Descendants of Sterling S. Condray

 

Compiled and Submitted by Libby Clay

lclay12212@cs.com

 

 

Generation No. 1

 

1.  STERLING S.1 CONDRAY was born 1811 in Virginia.  He met (1) LOUVICIE PATTERSON.  She was born June 22, 1815 in Sale Creek, Rhea County, Tennessee, and died February 11, 1892 in Calhoun County, Alabama.  He married (2) MARTHA UNKNOWN. 

 

Notes for LOUVICIE PATTERSON:

From Family Tree and Biography of Robert Patterson by J.A.N. Patterson

 

Louvicie Patterson was born in 1815 and married Valentine Bice, son of Wm. Bice, a pioneer settler, and imigrated to Georgia and settled in the town of Layfayette, to whom were born Wm. Wallace Bice, Ann and Mary Bice.  Wm. W. Bice died in St. Elmo, had no children, Miss Mary and Ann are living in Oklahoma when last heard from, their parents having died in the 70s.

         

Child of STERLING CONDRAY and LOUVICIE PATTERSON is:

2.                   i.     ISRAEL ALONZO2 CONDRAY, b. March 05, 1833, Tennessee; d. August 06, 1872, Hamilton County, Tennessee.

 

         

Children of STERLING CONDRAY and MARTHA UNKNOWN are:

                      ii.     DIANA2 CONDRAY, b. 1834.

                     iii.     JANE CONDRAY, b. 1840.

 

 

Generation No. 2

 

2.  ISRAEL ALONZO2 CONDRAY (STERLING S.1) was born March 05, 1833 in Tennessee, and died August 06, 1872 in Hamilton County, Tennessee.  He married AMANDA JANE PENDERGRASS Abt. 1854 in Tennessee.  She was born November 1830 in Tennessee, and died 1905 in Etowah County, Alabama (Gum Springs)(Hopewell Cemetery).

 

Notes for ISRAEL ALONZO CONDRAY:

He was called Alonzo.  His occupation was cabinet maker.  He served in the Civil War and did not live many years after his return home.  The Yankees burned the home of he and his family during the Civil War.

Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Tennessee, National Archives Microfilm M268

 

Israel A. Condray

M268, Roll 261

Pvt., Capt. Thomas R. Mitchell's Co., 5 Regt. TN Volunteers.  Enlisted Dec. 11, 1862 at Chattanooga, by Capt. Mitchell, for three years of the war.  Age 29, blue eyes, black hair, dark complexion.  Born Hamilton County, TN, residence the same.  Farmer.  Present Oct-Dec. 1862.  Absent Mar-Apr 1863, detailed as a carpenter at Tullahoma Mar 26,1863 by Brig. Gen. Johnson.  Absent on Muster roll Dec. 1863 shows "absent sick (wounded) at residence of L. Gardenshire since Sept. 20/63."  Same on rolls of Jan-Feb, 1864, Mar-Apr. 1864.  No other entries.

 

Notes for AMANDA JANE PENDERGRASS:

I have a note that says that she was 84 when she died.  That would make he death 1914 or 1915.

         

Children of ISRAEL CONDRAY and AMANDA PENDERGRASS are:

3.                   i.     JOHN WOODFORD3 CONDRAY, b. January 18, 1867, Hamilton County, Tennessee; d. April 06, 1930, Etowah County, Alabama ( Hokes Bluff Cemetery).

4.                  ii.     STERLING STEPHEN CONDRAY, b. June 1862, Hamilton County, Tennessee; d. November 01, 1928, Etowah County,  Alabama.

5.                 iii.     WILLIAM ASA CONDRAY, b. May 1872, Hamilton County, Tennessee; d. Etowah County, Alabama.

                     iv.     THOMAS CONDRAY, b. 1857.

6.                  v.     MARY L.(MOLLIE) CONDRAY, b. 1858, Hamilton County, Tennessee.

                     vi.     ANNA E. CONDRAY, b. 1855, Hamilton County, Tennessee; m. R.B. GOODEN, November 22, 1880, Calhoun County, Alabama.

 

Notes for ANNA E. CONDRAY:

Married by Rev. W.W. Coleman.

 

                    vii.     PERLOMA CONDRAY, b. 1863.

