Gertrude Augusta Rees (1860-1944) -- New York and Missouri -- Rees Family Branch in the Bear Family Tree

It is understood in the Bear family, that cousin Rees was named after Rees Awalt, our grandmother’s brother.  And in fact, my grandmother Wilma Awalt did have a younger brother named Oral Rees Awalt who died at age nine.   Siblings Sally, Wilma, and Oral Rees Awalt were the children of William Oral Awalt and Anice Ada Gray.  Anice Gray was the daughter of John Spencer Gray and Gertrude Rees.

Sally, Anice (Gray), and Wilma Awalt
William and Anice (Gray) Awalt
Anice (Gray) and William Awalt

                                                                                    Rees Genealogy 

                                    William Rees       =    Mary 

                                                Edward Rees     =    Martha Mott
                                                 Thomas Rees     =    Helen Holmes
                                    Gertrude Augusta Rees    =  William Gray
                                                  Anice Ada Gray     =    William Oral Awalt
                                         Wilma Lorene Awalt    =   James Dewey Bear

Siblings Sally, Wilma and Oral Rees were the children of William Oral Awalt and Anice Ada Gray.  Again as stated above, Anice was the daughter of John Spencer Gray and Gertrude Rees.  Below left is a photograph of the Gray family:  John Spencer Gray is holding daughter Alma, on the left is Gertrude holding daughter Essie, bottom row center is Mettie, and Anice and Elmer are upper row center. (Photo shared on Ancestry.com by Carol Whiteman who's research and information has been extremely helpful. I am forever thankful for her willingness to share.). The photo on the right is Gertrude Rees Gray (second right front row) and children (starting to her left and going clockwise):  Elmer, Anice, Lois, Essie, Roy and Mettie.  (Photo shared by Debbie Klotsche on Ancestry.com).

According to her death certificate and obituary, Gertrude “Gertie” Augusta Rees was born 15 April 1860 at Glendale, New York, and died 2 August 1944 at Maryville, Missouri.  Her parents are identified as Thomas A. Rees (death certificate notes his place of birth as Wales but this is probably an error, however ultimately this family did emigrate from Wales) and Helen A. Holmes of New York.  Gertrude died at her daughter’s residence at 721 South Main Street in Maryville, Nodaway County, Missouri.  Gertrude was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Maryville. She was the widow of James T. Gray; the informant for her death was Mrs. Ted McClurg -- who was her daughter Hazel with second husband James T. Gray.  Her first husband, and my ancestor, was John Spencer Gray, brother to James. James Gray was also the widowed husband of Gertrude's sister Martha Caroline ("Mettie") Rees.  John Gray was a farmer.




Gertrude and her husband John Spencer Gray had the following children:


(1) Elmer Thomas was born 15 March 1879 and died 2 April 1962 at Houston, Harris County, Texas.  He was a carpenter. 


(2) Anice Ada was born 10 June 1881 at Pickering, Missouri. She married William Oral Awalt in 1901, and died at Miami, Florida  June 1968.


(3) Mettie Helen Gray was born 07 March 1883 at Pickering, Missouri.  She married Albert J. Howard on 28 March 1900.  She died 7 February 1962 at Maryville, Missouri.


(4) Alma B. Gray was born 9 October 1885 and died at age 15 on 10 November 1890.


(5) Essie Clare was born 12 December 1887 at Pickering, Missouri.  She married Edward Saunders 18 February 1906 and died 25 March 1980 at Denver, Colorado.


(6) Roy William was born at Jewel City, Kansas on 17 February 1890.  He died on 22 August 1959 at Scottsdale, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania.  He was married to Irene Wellman. He was a toolmaker.  


(7) Louis Gertrude Gray was born 31 March 1892 at Nebraska, she married Samuel Babb 09 October 1910 and died in California 16 October 1979.


Gertrude and her second husband James T. Gray had daughter Hazel; Hazel married Ted McClurg.


