Bio of Ray, Rev. John W. Wabasha Co., MN
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Ray, Rev. John W., (page 1177): The subject of this sketch was born in
Chester, now Auburn, New Hampshire. His father was Stark Ray, of
Manchester, New Hampshire, and his mother was Hannah C. Wason, of Candia,
New Hampshire. His grandfather Ray was from England, and was a soldier in
the revolutionary war, under the renowned Gen. Stark, whose wife's sister
he married. His mother was of Scotch-Irish descent. Her father was also in
the revolutionary war. He spent his early life on a farm, enjoying the
educational advantages of a common school, and of an academy. He fitted
for college at Pinkerton Academy, in Derry, New Hampshire, and entered
Dartmouth College in 1839, graduating in 1843. After graduation, he
engaged in teaching, following this profession for about thirteen years.
He spent one year at Atkinson, New Hampshire, in the academy in that town.
He was then invited to the principal school in Manchester, New Hampshire.
At the end of one year this was constituted the high school of the city.
From Manchester he went to Eastport, in Maine, as principal of the high
school. Sickness compelled him to resign before the end of one year. He
returned to New Hampshire, and on recovery became associate principal with
Prof. William Russell, in charge of the Merrimac Normal Institute of New
Hampshire. On leaving this position, he was elected principal of Pembroke
Academy, and soon after was elected principal of Pinkerton Academy, in
Derry, New Hampshire, where he continued until he resigned to enter the
ministry. Although finding the profession of teaching an agreeable work,
he could not feel satisfied to relinquish the purpose he had in securing
an education, and after taking a private course of theological study, he
was licensed to preach in the autumn of 1856. While teaching he was active
in temperance work, going through the long and laborious struggle for a
prohibitory temperance law in his native state. This was finally secured
in 1855. He was also somewhat active in political life, holding several
offices, and representing the town of Derry in the state legislature. But
on entering the ministry, he felt called upon to retire from active
political life, and devote his energies to the one work on which he had
entered. In April, 1857, he was called to the Congregational church in
Goffstown, New Hampshire, and remained there till he came to Minnesota, in
May, 1867. During this period he kept alive his interest in education by
superintending schools, and in teaching in the institutes of the state. In
1867 he was called to the Presbyterian church in Hastings, Minnesota, and
labored there till 1872, when he accepted a call to the Congregational
church of Lake City, having felt obliged to decline a previous call to the
same church in 1867. While at Hastings he kept alive his interest in
education by superintending the schools of the city and in some other
forms of education work. But on coming to Lake City, he felt that he ought
to give up such work, and so held himself aloof from it. At Lake City he
continued in the pastorate of the church, till December, 1866, when he
resigned, and was dismissed by council in the spring of 1867. At the time
of the resignation, he had a severe affection of the eyes, so that his
physician assured him that he must abstain from all mental labor, or lose
his sight. He yielded to this advice. About this time a foreign tour was
decided upon, and he with his wife visited Europe, Egypt and the Holy
Land. They were accompanied as far as Geneva by their daughter and her
husband, E. P. Gates, Esq. This trip had the desired effect of restoring
his eyes to about their former condition. On his return he supplied the
Congregation church at Wabasha, continuing his residence in Lake City. He
pursued this course until the last Sabbath in 1882, and then accepted an
invitation to supply the pulpit of the Presbyterian church of Lake City,
in which work he is still engaged. He grew up from childhood in the
Presbyterian church, of which he became a member when about seventeen
years of age. He was married in July, 1844, to Miss Lucy Lee Sargent,
daughter of Rev. Benjamin Sargent, of Chester, New Hampshire. She died
July 17, 1845. He was married again on December 28, 1848, to Miss
Georgeanna Babb, daughter of Dr. James Babb, of Manchester, New Hampshire.
His children were James Stark, Lucy Helen, and George Wason. Both boys
died in childhood. Lucy Helen was married December 28, 1875, to E. P.
Gates, Esq., of Lake City, formerly of Warsaw, New York. Mr. Ray is a
faithful laborer in the cause he has espoused, and is content with the
prospect that faith will reward, not only in this world, but more
abundantly in that which is to come.
Revolutionary War