7.               viii.     ELLEN RHODA CONDRAY, b. March 03, 1868, Hamilton County, Tennessee; d. February 15, 1918, St. Clair County, Alabama (Palmeto Creek Buried at Hopewell Cemetery.

 

 

Generation No. 3

 

3.  JOHN WOODFORD3 CONDRAY (ISRAEL ALONZO2, STERLING S.1) was born January 18, 1867 in Hamilton County, Tennessee, and died April 06, 1930 in Etowah County, Alabama ( Hokes Bluff Cemetery).  He married LOU ELIZABETH BRANNON May 31, 1892 in Etowah County, Alabama.  She was born March 1871 in Alabama, and died May 10, 1926 in Etowah County, Alabama  (Hokes Bluff Cemetery).

 

Notes for JOHN WOODFORD CONDRAY:

Obituary of John W. Condray

John W. Condray, 63, one of the best known citizens of the county, died at his home at Hokes Bluff at 9 o'clock Tuesday morning following a long illness.  The funeral will be held at the Hokes Bluff Methodist Church Wednesday afternoon at 2 o'clock with Rev. Mr. Dark conducting the services.  Surviving are six sons and five daughters, Aaron, Gadsden; Israel, Gadsden; Mrs. Winnie Davis, Hokes Bluff; Mrs. Mollie Godfrey, Hokes Bluff; Ben, Durwood, Eugene, Nora, Guy, Roberta, of Hokes Bluff, and Mrs. Lura Roper of Glencoe.

 

John Condray was of small stature, fair complexion, and blue eyes.  He was a hard worker and allowed very little foolishness from the children.  He showed very little emotion.  The entire family had Typhoid Fever one year but it almost killed Gene.  Nora said that one night after the doctor had told them that Gene would not live through the night he sat on the door step and cried.  Roberta remembers seeing him cry on the way home from his wife's funeral.

 

Notes for LOU ELIZABETH BRANNON:

Obituary from the Gadsden Times

MRS. CONDRAY OF HOKES BLUFF DIES AT HOSPITAL HERE

Mrs. Lou Elizabeth Condray, 55 years of age, wife of J.W. Condray died at 8:15 last night at a Gadsden hospital.  The funeral was to be held at Hokes Bluff today at 2:30 and was to be conducted by Rev. Mr. Webb, pastor of the Hokes Bluff Methodist Church.  Burial was to be in the churchyard.  Mrs. Condray is survived by her husband; six sons, Aaron, Israel, Ben, Durwood, Eugene, Guy all of Hokes Bluff; and five daughters, Mrs. Mollie Godfrey, of Gadsden, Mrs. Winnie Davis and Misses Nora, Lura, and Roberta Condray of Hokes Bluff.

 

Lou was loved and revered by all of her children.  She was a hard working and humble woman.  She asked for and received very little materially.  All of her children spoke of her only in fondness and love until this date.    

         

Children of JOHN CONDRAY and LOU BRANNON are:

8.                   i.     NORA BERNICE4 CONDRAY, b. May 22, 1903, Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove; d. June 22, 1985, Duluth, Georgia.

9.                  ii.     AARON IRAS CONDRAY, b. March 07, 1893, Walnut Grove, Alabama; d. January 02, 1943, Gadsden, Alabama.

10.               iii.     ISRAEL WILLIAM CONDRAY, b. September 15, 1894, Walnut Grove, Alabama; d. June 1975, Gadsden, Alabama.

11.               iv.     WINNIE ETHEL CONDRAY, b. October 31, 1896, Etowah County, Alabama  Walnut Grove; d. August 15, 1959, Gadsden, Alabama.

12.                v.     MOLLIE DEE CONDRAY, b. November 05, 1898, Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove; d. November 13, 1958, Gadsden Alabama.

                     vi.     BEN WOODFORD CONDRAY, b. December 22, 1900, Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove; d. August 14, 1967, Gadsden, Alabama; m. VELMA KIDD; b. January 20, 1907; d. September 17, 1991, Gadsden, Alabama.

 

Notes for BEN WOODFORD CONDRAY:

Ben was always sickly.  He never worked much and he died of cancer.

