Joseph Sylvester Gray of Gray Station and Brownsville PA
I am looking for the parents and other ancestors of Joseph Sylvester Gray born: October 1839, married to Jemima A. Dusenbery in 1896, children: Lilia M. Gray (b. July 1897), Joseph W. Gray (b. 10 Nov 1899) and Nellie (E) Gray (b. 7 Dec 1904). The family lived in Brownsville PA until 1901 when they moved to Gray Station PA. They purchased the farm of John D. Gray after his death, from John's son Peter, and Peter's wife Emma. I don't know how these families were related.
My father often mentioned an "Uncle Isreal" but that may be Joseph's brother, Joseph's uncle, or even Joseph's father. there are many Johns, Peters, Isreals, and Josephs in the 1850 census including two Josephs born in 1839! I am having trouble sorting them out.
Joseph gray worked his way from Pennsylvania to California laying telegraph lines, and made his fortune there in gold dust.
This Gray family would have come from England, because Joseph was once contacted about claiming an estate in England. His response was "I didn't leave anything in England, and I'm not going back for anything." He was not the original immigrant of my line. I have always been told that our gray line can be traced back to the "Mayflower", but no one has ever told me how. Also, I am supposed to be related distantly to the author Zane Grey. Again, I don't know the link, but my grandmother (Joseph's daughter Nellie) named one of her sons "Zane Gray Shoaf"
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Eric Shoaf.
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Re: Joseph Sylvester Gray of Gray Station and Brownsville PA
Tim Gruber 12/31/10