William Wayne Gray (1920 - 1997)

Born 27 Mar 1920 in Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States

Husband of Daisy Dean Killmer — married 11 Sep 1949 in Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States

Died 24 Mar 1997 at age 76 in Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

William Wayne Gray, son of John Nunnery Gray and Laura Belle Riley, was born on 27 March 1920 in Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States.^[1] He was enumerated there with his parents and siblings during the 1930 and 1940 censuses.^[2][3]

William registered for the draft in Miami, Dade County, Florida, during World War II, on 1 July 1941. He was working as a carpenter. William was described as five feet eleven and a half inches tall, 175 pounds, with gray eyes, brown hair, and ruddy complexion.^[4] The following year on 18 November 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in Lafayette.^[5]

He married Daisy Dean Killmer, daughter of Henry Jasper Killmer and Bertha Lizzie Coles, at the First Presbyterian Church in Crowley on 11 September 1949.^[6][7][8] They were enumerated together during the 1950 census, living on Northern Avenue in Crowley, where William ran his own business as a building contractor.^[9]

They had three children.^[10]

William was widowed on 6 March 1997,^[11] and he died about two weeks later on 24 March 1997 in Crowley, at age 76.^[12][13] He was buried beside Daisy at Woodlawn Cemetery.^[1][14]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find A Grave, database and images (findagrave.com : accessed 19 Apr 2024); memorial page for William Wayne Gray Sr. (27 Mar 1920–24 Mar 1997), Find A Grave: Memorial #139503455, citing Woodlawn Cemetery, Crowley, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, USA; headstone photo included with inscription, "WWII Veteran".
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 10 Mar 2024), household of John Nunnery Gray (indexed as John Munsey Gray), Police Jury Ward 6, Crowley, Acadia, Louisiana, United States; citing Enumeration District 1-21, sheet 4A, family 71, line 8, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) publication T626; FHL microfilm 2,340,517.

   - John Nunnery Gray M White 43 Married Head Mississippi

   - Laura Gray F White 35 Married Wife Louisiana

   - Anna Laurie Gray F White 13 Single Daughter Louisiana

   - Mildred Gray F White 12 Single Daughter Louisiana

   - Wayne Gray M White 10 Single Son Louisiana

3. ↑ "United States Census, 1940", FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 6 Mar 2024), household of John N Gray, Crowley, Acadia, Louisiana, United States; citing Enumeration District 1-23, sheet 1A, family 7, line 21, 612 Ave F, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) publication T627; FHL digital folder 005454614 image 167.

   - John N Gray M White 52 Married Head Louisiana

   - Laura Gray F White 45 Married Wife Louisiana

   - Mildred Gray F White 22 Single Daughter Louisiana

   - William Gray M White 20 Single Son Louisiana

4. ↑ "Florida, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 8 Mar 2024), William Wayne Gray, 01 Jul 1941.
5. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 5 Dec 2014), William W Gray, enlisted 18 Nov 1942, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
6. ↑ "Louisiana, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1718-1925," database with images (ancestry.com: accessed 20 Apr 2024), Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7837 #647153, William Gray and Daisy Killmer, married 11 Sep 1949, Acadia, Louisiana, USA; citing Louisiana Secretary of State's Office, Baton Rouge, LA, Louisiana Marriage Index, reel 46, certificate 263??.
7. ↑ "Louisiana, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current," database (ancestry.com : accessed 20 Apr 2024),Ancestry Record 50043 #4605037410, William Wayne Gray and Daisy Dean Killmer, engagement announcement; citing The Crowley Post-Signal (Crowley, Louisiana), pub. 30 Jul 1949, p. 3, col. 1; viewed on newspapers.com (may be viewed with subscription only).
8. ↑ "U.S., Newspapers.com™ Marriage Index, 1800s-current," database (ancestry.com : accessed 20 Apr 2024),Ancestry Record 62116 #333818782, William Wayne Gray and Daisy Dean Killmer, marriage license listings; citing The Crowley Post-Signal, pub. 16 Sep 1949, p. 3, col. 5; viewed on newspapers.com (may be viewed with subscription only).
9. ↑ "United States 1950 Census", FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 19 Mar 2024), household of Wayne Gray, Crowley, Acadia, Louisiana, United States; citing Enumeration District 1-44, sheet 73, family 2, line 5, Northern Ave, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) publication T627; FHL digital folder 005454614 image 167.

   - Wayne Gray M 30 Married Head Building Contractor La

   - Daisy Gray F 28 Married Wife Stenographer La

10. ↑ Names of children withheld for privacy.
11. ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 10 Feb 2023), Daisy Dean Killmer, died 6 Mar 1997.
12. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 10 Jan 2021), William Wa Y Gray, 24 Mar 1997; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
13. ↑ "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (familysearch.org : 10 Feb 2023), William Wayne Gray, b. 28 Mar 1919 in Crowley, Louisiana, d. 24 Mar 1997.
14. ↑ "U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current," database (ancestry.com : accessed 20 Apr 2024), Ancestry Record 61843 #616442138, William Wayne Gray, age 76, died 24 Mar 1997; citing The Bunkie Record (Bunkie, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana), pub. 27 Mar 1997, p. 2, col. 1; viewed on newspapers.com (may be viewed with subscription only).