 

The Gadsden Times  August 15, 1967

 

Condray, Ben Woodford, 66, Gadsden Route 5, died Monday after a brief illness.  Services New Bethel Methodist Church Wednesday 2 P.M.  Rev. Robert McKee officiating.  Burial New Bethel Cemetery.  Pallbearers; Ed Wright, Arthur Day, Hoyt Reeves, Doyle Reeves, Ted McCollum, Troy Reeves, Cliffird Eads, and Jack Butler.  Survivors;  wife, Velma Kidd Condray, sisters: Mrs. Ross G. Clay, Gadsden, Mrs. H.M. Roper, Gadsden, Mrs. J.D. Handy Hokes Bluff; brothers, Israel, Gene, and Guy Condray all of Hokes Bluff.  Mr. Condray was a native and lifelong resident of Etowah County, a member of New Bethel Methodist Church, and a retired farmer.  The body will remain at the residence and lie in state at the church for one hour prior to the service.

 

13.              vii.     DURWOOD BELMONT CONDRAY, b. February 18, 1905, Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove; d. April 12, 1964, Gadsden, Alabama  (New Bethel Methodist Church).

                   viii.     CHARLES EUGENE CONDRAY, b. June 12, 1907, Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove; d. February 02, 1992, Gadsden, Alabama; m. WILLA HUFF; b. December 21, 1913, Etowah County,  Alabama; d. November 21, 2001, Centre, Alabama.

 

Notes for CHARLES EUGENE CONDRAY:

THE GADSDEN TIMES FEB. 3, 1992

 

Condray, Charles Eugene

 

Funeral will be at 2 P.M. Tuesday at Collier-Butler Chapel for Charles Eugene (Gene) Condray, Route 2, who died Sunday, Feb. 2, 1992.  The Rev. Wally Rudd will officiate.  Burial in Hokes Bluff Cemetery.  Collier-Butler Funeral Home is in charge.  Mr. Condray was born in Walnut Grove and moved to Alfords Bend in Hokes Bluff at an early age.  He was a farmer most of his life.  Mr. Condray was a member of Liberty United Methodist Church in Alfords Bend.  He is survived by his wife, Willa H. Condray; sisters, Lura C. Roper and Roberta C. Handy, both of Gadsden;  sister-in-law, Edith Norris, Hokes Bluff and several nieces and nephews.  Pallbearers will be nephews, James Godfrey, John Ed Godfrey, George K. Condray, Jimmy Posey, Lynn Norris and James Bobo.  Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. John Duncan and nurses of Etowah County Home Health Care.  The family will receive friends from 6 P.M. 9 tonight at the funeral home.

 

 

More About WILLA HUFF:

Burial: November 25, 2001, Hokes Bluff Cemetery, Etowah County, Alabama

 

14.               ix.     LURA HURSTINE CONDRAY, b. August 31, 1909, Walnut Grove, ALabama; d. October 28, 2000, Lakeland, Florida.

15.                x.     GUY WARREN CONDRAY, b. November 02, 1911, Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove; d. June 15, 1989, Gadsden, Alabama  (New Bethel Methodist Church).

16.               xi.     ROBERTA LETHA CONDRAY, b. January 31, 1915, Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove.

 

 

4.  STERLING STEPHEN3 CONDRAY (ISRAEL ALONZO2, STERLING S.1) was born June 1862 in Hamilton County, Tennessee, and died November 01, 1928 in Etowah County,  Alabama.  He married SUSAN FRANCES PENDERGRASS August 07, 1880 in Calhoun County, Alabama.  She was born August 08, 1859 in Hamilton County, Tennessee, and died May 01, 1916 in Etowah County,  Alabama.

 

Notes for STERLING STEPHEN CONDRAY:

THE GADSDEN TIMES, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1928

 

STERLING CONDRAY PASSES AWAY

 

Sterling Stephen Condray, 66  died at his home at Hokes Bluff at 4:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon following an illness of thirty days.

 

The funeral services will be conducted by Rev. Mr. McGowan at the Hokes Bluff Methodist Church.  The burial followed in the Owens Cemetery in South Gadsden.

 

Survivors are the following sons and daughters:  Fred M. Condray, Whittenburg, Tenn, C.D. Condray, Norfolk, VA., Harry Condray, China, Mrs. Ruth Carter, Chattanooga; Mrs James Whitaker, Elmyra, Ark.; Mrs Mark Jones, Sapulpa, Okla.

 

John W. Condray is a brother.

