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John Ray
JOHN RAY, came to his present home in Burrell township, Armstrong county,
in 1868, forty six years ago, and with the exception of five years spent at
Leechburg has resided there ever since. He is a native of Germany, born Jan.
8, 1835, in Hessen- Darmstadt, son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Steiger) Ray. His
grandparents were also of German birth.Jacob Ray, the father, came to this country when his son John was a small
boy, and upon landing went at once to Pittsburgh, Pa., then to Westmoreland
county, where he remained for a short time. From there he moved to Armstrong
county, where he bought a farm, and his grandchildren still own one farm which
he bought and work another. He had two sons and one daughter.John Ray was given such advantages as the various places in which the
family lived during his boyhood afforded, and he was a farmer throughout his
active years, now living retired. He had 120 acres. He is a man universally
respected and esteemed in his neighborhood, and has served as supervisor of
his township, to which office he was elected on the Republican ticket.On March 23, 1861, Mr. Ray was married to Jane George, who was born April
5, 1844, daughter of John and Nancy (Baker) George, farming people of
Armstrong county, and granddaughter of Peter and Anna (Reichard) George, and
of Peter and Pricilla (McAwley) Baker, all of Westmoreland county. Both her
grandfathers, Peter George and Peter Baker were Germans. The former was a
soldier in the war of the Revolution and also served during the Indian
troubles in Westmoreland county, and received a pension for his services.
Pricilla McAwley was a daughter of John McAwley, and was of Irish decent. John
and Nancy (Baker) George had a family of twelve children. Mr. and Mrs. Ray
have had a family of sixteen children, nine sons and seven daughters, namely:
Elizabeth, married Samuel Riffer, and died at the age of twenty-seven years;
Emma is the wife of Jonas Heckman, and has had seven children (they live in
Westmoreland county); William Albert died in 1887, aged twenty- three years;
Harvey died in childhood; Jacob Perry who lives in Wheeling, W. Va., married
Sarah Klingensmith, of Armstrong county, and has had six children, John Martin
who lives in Westmoreland county, married Ida Swank and has had seven
children; Malinda Jane is married to Jacob Keppler, of Parks township, this
county (they have no children); Edward lives in Wheeling; Clarence Wilmer is
married to Emma Wilson, of Armstrong county, and they have had four children;
Nancy married Jim Myers, of Gilpin township, and they have three children;
Renie died when two years old; Oscar died when thirteen years old; Mary died
when eleven years old; Barton Grover is a stationery engineer at Wheeling, W.
Va.; one child died a few hours after birth; George Elmer died when three
years old. Renie, Oscar, Mary and George Elmer died within a month of
Diphtheria. The family are Lutherans in religious connection, attending the
Brick Church in Burrell township.Source: Page 904, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed November 1998 by Nanci Michalkiewicz for the Armstrong County
Beers Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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