PRAY, Charles Milton

Other Events and Attributes:

• Physical Description: Tall, slender, brown hair, brown eyes
• Obituary: From Santa Cruz Evening News, 22 Dec 1930: Son of 1867 S. C. Village Trustee Dies In Belmont Milton Pray, whose father, Amasa Pray, was one of the first three trustees of Santa Cruz when its village government was organized in 1867, died last Wednesday at Belmont. Funeral services were held this afternoon in San Francisco. Pray's mother was a daughter of the Rev. Samuel Hopkins Willey, the fourth minister of the Congregational church here, who was later one of the founders of the University of California at Berkeley. His father, Amasa Pray, was trustee of Santa Cruz in 1867 and was president of the board of trustees of the village government in 1868. After that he was a real estate broker here. Mr. Pray is survived by his mother, Mrs. Anna B. Pray, and a sister, Fannie Jeffers Pray, both Of Berkeley.
• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1896, 2121 Buchannan Street, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
• Arrival: 5 Aug 1910, San Francisco, California
• Residence: 1917, 1273 Cabrillo Street, San Mateo, San Mateo, CA USA
• Residence: 1920, Burlingame, San Mateo, California
• Residence: 1930, Burlingame, San Mateo, California

Charles married DAY, Anna on 2 Sep 1896 in Lincoln Ave, Willow Glen, San Jose, Santa Clara, CA USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

From the San Jose Herald, 3 Sep 1896:

Pray - Day

A happy wedding was celebrated at hight noon Wednesday when Miss Anna Day and Milton Pray were united in wedlock. The ceremony took place at the residence of the bride's parents on Lincoln Av in the Willows. Rev. Dr. Willey of San Francisco grandfather of the groom officiating.

The beautiful sububan home of Captain J. C. Day was exquisitely decorated.

The bride wore a gown of rare beauty of white duchess satin trimmed with point lace. She carried a boquet of jessamines. The bridesmade was Miss Fannie Pray of San Francisco, a sister of the groom. She wore a gown of mouslin de soi over white silk and carried a boquet of pink Japanese lillies. The gown was trimmed with pink ribbons. The best man was Frank B. King of San Francisco.

As the bride and groom entered the parlor and proceeded to the bower of roses they were preceded by little Miss Beulah Gray of San Jose and Miss Clara Allen of Nevada City, dressed as flower girles. They carried baskets of flowers and scattered them in the path of the contracting parties. Dr Willey's ceremony was simple and brief and he joined the couple for life.

On the lawn a section had been divided off with enormous palms. Inside this space, under gigantic Japanese umbrellas, tables were placed. here an exquisite wedding breakfast was spread.

The couple left on the afternoon train for a trip to Del Monte. On their return they will be at home at 2121 Buchannan St., San Francisco.

The bride is the accomplished daughter of Captain J. C. Day and wife. She was educated here at Van Ness seminary, San Francisco, where she graduated last Spring. The groom is a man of sterling worth, being counted with the firm of Miller, Sloss & Scott, San Francisco. Presents in endless quantity were showered upon them from all directions. -- San Jose Herald

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Bookkeeper
• Census: 25 Aug 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Naturalization: 2 Sep 1851, Newport, RI, USA
• Census: 27 Jul 1860, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Notes:

Census:
Amasa Pray / 34 / Male / Occu - Wood Warf / Born in Maine-Miriam Pray / 27 / Female / Born in Maine-Charles A Pray / 9 / Male / Born in Mass-Francis A Pray / 7 / Female / Born in Mass-Amasa Pray / 4 / Male / Born in Mass

Naturalization:
730 Drennan, Samuel 50 Illinois Gen’l Agent Santa Cruz #2 Jul 14, 1880-

Census:
Amasa Pray / Age 14 / Sex M / / Birthplace Mass-

Amasa married WILLEY, Annie B on 26 Jan 1874 in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA. Annie (daughter of WILLEY, Samuel Hopkins) was born in 1852 in California. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Notes:

Married:
Married by father, Rev S.H. Willey

Other Events and Attributes:

• Obituary: Amasa Pray One by one the old landmarks are being swept away, and the last old citizen to be carried to his narrow house was Amasa Pray, who, on Wednesday last, under the auspices of the Masonic fraternity, was interred in the Odd Fellow’s cemetery. For two years previous to the day of his death the deceased had been gradually sinking. A native of Maine, a merchant of Boston and an early resident of Santa Barbara, where he owned a large amount of real estate, he sold out and came to Santa Cruz in 1864. In company with his son-in-law, H. H. Hobbs, he opened a storee in the brick building on the hill, the property of Jacques Leslie. Subsequently they moved their goods into the Santa Cruz Hotel. In company with W. H. Moore, Mr. Pray erected the Pacific Ocean House, they being the owners of the wooden building that was burned down, and in fact the landlords as successor to Bradley & Stevens, their successors being Olds & Co. In the room now occupied by Mr. Ostorlaus, Pray & Hobbs merchandised for a number of years. Mr. Pray sold his interest in the Ocean House to H. Holley, he practically having constructed the building that covers the alley way and now occupied on the lower floor by W. H. Hobbs, and which he owned at the time of his demise. The deceased took no active part in the enterprise with which he was identified, but he served the people faithfully and wells school trustee and member of the city counsel, was in candidacy on two occasions as supervisor, once as supervisor at large and once as supervisor of the district in which he lived, and he was a railroad director at the time the Santa Cruz road was transferred to Stanford & Co. For some three years previous to his death he was engaged in the real estate business in company with his brother-in-law, Samuel Drennan. He was a warm-hearted, genial man, and we shall long miss from our streets the pleasant face, so ever ready to give a friendly salutation to all.
• Census: 25 Aug 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Census: 27 Jul 1860, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Arrival: 1864, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Census: 9 Jun 1870, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Notes:

