He was born on March 10, 1810, but where? The 1850 census says Ohio. The 1860 and 1870 censuses say Pennsylvania. His wife's gravestone says, she was the wife of James Gray, Jr., so it is likely that was also his father's name. As for his mother, the only clue we have about her is to be found in the 1850 census of Green County, Wisconsin in which a 70-year old woman named Rachel Gray is living with the 9-member James Gray family. She was born in Pennsylvania. She may possibly have been a HOOVER.
When he was 25 years old, he married Mary Hawk in Pike County, Ohio on April 9, 1835. They first had a daughter, Mary Ann, then son, Simeon (born in Jackson County) another son, Nelson, born in 1840.
In 1842 they decided to go to Wisconsin. From census records we know that Mary's brother, Isaac Hawk went too, as well as some of the Hawk and Cutlip relatives. Rachael Gray, James mother (possible widowed shortly before?) went along. They settled in Green County, Wisconsin, in the southeastern corner of the state. The Grays had a total of 10 children.
A picture was taken of James Gray. He was said to be a religious, peace-loving man. He didn't want his sons fighting in the Civil War, and bought their way out. But before the war began, tragedy struck the Gray family. Their mother, Mary Hawk Gray, died on February 12, 1860 - at the age of 49. She was buried in a Cadiz Township Cemetery. There is no "Rachel Gray" listed there. Where would James have buried her mother, after her death? Surely not back in Ohio?
Around 1861, the family moved southwest to Winnashiek County, Iowa. It was there that their daughter, Serelda Jane married Joel Burden Elliott at the end of the Civil War - "on a farm near Postville." His son, Simeon, was also married there in 1865.
Then the family moved to Adair County and son, Nelson, had a store and a farm in the area. However, in the 1870 census, James Gray, 61, is living in Jasper County, Iowa, P.O. Newton, with sons Isaiah, Milton, Franklin, and daughter Melissa. They were farming, and James had $4,000 worth of real estate and $1200 in Personal Property. His sons, Ambrose and Jehu are also listed in Buena Vista Township. His daughter, Serelda had moved to Kansas with her war veteran husband and in 1871, daughter, Mary Ann married a widower in Winnashiek County "at the home of Mr. Hawk/" Surely her father, James, was there.
This is the last we heard of James Gray. He died 30 June 1877. He was buried in "Our Silent City" - a cemetery in Kellogg, Jasper County, Iowa. His daughter, Mary Ann (Andrus) died young in 1879, leaving two young sons behind and she was buried beside him. Later a huge dark gray stone was put up to commenorate their graves.
Comments: Looking for records of Grays, Hawks and Cutlips in Pike, Gallia & Jackson County.
Submitted by Denali Porter
(Anyone can contact this submitter by writing to the society, we will forward information on to the submitter.)
Copyright © 2003
Pike Co. Genealogy Society a Chapter of O.G.S.
P. O. Box 224,
Waverly, Ohio 45690