St Patrick's Day 2011

My great grandfather, Lewis Gray (1876-1963) as St Patrick. Circa 1920's.

I was thrilled to see my cousin Randy post this photo on his facebook page today. The smile on Pop Gray's face is familiar, I can see my grandmother, my father, my cousin, my brother, myself in that smile. I love the look in his eye, the mischief, the acting, the character he emotes! Rita (my grandmother, his daughter) states in a memoir that 'dad always had a thing about putting on a show'! I do not have strong memories of Pop Gray as a child, but he lives in the stories my dad has told throughout the years.

 I know he was a stonemason in Missouri. He owned his own business called "Mountain Grove Marble Works, L.W. Gray, Proprietor" where he carved mostly tombstones. He grew up learning the trade from his father, a blacksmith, in Illinois. When my grandmother was young she would run through the stone mason's building where tombstones were carved and the recently deceased were stored! He also was a carpenter/artisan with wood, a musician and high school music teacher. He was mostly self taught on the fiddle, guitar, trombone, E Flat Alto Horn (aka Peck Horn). The Gray family musicians were active in the Mountain Grove (Missouri) municipal band and also played in the silent motion picture theater in town. Rita, my grandmother, played the cello and later the saxophone. The Musical Grays also created a traveling tent show. My dad remembers traveling with the family on these tours when he was very young. You can see the musical and theatrical flair in the publicity photos taken at the time. Pop Gray and his wife Verona ('Ronie') eventually settled in New Mexico, where he taught band at Clovis High School. He earned his teaching credentials based on his professional experience.  His artworks include small carpentry items that I own and use to this day. I have a napkin holder, a lamp, a trash bin that he made years ago. I posted photos of those at the bottom of the blog.

  

A "Tableau"....forerunner of present day commercials

Greatgrandfather Lewis Gray, Grandmother Rita, Great Aunt Helen, Great Uncle Erman
The Musical Grays

one of the posters for the traveling tent show

The Musical Grays in later years, Lew and Ronie on the bench, surrounded by their children, Rita is standing on the left

Rita, my grandmother