Cemetery Tour

Bray Reunion 2005

Narration and Info

Most of the information gathered here is told from the perspective of Carleen (Bray) Skerston.

List of Gravesites1. Dodie & Berent Volk 11-1 11

.Baby Peter Bray 4-64

2. Carol Schultheis 11-3 12.

Ramona Bray 4-64

3. Baby Cindy Ball 11-3 13.

Nancy & Patrick Bray

7-18

4. Wayne Ball 11-3 14.

Helen Meyer & Shack

7-18

5. Peg & Al Newman 16-14

15.

Harriet Starkey 7-18

6. Sadie & Jinx Bray 16-13

16. Doc Cob & Ursula 13-15

7. Granny Waters 7-11 17. Bill Golick 13-15

8. Mary & Sim Bray Sr. 4-52 18. Chuck Golick 13-15

9. Lambs of Babies 4-64 19. Christy & Joe Almy OakHill

10.

Leo & Anna Bray 4-64 20. Ruth & Dale Almy OakHill

Dodie (Josephine Bray) & Berent (Highpockets) Volk

location: 11-1Dode

born: August 31, 1920died: March 29, 1997

Berentborn: February 3, 1917died: March 4, 1989

information:We never knew how we got the nickname Dodie

out of Josephine. Dodie and Highpockets were the first of the siblings to achieve their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Highpockets was from Oklahoma and his father was in the historic land-rush. His parents married when she was in her 20s and he in his 50s to which he said he was still too young to marry.

Carol Schultheis

location: 11-3born: April 22, 1963died: April 21, 2004information:Died in the Utica tornado of 2004. She was the

daughter of Joanne Fleming and Granddaughter of Berent and Dodie Volk. On the Friday evening before the tornado she was returning from her birthday celebration with her Mom and while passing the cemetery said that she wanted to be buried with her sister Cindy.

Baby Cindy Ball

location: 11-3born: July 8, 1962died: 9 monthsinformation:Daughter of Wayne and Joanne (Volk/Fleming)

Ball. She died suddenly of meningitis. She was only 9 months old. This was shortly after Anna Bray passed away and some were comforted in saying that now Gramma had a baby to hold in heaven.

Wayne (Danke) Ball

location: 11-3born: July 3, 1940died: April 21, 2004information:Died in the Utica tornado of 2004. He was

married to Joanne (Volk/Fleming) and was father to Julie, Carol, Chuck, and Cindy Ball. He was well-known as an auctioneer and a respected member of the Spring Valley Boat Club.

Peggy (Julia Bray) & Al Newman

location: 16-14Peg

born: (1896)79 yrs olddied: June 14, 1975

Alborn: (1901)75 yrs olddied: November 26, 1976

information:They were almost parents for Billy. Ma had both Jim

and I as babies and “Aunt Dude” took Billy home so Anna could have a bit of a rest. In their later years, Bill took care of them. Peggy and Al lived on Lincoln Street in Utica in the home now occupied by Don & Sandy Bray. Uncle Al worked in the Defense Plant in Wilmington during WWII. They later moved to the Albany Park area of Chicago where he worked at Douglas Aircraft (now O’Hare Airport) as a fireman.

Sadie & Jinx (Charles) Bray

location: 16-13Sadie

born: September 25, 1904died: October 9, 1994

Jinxborn: January 14, 1894died: April 16, 1981

information:Jinx is best remembered as the Ice Man in Utica.

He had a livery service for hauling coal in the winter and ice in the summer. When iceboxes changed to refrigerators he sought other employment in St. Charles then to Geneva, IL. Sadie and Jinx both worked at the “boys school”. He was the night superintendent and Sadie tended the switchboard.

Granny (Julia) Waters

location: 7-11born: (1828)86 yrs. olddied: August 28, 1918information:Julia was Leo Bray’s Mother Nancy’s mother. She

was born in Ireland. Julia Lynch Waters’ parents were Patrick Lynch and Catherine Harvey born in County Longford, Ireland. They immigrated in about 1850.

Mary & Sim Bray Sr.

location: 4-52Mary

born: (1865)71.5 yrs. olddied: October 19, 1936

Simborn: (1857)70 yrs. olddied: May 12, 1935 (6)

information:A baby is buried with them that died at 6 mos old

who was born in 1898. Uncle Sim and Aunt Mary lived in the house west of the Utica Baptist Church. Grampa Patty was born there at the time of the Civil War. Today there is a parking lot there. At the Utica Museum going down the stairs on the south wall you will see a plaque from the Utica River Bridge with his name on it as Utica Township Commissioner.

Caption reads “ Helen, Charlotte, Mary & Sim, Mother, Dodie & Ma”

Lambs of Babies(Marie and Kathryne Studebaker)

Picture location: 4-64born: 1906 & 1910died: 1907 & ??information:Aunt Mayme and Uncle Ira Studebaker. Aunt

Mayme was 10 years older than Leo Bray and when he was born, she named her baby brother Leo after the new Pope, Leo XIII. They moved to Belmont, IA and sent money back to tend the graves. They then realized there was more room and gave the plots to Leo.

Leo & Anna (Stremlau) Bray

location: 4-64Anna

born: 67 yrs. olddied: June 19, 1961

Leoborn: 78 yrs. olddied: January 21, 1971

information:Pa was a graduate of Brown’s Business College in

1912. He was Superintendent of the American Silica Sand Company. I always thought that he was the smartest man in the world. I got philosophy, cooking, and patience from my Mother.