CENSUS RECORDS:


Census records assist in following Gertrude Rees through her life experiences.  In 1860, aged 2 months (identified as Alice), she is living in Martinsburg, Lewis County, New York in the home of her parents Thomas and Helen Rees, along with a sister Ada, three years old.  Also in the home is Thankful Cobridge, a teacher, boarding in the home.  The real estate value of the family farm is $1000.  The dwelling next door is occupied by the family of 50 year old John Rees, who research shows is an uncle (being the brother of Thomas' father Edward - both sons of William Rees). Please see the blurb below from the History of Lewis County 


1860 U.S. Federal Census at Martinsburg, Lewis County New York, Dwelling 1242, household 1200, 16 August 1860, real estate value of $1,000.  Dwelling next door to Thomas Rees and family is that of 50 year old John Rees (who’s real estate is worth $10,000).


Again in 1865, the family is enumerated at Martinsburg, Lewis County New York. 

1865 New York, U.S. State Census, Martinsburg, Lewis County, New York, Dwelling 278, Family 281, Framed House worth $200:  Thomas Rees, farmer, wife Hellen, children – Ada, Gertrude, and Martha.  Note they are next door to Edward Rees, farmer, his wife Martha and her twin sister Sarah Mott. Edward and Martha Rees are Thomas’ parents. Martha Rees and her sister Sarah Mott are twins noted as born in Massachusetts.  I hope to follow up this blog with more information on the Rees family as well as the Mott family.


In 1870 we find the family living in Iowa, next door to Chester Rees, another brother of Thomas'. 

1870 U.S. Federal Census, Taylor County, Polk, Iowa, Dwelling 105, household 105, Thomas and [Ellen] Rees and children Ada aged 12, Gertrude aged 10, and Mattie aged 8.  The household next door is Chester Rees age 31, wife Rachel and son Edward.  Chester is brother to Thomas Rees.



Gertrude Rees and John S. Gray married on 24 January 1877 at Nodaway County, Missouri. Note Gertrude's obituary states they were married on 27 January 1876. 



In the 1880 U.S. Federal Census, John S. Gray, farmer and his wife Gertrude, and son Elmer aged one are enumerated in Union, Missouri.



From John Gray’s obituary, we learn that in 1888 his family moved to Kansas. Here John was converted and joined the Methodist Church.  The family returned to Missouri in 1892 (note that records show daughter Lois was born in Nebraska in 1892).  Most census records for 1890 were destroyed in a fire with only fragments surviving.  In 1895 John Gray died leaving behind his wife and eight children (I have currently found no record of an eighth child born to John and Gertrude).



By 1900 census records show several of Gertrude's children working as servants in other local households throughout Nodaway County.  Gertrude, widow, married James T. Gray in 1902.  A daughter Hazel was born in 1904. Gertie and James T. Gray do not appear together in subsequent records.  More research needs to be done as to what happened with this marriage as James appears to have died in 1936 -- he is identified as widowed boarder across records until his death.  Gertrude is likewise identified as a widow.





In 1920 Gertrude Gray, head of household, is enumerated at Maryville, Missouri, aged 58 years old.  Her birth place is given as New York, birthplace for both her parents is New York. She is identified as widowed and has a 16- year old daughter, Hazel, living with her who is a seamstress in a garment factory.  



In 1940 Gertrude is enumerated at Maryville, Nodaway County, Missouri, mother in law in the home of Ted McClurg, his wife Hazel, and their three children.  Gertrude died four years later in 1944.  




Gertrude Gray Rees August 1941



Sources:

Bear Family Photographs, Personal Collection of Michael Bear, Centerville, Massachusetts.

Photographs shared by Carol Whiteman, 19 November 2008, Ancestry.com.

Photographs shared by Debbie Kotsche, Ancestry.com.

The Maryville Republican, 24 January 1895,  Page 4, Newspapers.com.

The Maryville Daily Forum, August 3, 1944, Page 2, via Newspapers.com.

Vital Records and Census Records, Ancestry.com.

Hough, Franklin B., History of Lewis County New York, D. Mason and Co., Syracuse, NY, 1883, accessed on Internet Archive.

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