PRAY, Frederick Hall^{[1, 2, 3]}

1851 - 1909  (58 years)

• Name	PRAY, Frederick Hall
  Birth	14 Apr 1851	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA   [1, 4, 5]
  Gender	Male
  Also Known As	Fred
  Census	27 Jul 1860	Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA   [6]
  	Frederic H Pray / Age 9 / Sex M / / Birthplace Mass-
  Obituary	From the Santa Cruz Evening News, 18 Jun 1910: FRED H. PRAY PASSES OVER DEATH COMES TO END SUFFERINGS OF WELL KNOWN MAN-ABOUT TOWN. SON OF THE LATE AMASA PRAY, A NAME LINKED WITH EARLY LOCAL HISTORY. Fred H. Pray, the well known man-about-town, who has lived in Santa Cruz for over 40 years, died at the Mission Hill sanatorium this morning, after a long Illness, following injuries he receved In a fall from a wagon on the Scotts Valley road a ittle over a year ago. Pray was the son of the late Amasa Pray, one of the pioneers of Santa Cruz, who conducted the Pacific Ocean house In early days. His father and mother are both dead, Mrs. Pray having died here about three years ago. Mrs. Miriam F. Bancroft of Berkeley, a sister, was with him when he died. He was unconscious for some time before he passed away, but before that he frequently wished for death to end his sufferings. The dead man was much beloved by his many friends. He was a native of Massachusetts, 58 years of age, but came to California when he was 13 and lived In Santa Cruz practically ever since. Since his mother died Pray made his home with Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Young, old friends of the family. Further down the page: Died Pray - In Santa Cruz, June 18, Fred H Pray, a native of Massachusetts, aged 58 years. The funeral services for deceased will be held from Wesendorf & Stafflers undertaking parlor tomorrow, Saturday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. Friends and acquaintances are invited to attend the services. Interment strictly private.  [7]
  Death	17 Jun 1909	Mission Hill Sanatorium, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA   [1, 3, 7]
  	Death records & headstone have 17 Jun 1909, newspaper has 18 Jun 1909
  Burial	19 Jun 1909	IOOF Cemetery, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Co, CA   [7]
  Notes	A somewhat astonishing tale as told in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, 16 Sep 1908: FRED PRAY STILL LIVES PROMINENT MAN THROWN FROM WAGON IN SCOTTS VALLEY. Fred Pray is not dead, all reports to the contrary. He had a bad fall Tuesday afternoon and is somewhat bruised up, but he is resting comfortably at W. P. Young's Dye Works on on Locust St. He was brought in from Scotts Valley in an ambulance, and immediately after his arrival the report was current that he had breathed his last and was resting at the Pacific Coast Undertaking Parlors. Many kind words were said about Mr. Pray by those who thought him deceased. "I'm not dead, and you can't kill me off," said Mr. pray with a faint smile to a "Sentinel" reporter, who interviewed the unfortunate man as he rested back on his pillows. "It was Just this way. I wasn't very busy to day, so for the mere pleasure of an outing I accompanied Mr. Miland, of the Seidlinger Transfer Co on his express wagon with a load of furniture for Locke's place In Scott Valley. We had a nice lunch and started home. Near Bert Fagen's place Mr. Miland left me for a few moments, and then the trouble began. One of the horses was a big, buxom colt, a mean critter, who could kick six feet high. This colt kicked sideways with such force as to knock one of the traces loose, and the pole dropped. The horses started on a mad tear. To save my life I ran them into a bank. I fell headlong to the ground, and the wagon fell on top of me. It is a miracle that I am alive today. But I am not yet destined to die, for way back in '76 I fell 42 feet into a well, breaking a leg in two places, but I have lived on. I held on to the reins with a grip of steel, until help came and relieved me". During his talk Fred Pray gave frequent groans, for his body is badly wrenched. His right arm is so sore that he can hardly use it, and it may be a very long time before he will ever be able to work with it again. [8]
  Person ID	I5436	Hugh Byrne and Nanette Asimov Lines
  Last Modified	22 Nov 2023

  
  

