We should thank Uncle Dave for pushing for greater family awareness about health, wellness, longevity, and causes of death.

Few of us want to talk about all of these health-related topics. Everyone agrees that how well you are, how long you will live, and what you will die of should maybe stay in private conversation–or, with your doctor/health provider.

Not anymore. Knowing more about yourself and your family’s health history might add more years of good health. Knowing more might even provide a greater awareness of diseases you may experience.

At the 2017 reunion dinner, Uncle Dave challenged members of the family to learn about diseases that are prevalent in the family. He cited high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney problems. Uncle Dave said that the members of the Gay family died from strokes, diabetes, and heart attacks.

    Uncle Dave speaking at the July 2017 Gay-Parker reunion dinner

On May 19, 2018, Uncle Dave used his own health challenges of having to receive dialysis treatment as a means of sharing health awareness information about kidney disease and dialysis to family and community.

Here are facts from death certificates and recollections of family members which support the somber statements Uncle Dave made about our family health and the pursuit of wellness.

Pa Bob’s mother, Arie Gay, is believed to have died from stroke and heart attack at age 44. This conclusion is based on statements Pa Bob made when he shared recollections about his mother Arie Gay. He recalled that she had heavily swollen feet at the end of a day of working in the fields and that she would faint. No death certificate is available for Arie Gay.

Pa Bob Gay had one sister and four brothers. Pa Bob and his siblings died from the following causes according to death certificates found in Ancestry.com and from Pitt County Courthouse.

Stroke

Heart attack

Kidney failure

Pneumonia and respiratory arrest

Suicide

Accident (drowning)

Ages at death: 1-3 years old, 43, 46, 66, 76, and (81)Pa Bob’s age at his death

Ma Lillie Parker Gay’s mother, Jenny Parker Moore, died from infection and tetanus/ lockjaw. Ma Lillie’s mother Jenny was 37 when she died.

Ma Lillie had two brothers.

Ma Lillie and her brothers died from the following causes according to death certificates:

Stroke

Heart Attack

Ages at death: 42, 50, and (87) Ma Lillie’s age at the time of her death

Pa Bob and Ma Lillie had 10 children in the years of 1915 through 1935.

According to death certificates in Ancestry.com, eight of Ma Lillie and Pa Bob’s 10 children died from the following causes:

Stroke

Kidney disease

Heart Attack

Epilepsy

Car accident

Suicide

Infancy–pneumonia/respiratory disease

Their ages at their deaths were as follows:: three months, 17, 45, 56, 81, 83, 88, and 96.

One thing is clear: everyone in the family needs to follow Uncle Dave’s lead of becoming more aware about health, wellness, along with the health history of the Gay-Parker family.

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