Raulston Ray moved with his family from Orange County, North Carolina to Tennessee when he was seven (before 1800), as recorded in George Raulston Ray's Bible, which was as of 1977 in the hands of Billy Ray Geminden of Sengtown near Portland, Tennessee.
Oakdale Farm was established by George Raulston Ray and Elizabeth Dycus Ray in 1856, Oakdale Farm is five miles northeast of Portland. The Rays, parents of twelve children, owned 148 acres on which they raised cows, chickens, horses, corn and hay. They also donated land for the construction of Ray’s School House where their son Hampton Ray, who became the farm’s second owner in 1883, taught the local children. Hampton and his wife Nancy B. Wyatt raised two children and farmed the property for over 50 years.
In 1938 Mrs. Cleo Geminden, the great great granddaughter of the founders, obtained 88 acres of the original farm. She and her husband William Julius eventually owned 100 acres and managed the property for almost 40 years. During these years, dairy products, tobacco, corn and hay were the chief agricultural commodities produced at Oakdale.
In 1977, approximately 93 acres came into the possession of William Adam Geminden, the great great great grandson of Raulston and Elizabeth Ray. While his parents continue to live on ten acres of the farm, William Adam works the remainder, specializing in dairy products, tobacco, corn and hay. These crops are popular throughout Middle Tennessee and constitute the foundation of many modern farms. (Provided by CJ Harris)
Raulston and Elizabeth's children: Jonathan Ray (1813 - 1879)* Phillip M Ray (1815 - 1882)* Amelia Ray Draper (1817 - 1882)* James R Ray (1819-1893)* Leah Ann Ray Lee (1823 - 1916)* Sarah Ray Huffines (1825 - 1892)* Jane Ray Sloan (1827 - 1892)* Mary "Polly" Ray Thornton (1827 - 1908)* Peter Ray (1829 - 1896)* Lucinda Ray Lambirth (1831-1861)* Margaret Ray Huffines (1833-1900)* Wade "Hampton" Ray (1839 - 1907)*
He was a lifelong Presbyterian. At the time of his death, Raulston was living with his son Wade Hampton Ray and family on the homeplace.
Thank you to Holly Knight for creating Ray-2237 on 18 Oct 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Holly and others.
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Featured National Park champion connections: Raulston is 13 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 19 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 14 degrees from George Catlin, 12 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 20 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 16 degrees from George Grinnell, 24 degrees from Anton Kröller, 17 degrees from Stephen Mather, 20 degrees from Kara McKean, 13 degrees from John Muir, 17 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 24 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.