Ansedel Mary Beatrice Gray

1897-1974

Född 1897-05-01 i Phelps Co, "Ashgrove" Homestead, USA, Nebraska
Död 1974-10-11 i San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, USA, California

Mary Beatrice Gray Född 1897-05-01 i Phelps Co, "Ashgrove" Homestead, USA, Nebraska Död 1974-10-11 i San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, USA, California	F George Barron Gray. Född 1872-06-28 i Ayr, Girvan, Skottland Död 1956-07-13 i Wyandotte Co, Kansas City, USA, Kansas	FF Alexander Fraser Gray. Född i Aberdeen, Skottland Död

		FM Okänd . Död

	M Ida Natalia Johnson. Född 1870-07-16 i Knox Co, Henderson Grove, USA, Illinois Död 1902-01-16 i Allen Co, Iola, USA, Kansas	MF John Johnsson. Född 1831-04-20 i Källeboda nr 105, Jämshög Död 1923-10-02 i Westmark Twp, Phelps, USA, Nebraska	MFF John Christiansson. Född 1794-04-21 i Källeboda nr 105, Jämshög Död 1847-07-16 i Källeboda nr 105, Jämshög
			MFM Nilla Olsdotter. Född 1797-07-27 i Gränum nr 49, Jämshög Död 1854-05-02 i Källeboda nr 105, Jämshög
		MM Karna Svensdotter. Född 1832-03-24 i Nebbeboda, Jämshög Död 1919-12-29 i Holdrege, Phelps, USA, Nebraska	MMF Sven Nilsson. Född 1798-03-23 i Nebbeboda, Jämshög Död 1886-10-28 i Nebbeboda, Jämshög
			MMM Bengta Johnsdotter. Född 1810-04-12 i Västra Kalhult, Osby Död 1881-05-06 i Nebbeboda, Jämshög

Levnadsbeskrivning

Mary Beatrice (Gray) Staley By Lloyd M. Staley (1895-1983) It is
with a feeling of inadequacy that I write this biography of my
wife, Mary Beatrice Gray. Because I have been aske d to write what
I know of her life by some of my grandchildren, I will attempt
this short history, knowing that if I d o n ot, all record will be
lost when I depart from this life and all that will be known will
be the birth, marriage, and dea th records we have of so many of
our ancestors. Mary Beatrice Gray was born on her grandfather John
Johnson's farm near Holdredge, Phelps County, Nebraska, on May 1,
18 97. Her father, George Gray (no middle initial), was born in
Rutherglen, Glasgow, Scotland. He came to this country in 1 892
going directly to Denver, Colorado, as Denver was recommended by a
doctor who thought he probably had tuberculosis ( which was not
the case). Mary's mother, Ida Natalia Johnson, was born in
Galesburg, Illinois, July 16, 1870 and died January 16, 1902, in
Garnett , Kansas, at age 31. (Mary would have been almost five at
the time.) Some time after Ida's death, Mary's father married
Georgia Stewart in Garnett, Kansas. She was always known by my
children as Grandma Gray. Of course they never knew thei r real
grandmother. The Johnson family, Mary's grandparents, emigrated
from Sweden some time before the Civil War. They lived in the
vicinit y of Chicago, Illinois, until moving to Phelps County,
Nebraska, to homestead. They homesteaded 160 acres and had 160 mo
re acres known as a timber claim. They could prove up on this
timber claim by planting a certain number of trees. George and Ida
were married in Perry, Kansas, on May 1, 1896. The varied
locations for these important events need som e explanation.
George Gray was an itinerant preacher for the group known as
Plymouth Brethren. He went from Denver to Ho ld redge, Nebraska,
where he met Ida. I do not know how long he was there nor why they
were married in Perry, Kansas. Onl y that he was having meetings
in a small assembly there. A sod house The couple went back to
Nebraska and lived in a sod house on the timber claim of Ida's
father. They were living there wh en Mary was born. She was born
at her parent's home, not in the sod house, as was her brother
Robert later. The family lived in several places in Nebraska. Mary
started school in Nebraska and I have heard her say she could
remem ber walking to school between snow banks as high as her
head. Later they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where her father
was employed as a designer of bank furniture. I recall Mar y
telling of being in a school play depicting the midnight ride of
Paul Revere. This school was in the northeast distric t of Kansas
City. The family lived in Kansas City several years as Mary
started high school at Westport High School. They were living in t
he south part of the city near 57th and Swope Parkway. She went to
and from school by riding the streetcars. No school b uses in
those times. In 1914, the family moved to Ottawa, Kansas, where
her father was manager of a bank furniture factory. This was in
Mary' s junior year in high school and where we first met. Mary, a
journalist?In 1918, the family moved back to Kansas City and Mary
took a job as reporter for a number of trade m agazines. The man
for whom she worked, a Mr. Brown, called his firm the Kansas City
News Service. They had their offic e in the old Railway Exchange
building at 7th and Grand Avenues. She was working there when we
were married but, as the custom was in those days, she did not
work there anymore after w e were married. We were married at her
home (5409 Cleveland Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri) on September
15, 1920. We lived in Kansas Cit y in the same house built by her
father (but not owned by him at that time). We moved to my parents
farm near Wellsville , Kansas, in 1923. From this time on we were
a family of our own and all other events of our lives are recorded
in the a ccount I have written of my own life. A higher
callingMary Beatrice Gray went to be with our Lord on October 11,
1974. We had fifty-four years of married lif e and I believe that
we both would say they were good years. Times were
sometimesdifficult but we faced our difficultie s together and we
re strengthened because of them. After we moved to California in
1962, life was considerably easier for both of us an d I believe
Mary really enjoyed her more relaxed lifestyle. Now we are waiting
the Home call when we shall be together again. "The dead in Christ
shall arise first, then we which a re alive shall be caught up
together to meet the Lord in the air. Then we shall forever be
together with Him." Halleluja h.

Relationer och barn

Gift 1920-09-15 i USA, Missouri, Kansas City
Lloyd Maywood Staley.
Född 1895-09-10 i Franklin Co, USA, Kansas
Död 1983-12-15 i San Louis Obispo Co, Atascadera, USA, California

Framställd 2025-09-21 med hjälp av Disgen version 2025.