 

Sterling Condray was called Sterl.  He farmed most of his life but ran a fruit stand in Gadsden for awhile.  His granddaughter remembers him growing cotton and peanuts.  He moved to Hikes Bluff and lived with his brother John until his death.

 

Notes for SUSAN FRANCES PENDERGRASS:

Married in Calhoun County, Alabama, by Rev. W.W. Coleman.

 

She died from pellagra.

         

Children of STERLING CONDRAY and SUSAN PENDERGRASS are:

                       i.     DON4 CONDRAY, b. June 1890, Etowah County, Alabama.

17.                ii.     RUTH ANN CONDRAY, b. June 1893, Etowah County, Alabama; d. November 17, 1957, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

                     iii.     FREDRICK M. CONDRAY, b. May 1881, Alabama; d. July 1960, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

 

Notes for FREDRICK M. CONDRAY:

Obituary from The Chattanooga Daily Times, August 1, 1960:

 

CONDRAY-FREDERICK M., age 81 of 1925 East 23rd St. passed away Friday afternoon in a local hospital.  He is survived by two brothers, Harry B. Condray of Rouge (sic) River, Ore. and Charles Condray of Kansas; two sisters, Mrs. Mellie Mahle of Abilene, Tex., and Mrs. Jessie Jones of California, niece, Mrs. Andrew Massey of Chattanooga and several other nieces and nephews.  Mrs. Condray was a member of Sapulpa Lodge No. 170, F&AM.  Funeral services will be held at 9 p.m. Thursday from the East Chapel of the National Funeral Home, with Reverend A.L. Lowrance officiating.  Interment will be in National Cemetery.  Active pallbearers will be Burton Dodd, Roy Johnson, Delmar Gilbert, Buddy Massey, Howard Cossett and Frank Marymen.  The body is at the National Funeral Home's East Chapel.

 

Dorothy remembers him as being very kind and of small stature.

 

More About FREDRICK M. CONDRAY:

Burial: Chattanooga National Cemetery

 

18.               iv.     MELLIE LOU CONDRAY, b. December 06, 1884, Etowah County, Alabama; d. February 1965, Abilene, Taylor County, Texas.

19.                v.     JESSIE LEE CONDRAY, b. March 1887, Alabama; d. 1979, Sapulpa, Oklahoma.

                     vi.     CHARLES DANIELS CONDRAY, b. May 07, 1896, Etowah County, Alabama; d. January 05, 1978, Leavenworth, Kansas.

 

Notes for CHARLES DANIELS CONDRAY:

Charles Daniels Condray was called C.D.  He was wounded during WWI and was in and out of VA Hospitals most of his life.  He was over six feet tall.

 

More About CHARLES DANIELS CONDRAY:

Burial: Leavenworth, Kansas National Cemetery

 

20.              vii.     HARRY BLANCO CONDRAY, b. February 25, 1899, Etowah County, Alabama; d. June 01, 1980, Jackson, Oregon.

 

 

5.  WILLIAM ASA3 CONDRAY (ISRAEL ALONZO2, STERLING S.1) was born May 1872 in Hamilton County, Tennessee, and died in Etowah County, Alabama.  He married ELLEN MARTHA SHEFFIELD September 07, 1893 in St. Clair County, Alabama.  She was born February 1875 in Alabama, and died in Etowah County, Alabama.

         

Children of WILLIAM CONDRAY and ELLEN SHEFFIELD are:

                       i.     GASTON4 CONDRAY, b. 1902, Etowah County, Alabama.

                      ii.     RALPH CONDRAY, b. September 19, 1894, Etowah County, Alabama; d. July 1971, Garner, NC; m. MARGARET.

21.               iii.     MARGARET BESSIE CONDRAY, b. January 1898, Etowah County, Alabama.

22.               iv.     HAZEL CONDRAY, b. 1905, Etowah County, Alabama.

                      v.     GRACE CONDRAY, b. February 1896, Etowah County, Alabama; m. JAMES HALE.

23.               vi.     MARVIN CONDRAY, SR., b. December 14, 1906, Etowah County, Alabama; d. November 1980, Bermingham, Alabama.

 

 

6.  MARY L.(MOLLIE)3 CONDRAY (ISRAEL ALONZO2, STERLING S.1) was born 1858 in Hamilton County, Tennessee.  She married ??? DAVIES. 

