James Alexander GRAY Rolland Earl GRAY Gwendolyn Iola HIBBS Dorothy Earl SOUDERS Barbara A BOSWELL Marilyn Erlyne GRAY Edna Kathleen WILLIAMS Wesley Mearl GRAY Hazel GRAY Mabel Lillian GRAY Jennie KAUFMAN Mini tree diagram
Earl Thornton GRAY

Earl Thornton GRAY16,1,2,14,3,4,11,15,17,18,16,5,13,17,6,7,8,9,12,19,10,10

3rd Nov 18951,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10 - 9th Feb 19713,8

Life History

3rd Nov 1895

Born in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10

1914

Resident 1914 Portland City Directory, as well as his parents. in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.12

13th Jan 1917

Married Gwendolyn Iola HIBBS in Vancouver, Clarke, Washington.20,10,10

1920

Resident 1920 Portland City Directory, Occupation Musician, wife Gwendolyn in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.13

28th Jul 1920

Birth of son Rolland Earl GRAY in Seattle, King, Washington.20,21,22,3

1922

Resident 1922 City Directory, occupation musician, wife Gwendolyn in Seattle, King, Washington.15

before Mar 1924

Divorced from Gwendolyn Iola HIBBS in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.17

17th Mar 1924

Married Dorothy Earl SOUDERS in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington.17,26

Dorothy died in a plane crash when she was piloting, in September 1926

6th Sep 1926

Death of Dorothy Earl SOUDERS in Seaside, Clatsop, Oregon.26,27

30th Nov 1926

Married Barbara A BOSWELL in Port Orchard, Kitsap, Washington

1927

Resident 1927 Seattle City Directory, occupation musician, wife Dorothy S  (Souders) in Seattle, King, Washington.9

before 1929

Divorced from Barbara A BOSWELL

before Jun 1929

Married Edna Kathleen WILLIAMS.11,16

23rd Jul 1929

Arrival in San Diego, California, United States.6

23rd Jul 1929

Departure in Agua Caliente, Baja California, Mexico.6

15th Dec 1930

Birth of daughter Marilyn Erlyne GRAY in Los Angeles County, California.24,23,25,22

before 1935

Divorced from Edna Kathleen WILLIAMS in Los Angeles County, California.11,23

1939

Resident Manager of Royal Palms Hotel and Annex; 1939 Palm Springs City Directory in Palm Springs, Riverside, California, USA.11

1942

Resident WWII Draft Registration, Residence 220 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs in Palm Springs, Riverside, California, USA.14

22nd Apr 1945

Death of Edna Kathleen WILLIAMS in Los Angeles County, California.11,8,26

9th Feb 1971

Died in Del Mar, San Diego, California.3,8

Notes

  • 1900 Federal Census, Multnomah County, Oregon, 16 June, Portland Ward 11, District 16, page 5A, McKenna Ave, Hse #96, Fam #100
    Gray, James A Head W M June 1869 30 Married 6 years PA PA PA Bricklayer Owns
    Gray, Jessie [Jennie] Wife W F Oct 1875 24 Married 6 yrs 4 children/3 living OR IA OR
    Gray, Earl W M Nov 1895 4 Single OR PA OR

    1910 Federal Census, Multnomah County, Oregon, 19 April, Portland Ward 8, District 192, Sheet 6A, 744 Belmont St, Hse  #124, Fam #133
    Gray, James A Head M W 37 Married 16 yrs PA PA PA Concrete Contractor Owns
    Gray, Jennie F W 35 Married 16 yrs 5 children/2 living OR OR OR
    Gray, Earl Son M W 14 Single OR PA OR
    Gray, Wesley Son M W 12 Single OR PA OR

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1914, p 643
    Gray Earl T clk H D Clark r 894 1/2 E Morrison
    Gray James A (Jennie) carp h 894 1/2 E Morrison

    Earl married Gwendolyn Iola Hibbs in 1917.

    Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013
    Earl Thornton Gray
    Age 21, Birth Date abt 1896
    Gwendolyn Iola Hibbs, Age 17
    Application 13 Jan 1917 Clarke County, Washington, USA
    Marriage Affidavit #9689

    Washington, Marriage Records, 1854-2013
    Earl Thornton Gray, born Portland, Oregon
    Age 21, Residence Portland, Oregon
    Occupation Musician;  Father James A Gray, born Tennessee, Mother Jennie Coffman, born Oregon
    Gwendolyn Iola Hibbs, born Walla Walla, Washington
    Age 17, Residence Portland, Oregon
    Occupation Housewife;  Father H R Hibbs, born Kansas, Mother Gertrude Holiman (?), born Missouri
    Ceremony 13 Jan 1917 Vancouver, Clarke County, Washington by W S T Deu (?), JP;  Witnesses Mrs D E McClure, Alfred Owens\
    Certificate #9689

