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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: RAY, Robert D.
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
September 25, 1999
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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 385-386
ROBERT D. RAY, manager of the Elk Shoe Company, at Charleston, W. Va., and a
member of the city council, has been a representative business man in this
section for a number of years, mainly identified during this time with
merchandising. He was born May 31, 1866, at Buffalo, Putnam County, W. Va.,
and is a son of Arthur T. and Mary j. (Raines) Ray.
Arthur T. Ray was born in what is now West Virginia and died in his
sixty-ninth year, at Gallipolis, Ohio, in May, i89o, for some years
previously having been an exhorter and preacher in the Methodist Episcopal
church. During the Civil War he served three years as a member of Co. L, 7th
W Va. Vol. Cav., and participated in many hard fought battles and won
promotion, at the time of his honorable discharge being an orderly sergeant.
He was seriously wounded on one occasion, receiving a fracture of his arm.
His second marriage took place in Ohio County, W. Va., to Mrs. Mary J.
Raines, who still survives, being now in her seventy-sixth year. She is a
member of the Presbyterian church.
Robert D. Ray obtained his education inthe free schools and entered into
business at the age of twenty-two years and has always been a merchant since
then. For seven years he was associated with C. Pickens, in the dry goods
business and before that connection was with Albert J. Humphrey. The Elk
Shoe Company was established at No. 320 Charleston Street, in April, 1910,
and Mr. Ray has been interested in and manager of the same ever since. In
politics he is a Democrat, and is now serving in his second term as a member
of the council from the Second Ward, representing South Charleston, or Elk
City, and to the advancement of this section he has been particularly devoted.
Mr. Ray was married at Charleston, in 1891, to Miss Maud Harrold, who was
born, reared and educated in Kanawha County. They have five children, namely:
Ruby H., who was born August 19, 1893; Irene, who was born in 1896: Mary
Helen, who was born in 1903; Robert D. Jr., who was born in 1906; and Jessie
V., who was born in 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Ray are members of the Baptist church.
Sandy Spradling
SSpradling@AOL.com
State Contact for WV GenExchange
http://www.genexchange.com/wv/index.cfm
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