a beautiful ceremony and reception.  They share their home with 2 spoiled dogs named Miles Davis and Cole Porter.  Rebekah finished her Mater's Degree at the University of Illinois and will graduate in May, 2010.  Jason and Rebekah have taken band director jobs at Webb City High School in Webb City, Missouri.      

Robert graduated in 2005 from Mater Dei High School and is attending St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri, pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering.  He works part-time at The Fox Theatre.  He worked an  8 month co-op with the Monsanto Company in St. Louis, Missouri, which pushed back his graduation date to May, 2010.  He is looking forward to his senior year in college and so are we.