Robert Walker Ray

Robert Ray, a lifelong resident of Audrain County, was born May 26,1893 just north of Thompson. He was the son of William Henry Ray (1865-1936) and Elizabeth Clara Watkins (1871-1936). On December 31, 1916, Robert married Frances Margaret "Fannie" Snook, the daughter of Jacob R. Snook and Mary E. Skelly. Robert and Fannie were blessed with five children: Helen Agnes, Alice R., Anna Elizabeth "Betty", Clarence E. and Billy J. In 1925, Helen died at the age of five and the family lost their mother, Fannie, on January 5, 1932. On February 16, 1944, Robert took for his second wife, Leta Lorene Goodrich, the widow of Othel Wainscott. Leta was the daughter of George A. Goodrich and Jane A. Preston. Robert and Leta had one child, Kenneth Robert. Farming was Robert's primary occupation, and he lived many years on "Breezy Lane" Farm located ten miles east of Mexico on Highway 54. In addition to farming, he hauled milk in ten-gallon cans from dairy farms in the Martinsburg area to the Audrain County Dairy in Mexico. In the early days of his farming career, Robert also operated grain separators, raised mules, and dug wells to supplement his income. Besides farming, Robert was also active in community activities: he served on the Eureka School Board, Littleby Methodist Church Building Committee, and as a county election official at Edwards School. Regarding politics, let there be no doubt, he was a Democrat. In 1965, Robert and Leta retired and moved to 702 N. Clark in Mexico. During their retirement they enjoyed visits with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, neighbors, friends, and other relatives. Note: James Raymond Ray (1916–2007) was Robert's adopted brother.