Gray, William Ralph

1915 - 1944  (29 years)

• Name	Gray, William Ralph
  Birth	18 Jul 1915	Illinois   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Gender	Male
  Census		1940 Census, Clay City Township, Clay County, Illinois, page 10b 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 13-4) (Township), image 20, page 10b The writing in the 1940 Federal census for Clay City, Illinois is sometimes difficult to read. Ancestry.com has attempted to index this census, but there are many transcription errors.
  		1920 Census, Clay City, Illinois, page 12a 1920 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, (District 0003) (Village), image 23, page 12a
  		1930 Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, page 05b 1930 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 0003) (Village), image 10, page 05b
  Reference Number	GRAY.W004
  _FGRAVE	24196291
  Death	19 Nov 1944	Wuisse, Moselle, France   [1, 2, 7]
  	Cause: Killed in Action
  	killed in the vicinity Wuiss, Moselle, France Source: http://www.wwiimemorial.com
  		Wuisse
  Funeral	23 Jan 1949	Clay City Baptist Church, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1]
  		Funeral Card, Gray, William R. (1915-1944) Killed in Action in France November 19, 1944, remains returned for burial January 23, 1949 . Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  Military Service	World War II, Private, Company E, 104th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division, United States Army  [2, 8, 9]
  	Private with Company E, 104th Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry Division. Entered combat on October 12, 1944 and was killed in action on November 19, 1944 in vicinity of Wuiss, Moselle, France. Buried with military honors at Clay City Cemetery in Clay City, Illinois. This information has been posted on the National World War II Memorial's Registry of Remembrances website by Robert Medley Gatewood. It is entered here with his permission. Source: https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1903020 His service number was 36776941
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 01 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Flag of the United States, 48 Stars (1912-1959) In 1912, two stars were added to the United States flag, representing Arizona and New Mexico, bringing the total number of stars to 48. They were arranged in six rows of eight stars each. American fighting men would fight under this flag during four wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the beginning of the Vietnam War. (In 1959, a…
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 02 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		United States Army
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 03 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007, page 04 of 26 pages On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. This…
  		Military Service Ribbons, William Ralph Gray (1915-1944) Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
  		Purple Heart Medal, United States Military
  		World War II (1939-1945)
  		26th Infantry Division ("Yankee Division"), United States Army
  		26th Infantry Division ("Yankee Division"), United States Army
  		104th Infantry Regiment (United States Army)
  		World War II Honoree, Gray, William Ralph (1915-1944)
  		Brochure, World War II Memorial, Flora, Illinois, Nov 11, 2007 On Veterans' Day, 2005, the city of Flora, Illinois dedicated a memorial to all known Clay County, Illinois World War II Veterans. Located on the south side of the city library, this is a copy of the brochure honoring that event. This 2007 brochure adds a matrix for locating the memorial brick that was laid in honor of each veteran. …
  		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
  Burial	23 Jan 1949	Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2]
  	Ralph's remains were returned to the United States for burial after the end of the war.
  Person ID	I152	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Gray - Yauch William Gray and Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Yauch Descendants, Hasler - ? Mr. Hasler and ? Descendants, Jauch - Birk Christian 'Heitl' Jauch and Maria Birk Descendants, Jauch - Hasler Jacob Jauch and Margaret 'Margret' Hasler Descendants, Lents - Seal Jacob Lents and Elizabeth 'Betsy' Seal Descendants
  Last Modified	6 Jun 2023

  
  

  Father	Gray, Henry Lewis,   b. 24 Apr 1894, Noble, Richland County, Illinois d. 24 Sep 1968, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois (Age 74 years)
  Mother	Payne, Maude May,   b. 3 Dec 1895, Martin County, Indiana d. 29 May 1983, Richland County Memorial Hospital, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 87 years)
  Marriage	26 Sep 1914	Noble, Richland County, Illinois   [3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12]
  Age at Marriage	He : 20 years and 5 months - She : 18 years and 9 months.
  Family ID	F25	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 18 Jul 1915 - Illinois Death - Cause: Killed in Action - 19 Nov 1944 - Wuisse, Moselle, France Funeral - 23 Jan 1949 - Clay City Baptist Church, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois Burial - 23 Jan 1949 - Clay City Cemetery, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos		Clay City Veterans Memorial, Mills Park, Clay City, Illinois (East Side) Photo by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Clay City Veterans Memorial, Mills Park, Clay City, Illinois (East Side, Right Panel) Photo by Carl Wayne Gray

  
  

  Documents

  World War II Casualties, Clay County, Illinois

  
  

  Headstones

  Headstone, Gray, William R.

  
  

• Sources

  [S289] Funeral Card, Gray, Pvt. William R., none. (Reliability: 2). [S290] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Gray, William R., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24196291/william-ralph-gray), none. (Reliability: 2). [S50] https://www.ancestry.com/, 1940 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, (District 13-4) (Township), image 20, page 10b, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/2442/M-T0627-00769-00087?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.as) (Reliability: 3). [S51] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 0003) (Village), image 10, page 5b, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6224/4584337_00604?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fd), none. (Reliability: 2). [S15] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, (District 0003) (Village), image 23, page 12a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6061/4300174_00630?pid=14757672&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll) (Reliability: 2). [S53] Steve and Betty Stanford, e-mail to Carl W. Gray, "Gray Family Tree", 27 Jan 2019, 5:37pm, (Steve and Betty Stanford, e-mail to Carl W. Gray, "Gray Family Tree", 27 Jan 2019, 5:37pm), none. (Reliability: 2). [S14717] https://www.wwiimemorial.com/, National Archives & Records Administration, (https://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_wardept.aspx?honoreeID=1040619) (Reliability: 2). [S15404] Robert Medley Gatewood, Brochure, Flora, Illinois, World War II Veterans Memorial, page #4, (https://genealogy.carlwgray.com/showmedia.php?mediaID=18791) (Reliability: 2). [S14716] World War II Honoree, William Ralph Gray, (https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-plaque/?honoree_id=1903020) (Reliability: 2). [S54] https://www.findagrave.com/, Obituary, Gray, Maude M., 87, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24197164/maude_mary-gray), none. [S14351] Illinois Statewide Marriage Index 1763-1900, Marriage Index, Gray, Henry and Payne, Maude M., Volume 004, Page 0292, License #00000120, (http://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/marriageSearch.do) (Reliability: 2). [S14352] Richland County Genealogical and Historical Society (Olney, Richland County, Illinois), Richland County Marriages, 1840-1915, Grooms Book, Page #132, (Richland County Genealogical and Historical Society (Olney, Richland County, Illinois), November 15, 1993), Page #132, none. (Reliability: 3).