In loving memory of
Dr. Daniel L. Bray
November 30, -0001
Rosary at 4:30 p.m.
Prayer service at 7:00 p.m.
Daniel Langon Bray, retired Algona physician died at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Rob and Barb Bray, Wednesday, January 7, 2004, in West Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 87.
He is survived by his eight children: Elizabeth Bray Kenney and Patricia Bray of Anchorage, Alaska; Daniel Bray Jr. of Iowa City, Iowa; Mary Bray of Winter Park, Florida; Michael Bray of Iowa City, Iowa; William Bray of Washington, D.C.; Robert Bray of West Des Moines, Iowa, and Richard Bray of Scottsdale, Arizona; eight grandchildren, Anastasia, Christina and Catherine Kenney; Daniel, Nicholas and Eliza Bray; Robbie and Caleb Bray. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mary Phyllis Bray, on February 12, 1989; brother, Thomas Bray; two sisters, Miriam Dowd formerly of Longview, Florida; Anastasia Sebus formerly of Kansas City, Missouri.
Daniel Langon Bray was born July 4, 1916 in Sigourney, Iowa, to John Farrell Bray and Anastasia Kelly Bray, he was one of five children. His mother died in the 1918 Spanish Influenza Epidemic. In 1928 the family moved to Olmito, Texas, buying a dairy farm where Daniel drove a milk delivery truck at age 14.
In 1935 he hitchhiked to Iowa City, Iowa, and worked his way through college, earning his Medical Degree in 1943. There he met Mary Phyllis Delmore, a medical social worker from Roseau, Minnesota. They married August 23, 1943 in Badger, Minnesota.
He cut short his internship to enlist in World War II, obtaining the rank of Captain. Dr. Bray was appointed company commander of a medical collecting company, 303 Medical Battalion in the 78th Infantry Division under General Edwin P. Parker, treating wounded on the front lines in Belgium and Germany.
Captain Bray came back to 9 month old twin girls in 1946. He put aside plans for a hand surgery residency to begin practicing as a physician and surgeon in Bottineau, North Dakota. In 1950 he came to Algona taking over the practice of Dr. Robert Lee. Other physicians practicing at that time were Drs. Kenefick, Bourne, Schutter, Koob, and Rooney.
The Bray Clinic was built in 1962 and a large part of its value was donated to Kossuth County upon retirement. During his medical career he delivered 4,000+ babies, made numerous house calls and served as County Medical Examiner for 13 years. He semi-retired in 1984 and fully retired in 2000.