Family:John Gray and Elizabeth Harrell (1)

John Almon(d ?) was born 25 May 1834 in Monroe County Tennessee, the son of William Michael Gray and Mary “Polly” Cross. Little is known of the family in Tennessee except that William and Polly are shown on the 1830 Census for Monroe County with a daughter in an age bracket of their only child at that time, Elizabeth. Then they are found on the 1850 and 1860 censuses in DeKalb County, Alabama. John married Loretta Jane Keith on 17 January 1921 in DeKalb, Alabama according to a family Bible of their oldest son William Rufus Gray.

John enlisted in the confederate army about June 12, 1862 at Caperton’s Ferry (DeKalb County) in the 18 Battalion, Alabama Volunteers, Company A as a Private. His battalion was later merged with the 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. He served under Captain G E Cowan for two years and was present at the battle of Chickamauga Creek. Please see the following article for additional information on this battle and on John’s confederate service:

After the war, John returned to live in Dade County Georgia right across from DeKalb Co Alabama where he is found on the 1870 census in the Georgia Militia District 1129 with his wife Loretta and five children: Buchannan, William Rufus, Nancy, Sarah, Mollie and John. Loretta died 11 Jan 1878 and it is not known where she is buried.

He is found on the 1880 census back in DeKalb County, Alabama shown as a widower living with daughters Nancy and Mary and son John. On 14 August 1883, John married his second wife, Isabella (Ibey) Jane Howell. They had two sons, Charles and Tom Nelson Gray. On the 1910 U. S. Census for DeKalb, Alabama Ibey, even though she was 35 when they married, shows that she is only the mother of two children.

John filed for a Confederate pension from the state of Alabama on 28 May 1907. It appears from file documents that he had a problem proving his age and the law at the time required you to be above 70 years to draw the pension. It took him 7 years to finally produce a family Bible record proving his birth and age. He was able to get his confederate pension on 2 June 1914. The file does not say how much he drew.

They lived in the Fort Payne, Alabama area [When he died he lived on Rt. 1, Ft Payne.] in DeKalb County until his death on 7 January 1921. Ibey died 8 April 1929. They are both buried in Fischer Cemetery, 1-1/2 miles east of Fort Payne on Hwy 35, then 2-1/2 miles N.E. of Hwy 89, which is now in Fort Payne city limits.

1. ↑ J. A. Gray to Miss I. J. Harrell, in DeKalb Co Marriages Vol 1 1836-1916, Book C Page 289
   August 14, 1883.
2.   DeKalb, Alabama, United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T9)
   p 565B, ED 54, Roll 12.

   John Gray, Township 6, Range 9, age 45, farmer, widower, b. Alabama, mother and father born in Tennessee
   Nancy Gray, age 22, daughter
   Mary Gray, age 18
   John Gray, age 16

3.   DeKalb, Alabama, United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T623)
   Roll T623_14, p 10A.

   John A Gray, Enumeration District 66, b. May 1834, TN, 66, married 17 years
   Ibbie J Gray, b. Apr 1848, age 52, AL, married 17 years, mother of 2 children
   Charles F Gray, b. Dec 1884, age 15, AL, single
   Thomas W Gray, b. July 1886, age 13, AL, single

4.   DeKalb, Alabama, United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration Publication T624)
   Roll T624-12, p 8B.

   John A Gray, Enumeration District 50, Fischers Mill, b. abt 1835, TN
   John A Gray, age 75, Iby J Gray, age 59, Charles F Gray, age 25, Thomas N Gray, age 23

5.   Minnie Treadaway Letter. (Family Letter).