2014-08-03
I learned from The Blakes of Bibb County, Alabama by Chester R. Johnson, pub. 1988, that Ross Franklin Gray (#43217, p. 59, Blakes of Bibb County) and our mother were 3rd Cousins.

She never knew him but her mother's siblings (Aunt Myrt, Aunt Pearl, uncle Rufus, Uncle Ernest, and Aunt Lillie Blake), all went to school with Ross's, Dad's 1st Cousin, Winnie Blake (#4334, pg.64) who sadly hung herself after her husband, Fred J. Ballenger died suddenly when he dropped dead on a golf course in January 1947.

I found this old 1911 Primary School "annual" that must have belonged to my Aunt Lillie.  I say that because her son, Grady, wrote her birthdate and his beside her name, "Born 10/23/23 --> Grady Warren my mother Lillie Blake born Aug 17--1902."

The tiny little book was a photostatic copy of the original Cousin Grady must have given my mother probably after Aunt Lillie died in 1987.  I seem to recall mother showing it to about then.

So what does this have to do with Ross Franklin Gray?  When I was going through the little book, I recognized the names of my grandmother's siblings: Myrt, Pearl, Rufus, Ernest, and Lillie.  I'd never heard of Winnie Blake.  Chester R. Johnson to the rescue!  He was a distant Blake cousin, archaeologist, and excellent family researcher who wrote the book, The Blakes of Bibb County in 1988.

I found Winnie on page 64 where I learned that she hung herself after her husband died suddenly while playing golf.  Sad story, but as I was thumbing past previous pages to learn about poor Winnie, I saw half a page dedicated to Ross Franklin Gray.  "Who's he?", I thought.  I knew some Grays from where we used to live in Woodstock near Bibb County, Alabama.  My kids went to school with some of them.  I worked with one of them.  There's a community called "Gray Hill" near where my kids grew up.  How was I to know we're related?  But we are -- distantly.  Here's a chart showing that relationship down to my mother's generation.



		   Archibald Henry Blake, Sr.
			   (1795-1874)
				|
		_________________________________
		|				|
	Archibald Henry Blake, Jr.	Marion Alonzo Blake
	(1824-1892)			(1846-1922)
		|				|
	Theodocia Blake			Joseph Benjamin Blake
	(1859-1888)			(1869-1947)
		|				|
	Benjamin Franklin Gray		Lela Oney Blake
	(1879-1966)			(1905-1942)
		|				|
	Ross Franklin Gray		Doris Virginia Warren
	(1920-1945)			(1924-2001)
	MOH Recipient Iwo Jima
	Ordained Methodist. Min.
	(Johnson p. 59)