         

Child of MARY CONDRAY and ??? DAVIES is:

                       i.     JAMES G.4 DAVIES, b. 1879.

 

 

7.  ELLEN RHODA3 CONDRAY (ISRAEL ALONZO2, STERLING S.1) was born March 03, 1868 in Hamilton County, Tennessee, and died February 15, 1918 in St. Clair County, Alabama (Palmeto Creek Buried at Hopewell Cemetery.  She married OLIVER PERRY ELLIS BRANNON 1885 in Etowah County, Alabama.  He was born October 1864 in Benton County, Alabama now Etowah County, and died December 12, 1907 in Etowah County,  Alabama.

 

Notes for OLIVER PERRY ELLIS BRANNON:

SPECIAL TO THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS:  Gadsden, Alabama December 13, 1907

Ellis Brannon, one of the best know citizens of Etowah County, walked off or fell of the little steamer "Dixie" near Fowlers Ferry, just below Gadsden, at four o'clock Thursday morning and was drowned.  The boat brought the body back to Gadsden later in the day.

 

Mr. Brannon lived with the family on Palmeto Creek and was in the logging business.  He had worked for the Kyle Lumber Company for twenty years  and was an expert draftsman.  Wednesday he came to town on the Dixie which towed up a raft for him and returned with the boat when it left here at 10 o'clock for another raft.

 

Mr. Brannon went to the engine room and sat down to talk to the engineer, John T. Warlick.  They passed several hours together and at 4 o'clock Mr. Warlick started to some other section of the boat.  Brannon arose and said that he believed that he would look after the raft.  Mr. Warlick told him to remain where he was that the raft was alright.  When Mr. Warlick was about to enter the engine room on his return he heard a Negro that was stationed on the upper deck yell.  The boat was moved only about 200 feet and the men manned the boats and found Mr. Brannon floating on top of the water in the wake of the steamer.  He had never sunk and this is considered a very strange and unusual feature of the case.  It is generally believed that he died of heart disease from which he suffered before he fell into the water.  There were no bruises on his body.  He was 49 years of age.

 

SPECIAL TO THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS  Dec. 14, 1907

CAN'T CLEAR MYSTERY OF BRANNON'S DEATH

GADSDEN, ALABAMA

The coroner's jury called to investigate the death of Ellis Brannon, supposed to have been drowned from the steamer Dixie Thursday morning brought in the following verdict : " We agree that the deceased came to his death from heart failure or some other cause , and that from the evidence before us we do not believe that he came to his death by strangulation or drowning."  The belief that Mr. Brannon had met with foul play was so prevalent on Thursday morning that Judge Penn asked Coroner Woodliff to hold the inquest.  It is not believed that drowning was the cause of death, but the exact cause cannot be ascertained.  The witnesses told the same tale and the only evidence against the drowning theory was the statement of Dr. Appleton.  He said that Mr. Brannon's stomach was absolutely free of water and that marks of violence before his death  were found on his face.  These were made by some sharp instrument or finger nails.  There were bruises about the head that could have been made by a blunt instrument.  The fact that Mr. Brannon's body floated on top of the water in the wake of the boat is the queerest thing about the case and no one has been found to explain it. 

         

Children of ELLEN CONDRAY and OLIVER BRANNON are:

24.                 i.     CLYDE A.4 BRANNON, b. June 18, 1885, Etowah County,  Alabama; d. June 15, 1961, Etowah County, Alabama  (Old Harmony Baptist Cemetery).

25.                ii.     VERNES RUPERT BRANNON, b. July 01, 1888, Etowah County,  Alabama; d. St. Clair County, Alabama (Old Harmony Cemetery).

26.               iii.     REVIS AARON BRANNON I, b. January 06, 1890, St. Clair County, Alabama; d. October 02, 1976, Jackson, Hinds County, Mississippi.

                     iv.     ISRAEL LONNIE BRANNON, b. July 1891, St. Clair County, Alabama; d. February 1947, Alabama.

                      v.     DESMO E. BRANNON, b. July 03, 1894, St. Clair County, Alabama; d. April 28, 1949, Etowah County,  Alabama (Hopewell Cemetery).

27.               vi.     VERA ANN BRANNON, b. April 13, 1899, St. Clair County, Alabama; d. April 26, 1983, Attalla, Alabama.

                    vii.     MARY D. BRANNON, b. June 05, 1902; d. April 12, 1989, Childersburg, Alabama (Green Hill Gardens).

                   viii.     UNNAMED INFANT BRANNON, b. May 1905.

