Col O C GRAY's Obit, The Memphis News Scimitar Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by William S. Boggess ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ (transcribed: 02/13/06) Copy courtesy of Robert C Knutson, MD -------------------- THE MEMPHIS NEWS SCIMITAR Memphis, Tennessee Monday December 11, 1905 -------------------------------- FRIEND LOST TO BLIND CHILDREN ~~~~~~~~ COL O C GRAY PASSES AWAY AT ARKANSAS STATE INSTITUTION ~~~~~~~~ HIS LIFE AND GOOD RECORD ~~~~~~~~ Head of School for Blind Goes to Rest After Years Ably Spent for Welfare of Others ~~~~~~~~ Arkansas Bureau C E Harper, Mgr. LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Dec 11 --- The funeral of Col O C Gray was held at 3 p m yesterday at the First Presbyterian Church, the services being conducted by the Rev J S Edenburn, the pastor. The funeral was under the auspices of the Hugh de Payens Commandery and was attended by hundreds of leading citizens of Little Rock, evidencing the high esteem in which the deceased was held. The floral offerings were numerous and most beautiful. The incidental music was furnished by the pupils of Arkansas School for the Blind, who looked upon the deceased almost with the veneration due an indulgent father. The body was taken to Fayetteville by special train for burial. Oliver Crosby Gray, superintendent of Arkansas School for the Blind, died at 5:30 p m Saturday at the school, after a six weeks' illness with cerebro-spinal meningitis. For half of this period his condition has been critical, and while his death came as shock to the entire state, it was not wholly unexpected, and his family and friends were in a measure prepared. He was one of the foremost educators of Arkansas, and his life work has left its deep impress upon the youth of the state. Many of those who were his pupils in the old St John's College of Little Rock, and at the State University, are now among the leading men of the state in business and the professions, while for the unfortunates who have had the privilege of his tutelage for many years in the School for the Blind he possessed an abiding affection that has told for their good. He set for them a high ideal in life, in literary, domestic and mechanical pursuits, and has set the standard of accomplishment for those unfortunate wards of the state. His life was active an energetic for good, and in his death Arkansas witnesses the passing of one of its best beloved and most useful citizens. Possessing an activity know to few of 73 years, fully abreast of the times in educational advancement, his noble nature shrank instinctively from strife and dissension,and he claimed and held indissoluble the loyal friendship of all with whom be came in contact. His Life. O C Gray was born Dec 30, 1832, at Jefferson, Maine. In 1855 he graduated from Colby College, Waterville, Maine [where son Carl was a Trustee in 1938], being a classmate of Nelson Dingley who, as Congressman, afterwards became the father of the historic Dingley tariff. Last spring Col Gray attended the jubilee reunion of his class at Waterville. After attending Dartmouth College for a time, Mr Gray located at Minneapolis, Minn., and was superintendent of public schools of that city in 1856-57. In 1858 he came to Arkansas as principal of the Monticello Academy [That was Monticello Academy in Monticello, MN, then 1859 to Holly Springs, MS, and 1860 to Princeton], for two years. He was principal of Princeton [Female] Academy in 1860-61. At outbreak of the war, he enlisted as a private in the Third Arkansas Cavalry, commanded by Col Solon Borland and later Col Hobson and was promoted to the captaincy of Troop A. In 1864, returning home on a furlough, he was captured and held prisoner for a time, until he was exchanged and returned to his command. Later he became lieutenant-colonel [incorrect, captain highest rank obtained] on the staff of Gen Armstrong, and served under Generals Forrest, Wheeler and Johnston [as Provost Marshall]. At the close of the civil strife, he returned to the school room in his adopted state, and was principal of Princeton Female Academy in 1866-67. From 1868 to 1871 he was professor of mathematics in St John's College, at Little Rock, then the foremost educational institution of the state, and for several years was its president. [Arkansas School for the Blind dedicated its first built brick building in 1869 in Col Gray's honor, removed 1948, bricks used in new Governors Mansion]. In 1875 he removed to Fayetteville, and was professor of mathematics [and civil engineering, to 1879] in Arkansas Industrial University until 1886. He was principal of [1st school, Washington School] the public schools of Fayetteville in 1887-88 and then returned to the chair of mathematics in the university for seven years. [Mayor of Fayetteville 1886-87]. Elected Superintendent. In 1895 he was elected superintendent of the Arkansas School for the Blind, which position he held until death, with the exception of Dr John H Dye in 1899 and 1900, when he was principal of the Speers-Langford Military Institute at Searcy. May 27, 1858, Col Gray married Virginia L Davis, who died Aug 17, 1886, at Fayetteville. By this marriage there were two [three] children both survive. [The first, Clyde Leslie, 1859-61, buried Princeton with mother's father Capt Geo Davis] The eldest is Carl R Gray, of St Louis, vice president and general manager of the Frisco system [1920, president Union Pacific RR, 1937, vice chairman], who has been a frequent visitor at his father's bedside during his illness, and who had been with him for over 24 hours preceding his death. The second [third] is Ethel, Mrs Leroy Kramer, of Kansas, whose husband is in the Frisco service. June 17, 1889, Col Gray married Mrs Mary N Beattie, a daughter of his old colonel, Solon Bourland (sic, Borland), and who had two daughters, now living, Misses Grace and Mary Beattie, and one son, Godwin Beattie. Mrs Gray survives [died 1938]. Col Gray has been a member of the Presbyterian church all his life, and was one of the oldest members of the Scottish Rite bodies of the Valley of Little Rock. He was also a member of Magnolia Camp, Masons, Union Chapter, Royal Arch, and Hugh de Payens Commandery, Knights Templar. -----------<>----------- Mrs Mary N Beattie was Mary (Mollie) Melbourne Borland (1850AR-1938MO), youngest daughter of Senator Solon Borland, M D. She moved to Memphis in 1869 with sister Fanny Green (Borland) Moores, both very dear friends of Virginia Gray, O C's first wife, and married John M Beattie, of Scotland, 22 Feb 1872. The 1878/9 yellow fever epidemic in Memphis took her husband, Fanny's husband then Fanny in 1879 along with some 5000 others, bankrupting the City of Memphis.. Mollie returned to Little Rock after 1880 census and was Matron at the Deaf School until marrying Oliver Gray. She served as Matron at the Blind school after 1895. She died in Kansas City, and her ashes were buried with Oliver, 19 February 1938, only known record being the 18 Feb 1938 obituary in the Northwest Arkansas Times. No stone or engraved notice is at the grave site. Go to Gray, Mary at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/pulaski/pulaobit.htm (Mary, Jennie, Ethel) See: http://www.rootsweb.com/~arpulask/Col.MrsOCGray.html Solon Borland: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/shelby/bios/borland6gbs.txt