Lorena Neeley Grambling

Posted on November 13, 2026

Lorena Neeley Grambling died on Oct. 31, 2026 in Perry at the age of 71.

A lifelong resident of Perry, Lorena was born on Nov. 7, 1954 to Evelyn Raulerson Neeley of Perry, and Lowell Clarence Neeley, originally from Kentucky.

In 1973 she married Dean Grambling and together they welcomed and raised three children: Jennifer, Kevin and Erin Grambling.

At the time of her death, she was a longstanding and valued employee of Ware Oil Company.

Lorena will be enormously missed by those who knew and loved her.

It’s always hard to lose someone, but it’s especially hard given the suddenness of her passing, when we are surrounded by reminders that she expected to be with us now – recipes she’d printed and never got to try; seeds she’d planted that are just now beginning to sprout; packages she’d ordered that arrived too late.

She was looking forward to a Veterans’ Day ceremony honoring her father.

She was already making plans for the holiday season, and must have been looking forward very much to Christmas with her young great-grandson.

Several times a day, we all find ourselves momentarily thinking we need to tell her something, or show her something or send her a picture, before we realize.

While we grieve for the time and the future that we won’t get to have with her, we also take comfort in the memory of who she was.

Lorena loved books and was always reading one. She also enjoyed watching British murder mystery series.

In recent years she developed a keen interest in gardening and canning. Her family and friends have received many gifts of homemade jams, jellies and pickles.

She was already starting to work on this year’s batch of canned and pickled Christmas gifts.

She never sought attention for herself. She shied from the camera. But from the sidelines she made sure everyone was taken care of, whether it was by doing improvement projects around the Elks Lodge with her husband, volunteering her time and service at events like Breakfast with Santa, or buying Secret Santa gifts for kids who otherwise might not have had anything.

If she ever knew of something you liked, she would be sure to give it to you or have it for you. Sometimes the quietest people leave the most deafening silences.

In addition to her parents, Lorena was preceded in death by her brother, Benny Neeley.

She is survived by: her husband; her three children; her son-in-law, Joe Sadler; her grandchildren, Ben Sadler (and his wife Lindsey) and Gabe Sadler; her great-grandchildren, Whitley Sadler, Bryer Vaughn, Trenton Vaughn and Emerson Vaughn; and her brother, Tommy Neeley and sister-in-law Earline Neeley.

While not one of her survivors in the most traditional sense, we can’t leave out her yellow Labrador, Benny, the dog she claimed to only “like a little,” but on whom she absolutely doted. She never went shopping without bringing home a new toy for him.

She leaves behind many more who loved her dearly. Our beautiful mother will never be far from our thoughts and forever in our hearts.