    U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
    Earl Thornton Gray
    Residence 895 1/2 Belmont, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon
    Birth 3 Nov 1896 Oregon [1942 report of birth year as 1895 fits better with reported census ages]
    Occupation Musician, employed by Oregon Hotel, Portland
    Married
    Medium Height and Build, Blue Eyes, Light Hair
    Registered 5 June 1917 Portland, Oregon

    The 1920 and 1922 City Directories report Earl as a musician married to Gwendolyn I Gray.  In 1920 they are in Portland and in 1922 they are in Seattle, Washington,  In both he is working as a musician.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1920, p 583
    Gray Earl T (Gwendolyn I) musician h 690 E Alder

    The 1920 census is very helpful in filling in some details.  Earl and Gwendolyn are reported living in Portland, as a separate family in a household of Arthur C Hawson.  Her mother is living with them, and since there is still a teenage sister living in the household, it appears her mother's surname is Gwendolyn's maiden name, Hibbs.  Earl's brother Wesley is living with them also.

    1920 Federal Census, Multnomah County, Oregon, 15 January, Portland, District 35, Page 11A, 390 1/2 Jefferson St, Hse #97, Fam #331
    Hawson, Arthur C Head Rents M W 67 Married Immigrated 1870 Alien England England England Mill Railroad Clerk
    Hawson, Mary I Wife F W 59 Married  OR VA OH Dressmaker
    Berner, George Lodger M W 20 Single CO Germany Germany ShipYard Laborer
    - Fam #332 -
    Gray, Earl T Head Rents M W 24 Married  OR PA OR Orchestra Musician
    Gray, Gwendolyn Wife F W 19 Married  Washington Kansas Missouri
    Hibbs, Gertrude Mother-in-Law F W 39 Divorced Missouri Iowa Indiana
    Hibbs, Anna Sister-in-Law F W 17 Single Washington Kansas Missouri
    - page 11B -
    Gray, Wesley M Brother M W 22 Married [but no wife reported] OR PA OR Auto Mechanic

    In the 1930 census, after Earl and Gwen's divorce, Gwen is reported with her son Edwin, and Ediwin is reported as only 9 years old.  Ediwing matches Rolland, his name in all other records.

    There is a Social Security record reporting a Rolland Earl Gray as born 28 July 1920 in Seattle.  The record identifies Rolland's parents as Earl T Gray and Dorothy Souders.  However, Earl did not marry his second wife Diorothy Souders until July 1924.  So either Rolland would be the son of Earl Thornton Gray and his wife Gwenedolyn Hibbs, or Rolland forgot his birth date and reported it about 5 years earlier than it was.  was Rolland born out of wedlock while Earl was still married to Gwen?  After Earl and Gwen divorced, some time after the 1922 city directory, Earl married Dorothy.

    U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
    Rolland Earl Gray
    Birth 28 Jul 1919 Seattle [King County], Washington
    Death Date 26 Jul 2006
    Father Earl T Gray
    Mother Dorothy Souders [but Earl & Dorothy did not marry until 1924. In July 1920, Earl was married to Gwendoyn Hibbs]
    Signature on SSN Card ROLLAND EARL GRAY
    May 1940 Name listed as ROLLAND EARL GRAY; 15 Aug 2006 Name listed as ROLLAND E GRAY

    The records for this family have a raft of date errors.  Note that Rolland's Social security record reports his birth date as in 1919.  But he is not reported in the 1920 census.  So it appears he was actually born in 1920.

    Gray researcher Cynthia Boeing reports both Edwin and Rolland as the son of Gwen and Earl.  Cindy also contributed the following story of her ancestor meeting Earl in 1921.

    "My ancestor Jimmy Rinehart met Earl Gray on the beach in Seaside Oregon in about 1921.  Rinehart was about 13; Gray allowed him to help with a  damaged plane and then hired him.  He paid him with aircraft parts with which he build his first airplane, and I have a few newspaper articles you may be interested in, describing how he met Earl Gray and the plane he built and article with a photo of Earl Gray and his wife Dorothy Souder who died Labor Day weekend in 1927 [it was 6 Sept 1926] in the plane crash at Haystack Rock.  Jimmy participated in the air search for her.  An article describing an Air Show Earl flew in and the malfunction that nearly resulted in a crash.  Another document listed his employment with 'Earl Gray Aviation Company.'"
    --  Cynthia Boeing, email on Geneanet messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 24 January 2015

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1922, p 693
    Gray Earl T (Gwendolyn I) musician h 921 av W

    "He was a muscian and a Seattle Band leader but he had his own band and radio show."
    --  Cynthia (Cindy) Boeing, email on Geneanet messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 24 January 2015

    Cindy Boeing also provided a newspaper story about a near crash prevented by Earl Gray's skillful piloting.