  Father	PRAY, Amasa,   b. 1817, North Berwick, York, Maine, United States d. 23 Aug 1881, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA (Age 64 years)
  Mother	FERNALD, Miriam,   b. Nov 1824, Great Falls, Androscoggin, Maine USA d. 11 Aug 1906, 28 Union Street, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA (Age 81 years)
  Marriage	2 Oct 1839	Boston, Massachusetts, USA   [9]
  	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
  Family ID	F52	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	RIDDELL, Margaret,   b. Abt 1855   d. 13 Apr 1890, Glen Riddell, Gilroy, Santa Clara, CA USA (Age 35 years)
  Marriage	8 Apr 1883	Oakland, Alameda, CA, USA   [10, 11]
  	Reportedly had two ceremonies, the second on or about 8 Nov 1883. This was due to some confusion as to whether Maggie was officially divorced from her first husband.
  Divorce	19 Sep 1889	San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA   [12, 13]
  	“Fred Pray has been divorced from Maggie Pray on the ground of habitual intemperance.”
  Notes	From the SF Examiner, 19 Sep 1889: Mrs. Pray Deaf to Her Husband's Prayers Decrees and Alimony. "In the name of all that is good and holy I have begged my wife to quit drinking," said Fred H. Pray to Judge Levy yesterday morning. "It was no use, though, for she was confirmed in the habit, and her excesses have driven us to ruin, financially and every other way." Mrs. Maggie Pray, the woman accused, made no denial. She was arrested at the Grand Hotel a month aco for being intoxicated. It was disclosed to the court that Mrs. Pray is also addicted to the morphine habit, and a divorce was granted to her husband on tbe ground of intemperance. Three years earlier, this strange item from the SF Examiner, 22 Nov 1886: LOOK ON THIS PICTURE. A Negative Photographer Twice Married but Not Mated. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN-ON AND after this date I will not be responsible for any debts contracted by my wife. FRED H. PRAY. San Francisco, November 17, 1886. In order to ascertain the hidden meaning of this public avowal, an Examiner reporter yesterday called on Mrs. Redell, mother of Mrs. Pray. Said Mrs. Redell: " Well. I will not say anything about it, but I think a piece ought to be put in the papers, stating that he was not good for his own debts, even. Yes; the remnants of his photograph gallery have been sold at auction; he owed General Keyes about $1,500 rent; instead of supporting my daughter, she has had to pawn her jewelry and other effects for them to live on; some of her trunks are now at the Donohoe House, some at a lodging-house on Sutter street, and he owes other bills at hotels where they stopped as long as he could get credit. While they lived in Oakland, their gas bill was shut off twice, and he owes the butcher and the druggist. Well, he left her about three weeks ago when his gallery was closed, and is traveling round the country, camping out. My daughter, Mrs. Pray, heard he was at Congress Springs, and so she and a lady friend went down there to see him. I would not go with her, because I think Mr. Wainright is the proper husband for her. Mr. Wainright was her first husband. He is from Pittsburg, Pa., and is quite wealthy. They came here several years ago; I lived at Gilroy you know. Mr. Wainright, his initials are J. G., got a divorce from my daughter and went East keeping the decree in his pocket, not recording it in order, I suppose, to keep my daughter from marrying. But she married this man Pray. Then, when Wainright returned, he recorded the divorce, and so the marriage was celebrated over again, she being twice married to Mr. Pray. We thought her first marriage to him was not legal because the divorce had not been recorded. No; I do not know whether there is another woman in the scene or not. I cannot imagine what Pray did with his money -- he did not properly support my daughter, and it is not likely any one will credit him, so there is no danger of her running up bills in his name." [12, 14]
  Family ID	F3814	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	26 Nov 2023

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 14 Apr 1851 - Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA Census - 27 Jul 1860 - Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA Marriage - 8 Apr 1883 - Oakland, Alameda, CA, USA Divorce - 19 Sep 1889 - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA Death - 17 Jun 1909 - Mission Hill Sanatorium, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA Burial - 19 Jun 1909 - IOOF Cemetery, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Co, CA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources

  [S1282] Fred H Pray-in the California, U.S., Death Index, 1905-1939. [S1284] Frederick H Pray-in the California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898. [S1283] Fred Hall Pray-in the California, U.S., Voter Registrations, 1900-1968. [S1285] Pray Monument, Fred H Pray: Apr 14, 1851 - Jun 17, 1909. [S1309] Frederick Hall Pray-in the Massachusetts, U.S., Birth Records, 1840-1915--. [S1286] Amasa Pray-in the 1860 United States Federal Census, Frederic H Pray / Age 9 / Sex M / / Birthplace Mass-. [S1333] Fred H Pray Passes Over. [S1307] Fred Pray Still Lives. [S1304] Meriam Fernald-in the Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. [S1310] Marriages - Pray - Wainright, PRAY - WAINRIGHT - In Oakland, by Rev. Mr. Ackerly, Fred H Pray to Maggie Wainright. [S1336] M Wainright or Wainwright-in the California, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941. [S1311] Look On This Picture. [S1330] Divorce Matters. [S1331] Yesterday’s Divorces.