Judiah Ray

RAY, BELCHER, COUGHENOUR, KEEFE, WOTEN, WHITE, SUTHERLAND, THORNTON, MCCORD, MEYER, GAMBLE, POWERS

Posted By: Deborah Gilbert (email)
Date: 9/9/2016 at 15:42:25

Maxwell Book: 1883-1983

Judiah Ray, son of Samuel and Marie Ray, was born October 1, 1823 in Ohio.

When Judiah was twelve years old his father died and he took charge of the family and was the main support of his widowed mother and younger brothers and sisters. He was first employed by an uncle driving an ox team in the construction of the Ohio canal. He had one dollar saved when he decided to take a wife. The young bride was Clara Ann Belcher, who was born in Virginia, January 18, 1821. With his one dollar saved, he gave it to the Justice of the Peace and they were married in Indiana on March 2, 1844. The kind Justice in turn gave the dollar to the bridge as a token of good luck. With this capital of one dollar they began their domestic life. Good luck indeed did follow and in 1851 he brought his family to Pella, Iowa. In 1852 he moved onto Story County. With 700 dollars he had saved be bought land near Iowa Center. As soon as he saved more, he brought his mother and sister to Iowa. He died July 2, 1907, having overcome the hardships and privations he was forced to endure on the frontier and is remembered as a successful and respected pioneer. His wife, Clara Ann died March 21, 1896. Both are buried in the Iowa Center Cemetery. He and Clara Ann Belcher Ray had fourteen children with the following surviving past infancy: Archibald, Jacob, John, Samuel, Judiah 'Jed,' Clara, Sarah and Etta.

Archibald's children were Ida (married Sam Coughenour), Charles (married Maude Keefe and later Cora Woten), Andy and Artie.

Jacob married Lulu White and their children were Alice 'Allie' (married Frank Sutherland), Carrie (married Frank Thornton), and Nellie (married George Coughenour).

John married Mary McCord and their children are William (married Mattie Coughenour and later Carrie Meyer), Fred (married Vera Gamble), Rosa (married William Gamble), Blanche (married Frank Powers), Dwight (married Leota Meyers), and Mabel (married George Gamble).

(Information only provided for Judiah & Clara Ann Belcher Ray's children named Archibald, Jacob & John.)