    ------------------
    PLANE PANCAKES INTO OAT FIELD

    Control Jams at Elevation of 1,000 Feet and Aviator Gray Prevents Disaster only by Clever Maneuvering -- Slight Bruises Only Injury to Two Boy Passengers and Driver -- Plane Damaged

    The Curtis pursuit plane was a prominent feature of aerial scenery here during the Fourth of July festivities, met with quite a serious mishap Sunday at 1:30 when the control which governs the elevating rudder became jammed when the plan was starting on a flight and had reached an elevation of about 1000 feet.

    The difficulty was due to so small a matter as the absence of a tiny cotter pin allowing a bolt which held the control rod in place to slip out, the rod falling down and becoming jammed so that the control could not be manipulated.  The control rudder was in a position to elevate the plane, which made it impossible to volplane to a landing.  In this embarrassing emergency Mr. Gray showed his coolness and skill by an unusual maneuver.  He would shut off the power permitting the weight of the engine to pull the nose of the plane downward. After dropping as far as he dared without falling into a tail spin, he would “flatten out” the plane when it began to point up again (owing to the position of the rudder) he would repeat the former maneuver.  By this process he worked the machine down to within about 50 feet of the ground and made a pancake landing in Ben Schloman’s oat field.

    Plane Damage-No One Hurt

    The passengers in the plane at the time were Ralph Fralick and Frank Marsh, neither of who sustained any injury of consequence, sustaining only slight bruises about the face owing to being thrown forward when the plane struck the ground, Mr. Gray had his nose bumped in like manner but seemed none the worse for the experience.  The boys thought the aviator was simply cutting a few fancy “didoes” and didn’t not even become nervous.

    Mr. Gray said the accident was one which might never occur again in a lifetime of flying but placed him under a handicap which made the avoidance of a serious accident very difficult.  The plane is owned by Lou Johnson, who served as mechanic during the flights here.  The driver, Earl Gray, is rated as one of the most experienced and expert aviators on the coast.

    The plane is being repaired at this place and is expected to be ready to take the air again by the end of the week.
    --  Arlington Times, Arlington Washington, July 10, 1924; courtesy of Cindy Boeing, email on Geneanet messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 25 January 2015
    ------------------

    A marriage record in Kitsap County, Washington, reports that Earl married Barbara A Boswell in 1926.  I have not found the marriage or divorce record for Earl and Gwendolyn.  They divorced before December 1924, when she married Cyril Fouts.

    I have not found Earl in the 1930 census, when he should be reproted with his second wife Dorothy Souders.  The 1930 census record for Gwendolyn (Gwendoline) reports a son named Edwin Gray age 9.  So this son was born about 1921, fitting into the other facts from the records.  The 1930 census, however, introduces some changes in birth sates from the other records we have for Earl and Gwendolyn,

    1930 Federal Census, King County, Washington, 18 April, Seattle, District 11-212, page 21A, 8421 10th Ave SW, Hse #288, Fam #296
    Tomer, Victor Head Owns Has Radio M W 35 Married at age 20 Italy Italy Italy Immigrated 1912 Real Estate Salesman [b abt 1910]
    Tomer, Gwendoline Wife F W 29 Married at age 16 England England England Immigrated 1910 [b abt 1901]
    Gray, Edwin  Son M W 9 Single Oregon Hawaii England [b abt 1921]

    Earl and Gwendolyn divorced some time before March 1924.  They both remarried in 1924.  Earl married Dorothy Souders in March 1924 and Gwendolyn married Cyril Fouts in December 1924.

    Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
    Dorothy Souders of King County, Washington
    Spouse Earl T Gray of King County, Washington
    Marriage 17 Mar 1924 Tacoma, Pierce County
    Witnesses Mr and Mrs W F Vaughn
    Ceremony was performed by C W Weyer, Minister, Tacoma Washington

    Earl's marriage to Dorothy did not last long.  Unfortunately, Dorothy died after only a little over two years of marriage to Earl, at the age of 24.  Her obituary announced that she died in a plane crash into the ocean near Cannon Beach, Oregon, in September 1926  Her funeral service was held on 27 September 1926.  Earl married Barbara A Boswell in November 1926 in Kitsap County, Washington.

    I discovered an anomaly, however, that I have not been able to resolve.  I found a city directory entry for Earl and Dorothy Gray in 1927, which is after the date of Dorothy's death in September 1926.  I suspect the data for the 1927 directory had already compiled before her death in September 1926.  Or it could have been a carryover entry from an earlier directory.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1927, p 701
    Gray Earl T (Dorothy S) musician h 5215 I 36th av SW I

    In December 1926, Earl remarried.  His new wife was Barbara Boswell.

    Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
    Earl Thornton Gray
    Spouse Barbara A Boswell
    Marriage 30 Nov 1926 Port Orchard, Kitsap County, Washington
    Date Recorded 17 Dec 1926
    Ceremony performed by W M Richards, Minister of the Gospel

    It appears that Earl was not married to Barbara very long, either.

    He was married to Edna at least by 1929.  There is a record of his piloting a Maddux Air Lines plane with Edna.  Thanks to Cynthia Ann, another researcher, who posted a photo of a Maddux Air Lines plane on her Ancestry tree.

    "Maddux Air Lines - Earl Gray flew Aircraft NC7582 June 1929 accompanied by Edna Gray"
    --  Cynthia Boeing, Comment on a photo on Gray Family Tree, 27 Aug 2014, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/69539398/person/46307938136/mediax/1?pgnum=1&pg=0&pgpl=pid%7CpgNum&ftm=1

    The details of this flight are found on a US immigration passenger manifest, providing more information on Earl and Edna.  They were living in Los Angeles at the time of this flight.

    San Diego, California, Airplane Passenger and Crew List Arrivals, 1929-1954
    American Citizens, for U S Immigration, 23 June 1929
    Departure Agua Caliente, Baja California, Mexico
    Plane #NC7582, Maddux Air Lines
    Gray, Earl T age 33 [Birth abt 1896] Male Married born Portland, Oregon Residence Los Angeles, Cal
    Gray, Edna age 19 [Birth abt 1910] Female Married born Seattle, Washington Residence Los Angeles, Cal
    Taliafero, Berny age 25 Male Married born Eldorado, Kansas Residence Los Angeles, Cal

    In 1939 Earl and his wife's Edna K Gray are living in Palm Springs, California, where is the manager of a hotel.  His brother Wesley is the assistant manager.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Palm Springs, California, City Directory, 1939-40, p 29
    Earl T ( Edna K) Gray mgr Royal Palms Hotel & Annex r 226 N Palm Canyon dr  Phone 247
    - p 30 -
    Gray Wesley M (W Naomi) Asst Mgr Royal Palms Hotel r 225 N Palm Canyon dr

    They divorced some time between that City Directory and the 1940 census, when Edna was reported divorced and living in her mother's home.  They had a daughter Marilyn Gray in about 1931, who is with Edna in 1940.

    1940 Federal Census, Los Angeles County, California, 13 April, Los Angeles, District 60-119, Page 11A, 5981 Franklin Ave, Hse #270, Rents $45, No Farm
    Williams, Nina A Head F W 59 Widow Grade H4 b Canada Same place in 1935 Saleslady, Dept Store [b abt 1881]
    Williams, Dorothy G Dau F W 34 Single Grade 8 b Canada Same place in 1935 Hotel Bookkeeper [b abt 1906]
    Williams, Evelyn M Dau F W 32 Single Grade H2 b Canada Same place in 1935 [b abt 1908]
    Gray, Edna K Dau F W 25 Divorced Grade H2 b Canada Same place in 1935 [b abt 1915]
    Gray, Marilyn E Granddau F W 9 Single Grade 3 b Calif Same place in 1935 [b abt 1931]
    Flanigan, Patricia M Granddau F W 7 Single Grade 3 b Calif Same place in 1935 [b abt 1933]

    It appears that Earl was unmarried in 1942, from the information on his draft registration card.  His mother is listed as his contact person.

    U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
    Earl T Gray
    Birth Date 3 Nov 1895 [a year earlier than reported in 1917]
    Residence 220 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, Riverside County, California
    Age 46, Born Nov 3, 1895 Portland, Oregon
    Self-employed
    Contact Jennie Gray (mother), 3451 9th St, Riverside, California
    (No date of registration)
    Signed Earl T Gray

    In 1945 and 1950, he is in San Diego, and here also appears to be single.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    San Diego, California, City Directory, 1944-45, p 426
    Gray Earl T h 7246

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    San Diego, California, City Directory, 1950, p 407
    Gray Earl T h 7246 Fulton

    In the 1954 directory, Earl is still at this same address, but now a wife is reported, in the name of Nancy E.  This may not be the same Earl T Gray we have been following, since his employment is reported as USMC (US Marine Corps).  Earl Thornton Gray, the band leader, would have been about 60 years years old at that time.

    U.S. Social Security
    Earl T Gray
    Birth 3 Nov 1895 Oregon
    Death 9 Feb 1971 San Diego County
    Social Security #549667393

    U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
    Earl Gray
    Born 3 Nov 1895
    Died Feb 1971
    Last Residence Del Mar, San Diego, California 92014
    SSN 549-66-7393 issued California (1962)

Sources

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