The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1917-02-09
PALATKA MOURNS LOSS
| OF PIONEER CITIZEN
In Death or Mrs. Eliza Wad-
dell Gray, Which Occurred
On Sd Inst.

Mrs. Eliza Waddell Gray since 1852
a resident of Palatka, died a littic
after midnight on Friday of last week.
Her death was not preceded by any
illness. She had been up and about
her household duties all the day before
and had retired feeling in her usual
health. She passed peacefully away
surrounded by all the members of
her family living here.
The funeral was held at o'clock
on Sunday afternoon from the home,
and the interment was in the family
lot in West View cemetery. Rev. DR..
C. M. Afford pastor of the Presbyte-
rian church offciated.
This ceremony was attended by a
large number of people, but particu-
larly noticeable was the large number
of old residents. Beautiful floral tri-
butes covered the casket and were
punched about, mute testimonials of
the love and esteem in which this
good woman was held by the people
among whom she had lived for 65
years.
Mrs. Gray was born November 9Th,
1888. At the age of ID she came to
Palatka from Columbia, S. c., and on
April I'd, 1857 was united in marriage
to Capt. Henry A. Gray, who proceed
ed her to the Better Land by some Fl
years. Mrs. Gray was one of the
first to unite with the Presbyterian
church in Palatka after it's organiza-
tion, and the first pastor of the church,
Rev. J. M. Quarterman, officiated at
her wedding.
AS bride, 60 years ago, on the arm
of her young husband, Mrs. Gray en-
tered the home from which her body
was CARED to the tomb last Sunday.
This home was newly built and had
been erected by Capt. Gray. This one
house had been her home all the years
of her wifehood and widowhood, ex-
cept for the four years of the civil
war, when during her husbands alb
sencc on military duty, she resided
with other Palatkans of that day at
Orange Springs. This home, too, is
historic. Through its upper story a
shell from a Federal gun boat in
front of the town went shrieking
through, leaving hole large enough
to push a head. In this home also
her children were born, and here for
many years, since several of them
have gone out to make homes for
themselves, her children have come un-
to the third generation to spend hap
py hours with mother, grandmother
and great grand mother. Fortunate
ly all of her surviving children have
| lived near, and "mother" never knew
what it was to be lonely. Her abode
was the family shrine.
There was great surprise and much
sorrow in Palatka over the sudden
death of Mrs. Gray. All old citizens
knew her and lifted their hats with
revercntial regard when passing her
on the streets or were otherwise IN
her presence. Not only her own chill
dren but Palatkans generally will rise
up and call her blessed.
Mrs. Gray is survived by SIX chill
dren, Mrs. F. D. Ackerman, Mrs. r.
C. Howell and Mrs. VIM. H. Hoyt,
Harry A. Gray, postmaster, of Pa
latka, Edward Wurtz Gray and Judge
Dewitt T. Gray of Jacksonville. The
grandchildren are Mrs. Annie Gray
Davis, Mrs. E. w. Elliott, Mrs. M. M.
Vickers, Osborne P. Gray, Mary Gray,
Nancy Eliza Gray and Henry J. Gray;
and three great grand children, Mer-
Ger Gray Davis, Dorothy Anne Davis
and Ola Deare Vickers.
Mrs. Gray's death was due to heart
failure.