Census:
Amasa Pray / 34 / Male / Occu - Wood Warf / Born in Maine-Miriam Pray / 27 / Female / Born in Maine-Charles A Pray / 9 / Male / Born in Mass-Francis A Pray / 7 / Female / Born in Mass-Amasa Pray / 4 / Male / Born in Mass

Census:
Amasa Pray / Age 41 / Sex M / Occupation: Wood & Coal Merchant / Real Estate $10,000 / Personal Estate $11,000 / Birthplace Maine

Census:
Pray Amasa / Age 53 / Male / White / Occupation Retired Merchant / Real Estate Holdings $25,000 / Personal Holdings $5,000 / Born in Maine / Male Citizen over 21

Amasa married FERNALD, Miriam on 2 Oct 1839 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Miriam (daughter of FERNALD, Oliver and HEARD, Olive) was born in Nov 1824 in Great Falls, Androscoggin, Maine USA; died on 11 Aug 1906 in 28 Union Street, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Obituary: From the Santa Cruz Sentinel, 13 Aug 1906: ANGEL OF DEATH CALLS MRS. PRAY WIDOW OF LATE AMASA PRAY AND MOTHER OF FRED H PRAY YIELDS TO OLD AGE. Mrs. Amasa Pray, the widow of the late Amasa Pray, at one time half owner of the Pacific Ocean House and a member of one of the pioneer families of Santa Cruz, died at her home on Union St. at 2:15 on Saturday morning, surrounded by her children. Mrs. Pray died of a general breakdown, at the age of 85. Mr. and Mrs. Pray were among the earliest pioneers of this section, coming here 45 years ago. Deceased leaves two sons, Amasa Pray of San Francisco, Fred H. Pray of this city, and two daughters. Mrs. Minnie Bancroft and Mrs. Fanny Hobbs of Berkeley. She was born in Berwick, Maine. The Palmer drug store property, as well as the home on Union St. belonged to Mrs. Pray, the latter place having been her home for many years. For two months she has been very ill and her two daughters and her son Fred have been in almost constant attendance on her. They have the sympathy of many friends in their loss.
• Residence: 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, Massachusetts
• Census: 25 Aug 1850, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Census: 27 Jul 1860, Dorchester, Norfolk, MA, USA
• Census: 9 Jun 1870, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1900, Santa Cruz Ward 2, Santa Cruz, California

Notes:

Census:
Amasa Pray / 34 / Male / Occu - Wood Warf / Born in Maine-Miriam Pray / 27 / Female / Born in Maine-Charles A Pray / 9 / Male / Born in Mass-Francis A Pray / 7 / Female / Born in Mass-Amasa Pray / 4 / Male / Born in Mass

Census:
Miriam Pray / Age 38 / Sex F / / Birthplace Maine-

Census:
Pray Marian / Age 48 / Female / White / Keeping House / Born in Mass

Died:
(address later became the Walter Byrne residence, but at this time had been in the Pray family)

Notes:

Married:
Scanned/transcribed record in Ancestry lists as 2 Sep 1839, but reviewing book clearly shows chronological order, and that dates go ... 30 Sep ...OCT...1...2...etc

David married Sarah. Sarah was born in 1794; died on 7 Jan 1890 in Sanford, York, Maine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Blacksmith & Farmer
• Residence: 1 Jun 1840, North Berwick, York, Maine, USA
• Residence: 1850, Berwick, York, Maine
• Residence: 1860, North Berwick, York, Maine
• Residence: 1880, North Berwick, York, Maine

Notes:

Maine death records have his date of death as March 30, 1883. Headstone shows March 31, 1883 as his date of death, which is used in this record as his death date. Interesting/odd that his granddaughter, Mabel Drennan Byrne, used a different, earlier date (2 Mar 1882) in a 1927 DAR account on early California pioneers.

Oliver married HEARD, Olive on 8 Mar 1821 in North Berwick, Maine. Olive (daughter of HEARD, Benjamin and CHADBOURNE, Joanna) was born on 24 Nov 1801 in Berwick, Maine; died on 2 Mar 1831 in North Berwick, Maine. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Also Known As: Olive Hurd

Notes:

Married:
Married by Nathaniel Lord