Person:Gravenor Bailey (1)

Gravener Finlaw Bailey was born in Greenwood Twp., Crawford Co. Pennsylvania. His father was a Farmer. When he was 24 years old, he married Hulda Matilda Bailey who was born in Trumbull Co., Ohio. The couple started their marriage in Ohio and later moved to Meadville, PA. Gravener's oldest sister, Mary and her husband, and a younger sister, Hannah Melissa had moved to Peck, Kansas about 1884. From the records that have been found, Gravener purchased land from someone who had made the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 and did not, for unknown reasons complete the homestead. Gravener filed and completed the homestead which consisted of 154 58/100 acres. These acres are located on the Southeast corner of what is now the corner of Reno and Hiwasee in Oklahoma City. On May 1, 1901 Gravener and his wife Hulda sold the land to John F. Stewart for $1,000.

After Gravener and Hulda retired they lived in a house built and owned by their son Alton. Their youngest son, Rella left his first wife and moved in with his parents. Alton disapproved of Rella leaving his first family, and the two brothers argued. This led to Rella taking his parents and leaving, moving back to the Peck and Wichita Kansas area. According to his Grand-daughter, Doris Hobson, Rella's first wife ran around with other men and he wouldn't live with her for that reason. For some years the rest of the family did not know where their parents were. After the parents died, Alton and Rella made up. According to Ellen Louise (Bailey) Gresson, Grand-daughter of Gravener, she stated that she does not remember too much about her Grandparents, due to the fact that she was quite young when they left the area, but did remember that her Grandfather, Gravener one time braided some beads together to make some kind of puzzle with and it was in a dresser drawer for years. Doris Hobson, Rella's Grand-daughter said that if her Grandmother, Hulda liked you, everything was fine, but if she didn't like you, when you left she would get out a broom and begin sweeping behind you, to let you know that yo were not welcome back.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T624).