 

 

Generation No. 4

 

8.  NORA BERNICE4 CONDRAY (JOHN WOODFORD3, ISRAEL ALONZO2, STERLING S.1) was born May 22, 1903 in Etowah County, Alabama   Walnut Grove, and died June 22, 1985 in Duluth, Georgia.  She married ROSS GILLILAND CLAY April 25, 1931 in Gadsden, Al.  He was born October 05, 1885 in Calhoun County, Alabama, and died March 29, 1962 in Etowah County, Alabama   near Attalla, AL.

 

Notes for NORA BERNICE CONDRAY:

Nora was the middle child of eleven.  After she finished nursing school she returned home to help with the rearing of her brothers and sisters.  All of the older children were married when her mother died so she kept the family together at the home place in Hokes Bluff until she married.  When she married she took Guy to live with her, Roberta went to live with Lura, and Durwood lived with Mollie.  Gene had already married at this point in time.  Winnie was widowed and she and Louise also lived at the home and Winnie worked as a telephone operator.  Nora was a very frugal person.  Family jokes include the family sitting down to biscuits and gravy because she had sold the eggs.  She owned and operated two grocery stores and service stations. She was a strict disciplinarian like her father.  The only emotion that she would ever display was anger.  I never saw my mother cry. She loved her family and always helped care for the sick. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and colon cancer however she died from complications from a broken hip.

Obituary the Gadsden Times June 23, 1985

MRS. CLAY

Mrs. Nora Condray Clay, 82, Duluth, Ga., formally of Hokes Bluff, died Saturday.  Survivors: Daughter, Miss Libby Clay Duluth.  Nash Funeral Home, Duluth, directing.  The funeral will be Monday at 10 A.M. (CDT) at Duluth First United Methodist Church with the Rev. J. Harvey West and Dr. G. Michael Carroll officiating.  Grave side services will be held at 4 P.M. at Forrest Cemetery.  Other survivors: sisters, Mrs. Melvin Roper, Gadsden, Mrs. J.D. Handy Hokes Bluff; brothers, Gene Condray, Hokes Bluff, Guy Condray, Gadsden.  Mrs. Clay was a member of the Eastern Star and Rebeka Lodge in Hokes Bluff and the Central United Methodist Church in Gadsden.

 

I believe that she was a lot like her father.  He almost always let her go with him to take the cotton to gin because the boys would play on the cotton on the wagon and he didn't like that.  She said that she would sit up front on the wagon with her father and talk to him and she always got a candy bar on the way home.

 

More About NORA BERNICE CONDRAY:

Burial: June 24, 1985, Forrest Cemetery, Gadsden, Alabama

 

Notes for ROSS GILLILAND CLAY:

THE GADSDEN TIMES March 30, 1962

ROSS GILLILAND CLAY

Ross Gilliland Clay, 76, 323 Fayette Street, Attalla, died yesterday at 8:05 P.M. at his residence following a long illness.  Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 11 A.M. in Collier-Butler Chapel with the Revs. J.P. West and Jimmie Waters officiating.  Burial will follow in Forest Cemetery, Collier-Butler Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.  Active pallbearers will be Aubrey Watkins, George Flanagan, Dewey Colvin, Tommie Roberts, Ray Collins, Ed Lasseter, J.C. Brasseal and C.E. Clark.  Honorary pallbearers will be V.B. Little, Joe Wood, Charlie Kelly, J.W. Godfrey, Grover Gilliland, Luther Whitt and all personal friends.  He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Nora Condray Clay;  three daughters, Mrs. Paul Thompson and Mrs. Truman Smith, both of Birmingham, and Miss Libby Clay, Attalla; four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.  A native and lifelong resident of Etowah County, Mr. Clay formally operated Clay's Grocery and was employed by the City of Attalla until his retirement.  He was a member of the Sibert Methodist Church.  The body will remain at Collier-Butler through the hour of service.

 

Ross Clay had a beautiful tenor voice, played the piano, and taught music.  He was intrigued with minerals and mining and mined for many years.  He was a hard worker.  His wife once Said that he would work if it cost him money.

