Life History

Notes

• The wife of Volney Gay is reported in the censuses variously as Laura or Lucy.  Birth states match, reporting Ohio consistently, though there is the usual problem with varying ages.  But generally she is reported of an age to be born about 1822 or 1823.
  
  Volney Ephraim Gay
  Birth 9 Jan 1817 in  Franklin County, Ohio
  Death 28 Feb 1889 in  Dassel, Meeker County, Minnesota
  Marriage 27 Sep 1841 Rushville, Schuyler, Illinois to Lucy Farrington
  Birth 13 Dec 1822 in  Meigs, Ohio, Death 20 Mar 1873 in  Swan Lake, Meeker, Minnesota
  --  Bellamy, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/7103511/person/-1137285552?ssrc=&ml_rpos=11
  
  One genealogy reports that Laura was her given name and Lucy was a nickname she went by.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Schuyler County, Illinois, 9 September, Ashland Township, page 15, Hse #60, Fam #62
  Gay, Volney 33 M Carpenter b Ohio [b abt 1817]
  Gay, Lucy 27 F b Ohio [b abt 1823]
  Gay, Alvaro 7 M b Minnesota [b abt 1853]
  Gay, Lucina 5 M b Minnesota [b abt 1845]
  Gay, George 3 M b Minnesota [b abt 1847]
  Gay, Ivano 1 M b Minnesota [b abt 1849]
  
  1857 Minnesota State Census, Carver County, 19 October, Township 116, Hse #324, Fam #325
  Gay, Volney 40 M b Ohio Farmer [b abt 1817]
  Gay, Laura 24 F b Ohio [b abt 1833]
  Gay, Oliver 15 M b Illinois [b abt 1842]
  Gay, Losiney 13 F b Illinois [b abt 1844]
  Gay, George 11 M b Illinois [b abt 1846]
  Gay, Sylivester [sic] 8 M b Illinois [b abt 1849]
  Gay, Orrin 4 M b Illinois [b abt 1853]
  Gay, Alois 3 M b Illinois [b abt 1854]
  Gay, Francis 2 months M b Illinois [b abt 1856]
  
  The age of Lucy in 1850 at 27 (born about 1823) matches the birth date reported for Laura in 1860 at age 36 (born about 1824).  But in between, the age of 24 reported for Laura in 1857 makes birth 1833 instead of 1823.  Birth places for Laura in Ohio match the birth place reported for Lucy in the Bellamy genealogy.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Carver County, Minnesota, 18 July, Camden, PO Young America, page 104-105 (scan 396-397), Hse #1015, Fam #877
  Volney Gay 42 F Carpenter $0 Real Estate declared $150 Personal born Ohio [b abt 1818]
  Laura Gay 36 M born Ohio [b abt 1824]
  Alfield [Oliver] Gay 18 M Farm Laborer born Illinois [b abt 1842]
  Louisa Anna Gay 16 M Servant born Illinois [b abt 1844]
  Ivenhal [Ivanhoe] Gay 12 M born Illinois [b abt 1848]
  - page 105 -
  Orin Gay 8 M born Minnesota [b abt 1852]
  Alonzo Gay 6 M born Minnesota [b abt 1854]
  Caroline Gay 4 M born Minnesota [b abt 1856]
  Asa Gay 2 M born Minnesota [b abt 1858]
  
  1865 Minnesota State Census, McLeod County, 1 June, Penn Township, Hse/Fam #21
  Volney Gay M [no ages or birth states rptd in this census]
  Lucy Gay F
  Sylvester Gay M
  Orrin Gay M
  Alonzo Gay 11 M
  Carolina Gay F
  Asa Gay M
  
  In the censuses of 1857 and 1860, Volney Gay's wife is reported as Laura.  But in Volney's memorial on Find a Grave, it is reported that he married Lucy Farrington in 1841.  His wife is reported as Lucy in the Minnesota census of 1865.
  
  Lucy's grave reports she died in 1873.  However, in the 1870 census, Volney's wife is named Nancy, and she is his same age, born about 1825, close to Lucy/Laura's ages in other censuses.  Another odd thing is that they are in Missouri.  But In the 1875 state census, they are back in Minnesota, and Volney has no wife.  That would match the reported death of Lucy/Laura in 1873 for him to be a widower in 1875.  The simplest explanation for this report of a wife named Nancy is that this was another name of Laura, who used the nickname Lucy most of the time.
  
  In the 1870 census all the children are reported born in Illinois.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Bates County, Missouri, 27 July, PO Butler, Grand River, page 7, Hse/Fam #45
  Gay, Volney 45 M W Farmer $0 declared Real Estate $0 declared Personal born Ohio [b abt 1825]
  Gay, Nancy 45 F W Home b Ohio Cannot read [b abt 1825]
  Gay, Ivanhoe 22  M W Farmer born Illinois [b abt 1848]
  Gay, Orin 17 M W Farmer born Illinois [b abt 1853]
  Gay, Alfred [Alonzo] 15 M W Farmer born Illinois Attended School, Idiot [b abt Jan 1855]
  Gay, Asa 8 M W Farmer born Illinois [b abt 1862]
  Gay, William 6 M W born Illinois [b abt 1864]
  Gay, Elsey 4 F W home born Illinois [b abt 1866]
  
  ------------------
  Lucy Farrington Gay
  Birth Dec. 13, 1822 Meigs County, Ohio
  Death May 20, 1873 Stevens County, Minnesota
  
  Wife of V Gay
  Spouse Volney Ephraim Gay (1817 - 1889)
  Children:
  Orren Lenard Gay (1854 - 1921)
  Elsie Annie Gay Dingman (1866 - 1936)
  
  Burial Seventh Day Adventist Cemetery, Dassel, Meeker County, Minnesota
  
  Created by Valerie Lawrence Sep 21, 2010
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #59013951, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=59013951
  ------------------
  

Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
• 2. 1857 Minnesota State Census, Carver County
  • 19 October, Township 116, Hse #324, Fam #325
• 3. 1860 Federal Census, Carver County, Minnesota
  • 18 July, Camden, PO Young America, page 104-105 (scan 396-397), Hse #1015, Fam #877
• 4. 1850 Federal Census, Schuyler County, Illinois
  • 9 September, Ashland Township, page 15, Hse #60, Fam #62
• 5. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 6. 1870 Federal Census, Bates County, Missouri
  • 27 July, PO Butler, Grand River, page 7, Hse/Fam #45
• 7. 1865 Minnesota State Census, McLeod County
  • 1 June, Penn Township, Hse/Fam #21
• 8. 1880 Federal Census, Tarrant County, Texas
  • 15 June, Fort Worth, District 90, page 48, Hse #418, Fam #431
• 9. 1865 Minnesota State Census, McLeod County
  • 1 June, Township 116, Hse #324, Fam #325
• 10. 1860 Federal Census, Carver County, Minnesota
  • 18 July, Camden, PO Young America, page 105, Hse #1015, Fam #877
• 11. 1850 Federal Census, Schuyler County, Illinois
  • 18 July, Camden, PO Young America, page 104-105 (scan 396-397), Hse #1015, Fam #877
• 12. 1880 Federal Census, Meeker County, Minnesota
  • 12 June, Ladys Spring District 3, Enumeraton District 144, page 10, Hse/Fam #53
• 13. 1885 Minnesota State Census, Meeker County
  • 2 June, Dassel, page 15, Hse/Fam #120
• 14. 1875 Minnesota State Census, Meeker County
  • 1 May 1875, Swan Lake, page 983, Fam #142