Baby Peter Bray

location: 4-64born: December 29, 1960died: December 31, 1960information:Son of Bill & Ramona Bray. He passed

while Bill & Mona lived on Montrose Avenue in Chicago. Pa (Leo) was often called “Pete” by his friends, thus many of the Grandchildren carry this name.

Ramona Bray

location: 4-64born: August 12, 1934died: June 1, 2003information:Wife of Patrick (Bill) Bray. She graduated

Valedictorian of her LP high school class of 1952. She played piano and was a nurse. She and her husband moved from Lowell, IL to Estes Park, CO in 1980s. She also was very active in hospice.

Nancy (Anna) & Patrick Bray

location: 7-18Nancy

born: died:

Patrickborn: died: September 18, 1944

information:Gramma Nancy was a midwife helping Dr. Geen

and she took care of many people. Grampa Patty was called “the Old Captain” by his sons because he was a policeman. He worked at “The Chemical” which is now the Philadelphia Quartz Company in Utica. He used to sit on the swing on the front porch and would tell the grandchildren stories of when he was little and played with the Indian children in the woods.

Helen Meyer & Shack (Edward

Simon) BrayPicture location: 7-18

Helenborn: March 20, 1916died: November 11, 1992

Shackborn: January 29, 1900 (60)died: March 16, 1960

information:Helen and Shack were rumored to be engaged

but never had married (there is a ring). Helen’s mother was a sister to Anna Stremlau. Shack was a brother to Leo Bray. He was a guard at the Seneca Shipyards. He was godparent to Joanne Fleming. Helen worked as a housekeeper for Grampa Patty and the 2 bachelor sons (Shack and Jinx). Then Jinx got married and moved away. Then, Grampa Patty died. Helen stayed on.

Harriet (Bray) Starkey

location: 7-18born: August 2, 1916died: July 5, 1995information:She was married at 15. She got her college

degree at age 65 from Governor’s State University. She moved into Uncle Howard’s house in Spring Valley after his death and was proud to own a house of her own. She loved to dance and was well-known for sharing her opinion even if not asked for.

Doc Cob (William) & Ursula (Carver) O’Brien

location: 13-15Ursula

born: (1894)58 yrs olddied: November 27, 1947

Doc Cobborn: June 29, 1891 (53)died: July 15, 1950

information:Doc Cob was Gramma Nancy’s sister’s son. The

sister had died during childbirth and so was raised by Gramma Nancy and was a baby at the same time as Leo Bray and thus they were raised like twins. He was the Utica Town Policeman. Ursula’s mother lived in Wilmington. She would often ride to work with Uncle Al to visit her mother for a few days.

Bill Golick

location: 13-15born: April 28, 1935(26)died: October 19, 1961information:He was the husband of Carleen (Bray) Skerston.

He worked at Marquette Cement Company (now Lonestar). He is father to Dave, Chuck, and Rich Golick. He died in a car accident by the golf course curve in Utica, IL. The first time he came to church while dating Carleen, people were commenting on why he remained standing while others knelt. In actuality, he too was kneeling with his 6’6” height. He was a graduate of St. Bede Academy.

Chuck Golick

location: 13-15born: June 27, 1956 (25)died: December 24, 1981information:He was the son of Carleen (Bray/Golick) Skerston.

He died of cancer. He was an iron worker and had participated in the building of St. Margaret’s Hospital, the Seneca Grade school, the Ottawa River Bridge, and projects in Las Vegas and beyond. He was known for having a jovial personality and was very charming.

Christy & Joe Almylocation: Oak Hill CemeteryChristy

born: December 16, died:

Joeborn: August 26, 1901 died:

information:Joseph William Almy was the youngest son of

Katherine (Barnhart) Almy and Joseph Almy.  He was the father of Lois Marie Almy who married Edward Charles Bray.  He was a member of the Operating Engineers Local 150 and operated a crane for major construction in the area.  He served with the Navy during World War I.  He died in 1975. 

His wife Christina Olena Samson. They were married in Dixon, Illinois on July 30th, 1923.  Together they raised two children.

Side note:  Christina Samson Almy was the Aunt to Berent Volk and Great Aunt to the children he and Dodie Bray beget.  Christina's sister Marie was Berent's mother. He was named after his Grandfather Berent Samson.  Berent Samson was born in Stavanger, Norway.  He died in January, 1913 leaving his wife Julia (nee Hanson- born in Bergen, Norway in 1863.) to raise their four children. Julia died September 5, 1927. In addition to Christina and Marie, there was another sister named Nellie who married Archie Shelton.  They lived in Minnesota.  And a son named Sam Samson.  This is the Uncle Sam we knew as kids who lived across the street from the Volk's and Shack's home on Lincoln Street in the old railroad car.  At the time of his death, Sam was a very large man weighing well over 300 pounds.  This is a little of the background on how Dodie's and Ed's kids are double cousins.  Ed and Dodie were siblings while Lois and Berent were first cousins.  The people mentioned above are also buried at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Ruth & Dale Almylocation: Oak Hill CemeteryRuth

born: died: 2004

Daleborn: May 23, 1924died: November 9, 1967

information:Lois and Joseph Dale Almy, her older brother.  He served in the Army Air Force during World War II.  He

married Ruth Sroka of Streator on December 28, 1946.  Ruth lived and worked in the Illinois Valley Area until her death in 2004.

May you all Rest in Peace