 

He was a kind and gentle man, an excellent father, and a good husband.  He was a man of impeccable character.  He was a very intelligent man and was well read.

 

He was a small but very strong man.  He was five feet six inches, weighed 140 pounds, blue eyes, and fair complected. 

 

When he started school his mother had already taught him his ABCs.  After recess on the first day of school the teacher rang the bell for the children to come back in.  Everyone went in except Ross.  The teacher called to him and asked him wasn't he coming in and he replied that he didn't see any need because he already knew it all.

 

More About ROSS GILLILAND CLAY:

Burial: March 31, 1962, Forrest Cemetery, Gadsden, Alabama

         

Child of NORA CONDRAY and ROSS CLAY is:

                       i.     BERNICE ELIZABETH (LIBBY)5 CLAY, b. December 21, 1939, Gadsden, Alabama      (Baptist Hospital).

 

Notes for BERNICE ELIZABETH (LIBBY) CLAY:

Libby Clay was privileged to have Ross and Nora Clay for parents.  They gave her everything that she needed and almost everything she wanted.  She was sent to school in the city because they did not feel that she would get as good an education in the close by rural school.  She rode a Greyhound bus to school every day for six years.

 

She graduated Etowah County High School in 1958, where she was a member of many clubs and the marching and concert band.  She made All State Band for three years and earned the first chair in the trumpet solo section two years.

 

She attended Jacksonville State College even though she had a musical scholarship to Auburn.  Her father bought her a new car to bribe her to go to Jacksonville.  His mother was in the first graduating class at Jacksonville and her older half sister also went to Jacksonville.

 

She earned her Masters by going to school at night while she worked.  She worked at Scientific-Atlanta for twenty eight years and was the first woman in a managerial position.  She was very active in promoting women's rights.

 

She is a Yellow Dog Democrat and a bleeding heart liberal and wears her badge of honor proudly.  She was a member of the Peanut Brigade in the successful candidacy of Jimmy Carter for the Presidency.  She worked in many Democratic Campaigns and worked in the Clinton Gore Campaign in 1992.  She attended the Inaugural Ball, and had reserved seats for the swearing in and the parade.

 

She is a member of the Democratic National Committee, The Executive Committee of the Georgia Democratic Party, the Executive Committee of the Gwinnett Democratic Party,  a Director of the Georgia Federation of Democratic Women, and a past president of the Gwinnett Federation of Democratic Women.  She is a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and an amateur genealogist where she belongs to the Northeast Alabama Genealogy Society.  She is a life long Methodist.  Her idea of a good vacation is visiting historical sites.  She also belongs to Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center.

 

More About BERNICE ELIZABETH (LIBBY) CLAY:

Burial: Forrest Cemetery, Gadsden, Alabama

 

 

9.  AARON IRAS4 CONDRAY (JOHN WOODFORD3, ISRAEL ALONZO2, STERLING S.1) was born March 07, 1893 in Walnut Grove, Alabama, and died January 02, 1943 in Gadsden, Alabama.  He married MEREA YAIKOW.  She was born January 20, 1900, and died March 26, 1994 in Gadsden, Alabama.

 

Notes for AARON IRAS CONDRAY:

Aaron Condray served the United States of America during WW1 where he received severe injuries from mustard gas.  After his return from the war he attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  Upon his graduation he returned to Etowah County where he was a successful merchant.  He died in 1943 from liver cancer.  He was interred at Forrest Cemetery, Gadsden, Alabama, where he received full military honors, Masonic rites and Christian rites.  His wife Merea sold the department store and opened a ladies dress shop called Merea's.  She ran this business until she retired.

 

Front Page,  The Gadsden Times Gadsden, Alabama  January 3, 1943

 

AARON CONDRAY'S RITES SET TODAY

 

PROMINENT LEGIONNAIRE, BUSINESS MAN, DIED AT ALABAMA CITY HOME

 

Aaron Condray, 49, prominent business man, World War I veteran and Legionnaire, of Alabama City died yesterday morning at his home 918 Sansom Avenue after an illness of nine months.

 

Mr. Condray had been associated in the mercantile business in Gadsden and Alabama City for the past 17 years and for the past six years he had operated his own store, the Home Clothing Co., in Alabama City.

 

For a time he was connected with the Frank Duncan Department Store and the Farley Clothing Co., in Gadsden.  He was also connected