Asia Day Marie Gray, 28, met an untimely death Dec. 12, 2007, in Kalispell.

Asia was born Sept. 25, 1979, in St. Ignatius to Jack and Jane Whiting. Jack and Jane brought their second daughter home to the family home in Big Arm, where she resided until she was married.

Asia was raised along with her older sister, Ann, on a farm with goats, chickens and ponies. She owned her first real horse when she was 13, and from that time on was determined to be a horsewoman. She spent her summers galloping bareback through the hills with her cousins and around Flathead Lake to see her grandparents. She loved to be outdoors in every season.

After much study and reflection, Asia decided to dedicate her life to Jehovah God. She symbolized this by baptism on July 7, 1990. She was a poet, a dreamer, and a thoughtful and loyal friend to all who knew her. Asia attended Polson schools and graduated in June 1997.

A lifelong dream was realized for Asia when she married her best friend, Loren James Gray, of Bigfork in a festive and beautiful wedding May 29, 1998 in Creston. Loren is the second son of David and Dee Gray, and they welcomed her into their family as if she were one of their daughters.

Asia and Loren were partners in many adventures, including annual fishing trips to Alaska and Mexico, pack trips in the mountains of Montana and vacations in Hawaii. Loren gave Asia wings, and her talents flourished in their time together. She had the ability to create anything: carpentry, native beadwork, baskets, painting, sushi, vintage Volkswagens, a beautiful barn and beautiful photographs.

She was self-employed as a horse trainer and helped her dad with his Polson storage business. Loren and Asia were generous hosts and made their friends welcome and comfortable. Asia was tenacious and feisty and beautiful in the most natural, unaffected way. She grew more beautiful every year. She deeply loved her horses and worked hard to communicate with them. This love and her natural talent combined to make her an effective horse trainer. She knew the freedom and power of being a rider. She was capable of packing into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, backpacking through Ecuador and working in New York City with ease and style. Asia was a frequent participant in barrel races, hunter-jumper shows and Indian relay races throughout Montana.

Asia dearly missed her mother, Jane, who passed away in March 2007. She looked forward to seeing Jane in the resurrection as promised in John 5:28,29. We also eagerly anticipate our future reunion with Asia and Jane on the Earth under much better conditions than we experience now.

Revelation 21:4 says, "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away." Asia's captivating smile was as constant and genuine as the daily sunrise.

She is survived by her husband, Loren Gray; father, Jack Whitin; sister, Ann Whiting; and numerous great-aunts and uncles, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces and in-laws in the Flathead Valley and Flathead Indian Reservation and Pacific Northwest.

She was preceded in death by paternal grandparents, Don and Elva (Crockett) Whiting; and maternal grandparents, Walter and Gladys Jo (Lozar) Fouty; and mother, Jane Mildred (Fouty) Whiting.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, 2007, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Polson, on U.S. 93 south of Polson.

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Asia's family. You are invited to go to www.johnsonmortuary.com to offer condolences and sign Asia's guest book.