gayparkerfamilyreunion

In spite of the pressures and strains everyone has faced during the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, we can still pause and celebrate the educational achievements in the Gay-Parker family.

In December 2019, Pamela Barnes Ellis, daughter of Marion Barnes and Edith Gay Barnes, graduated from East Carolina University.
Pam is the granddaughter of the late Herman Gay and the late Danny Ruth Dupree Gay.

Pamela Barnes Ellis

During the 2020 Mother’s Day weekend, we recognize one of this year’s graduates, Elder Mary Alice Gay Worsley, daughter of Deacon David Gay and the late Mary Whitehurst Gay.
Mary Alice is the granddaughter of the late Robert “Pa Bob” Gay and the late Lillie “Ma Lillie” Parker Gay. The following clip is from an ECU spotlight of graduates.

Elder Mary Worsley

Most of us know many of the descendants of Pa Bob Gay and Ma Lillie Parker Gay. This post  introduces you to Pa Bob’s and Ma Lillie’s mothers and grandmothers.

Pa Bob Gay’s Grandmothers and Mother
MARY JANE JEFFERSON GAY (Pa Bob Gay’s Maternal Grandmother)
Mary Jane Jefferson Gay was born on June 1, 1842 and married Jacob Gay in 1858. She was the mother of 11 children, and 10 were alive in 1900. Mary Jane Jefferson Gay died in 1917 at age 75..
ARIA(ARIE) HEMBY GAY (Pa Bob’s Paternal Grandmother)
Aria Hemby Gay was born in 1844 or 1846 and married Richard Gay in 1868. She was the mother of 10 children. In 1910, at age 66, Aria Hemby Gay was living with George Gay, Pa Bob’s father(according to the Bob Gay-Lillie Parker marriage license in January 3, 1915).
ARIE GAY(Pa Bob Gay’s Mother)
Arie Gay was born in 1864. She was the mother of 11 children, and 5 were alive in 1910. Arie died in 1908 at age 44.

Ma Lillie Parker Gay’s Grandmothers and Mother

VINEY BARRETT PARKER(Ma Lillie Parker Gay’s Maternal Grandmother)
Viney Barrett Parker was born in 1850 and married Dempsey Parker in 1888. She was the mother of 12 children and was listed in the 1900 census as a widow, head of household.
NICEY JOYNER(Ma Lillie Parker Gay’s Paternal Grandmother)
Nicely Joyner was born in 1844 and married Turnage Joyner in 1870. She was the mother of 7 children. In her 1969 Social Security information, Ma Lillie Parker Gay listed Spence Joyner as her father.
JENNY PARKER MOORE(Ma Lillie Parker Gay’s Mother)
Jenny “Jennie” Parker Moore was born in 1864. She married John H. Moore on October 28, 1906. She was the mother of 2 children. She died in 1914 at age 36.

 

 

A casual study of census reports from 1870, 1880, 1900, 1920, 1930, and 1940 reveals that the occupations held by members of the Bob Gay and Lillie Parker Gay family were farmer, farm labourer, and housekeeper. On two occasions, in 1917 and in 1944, the occupation was soldier. No one was listed as being able to read and write in the 1870 and 1880 census. No one was listed as owning a house.
Today, you can find family members in a variety of careers.
Here are a few samples, thanks to screenshots from LinkedIn.com and Facebook.

History is a creature, one that flashes beauty or strangeness. Black history or family history, it makes no difference.
Here’s a tragic piece of history about Richard Gay, who was “Pa” Bob Gay’s Aunt Cherry’s father.

Richard Gay is Killed

Eastern Reflector, November 17, 1886

A colored man was killed by a white man at Farmville this county, on Saturday evening. The substance of what information we can gather is that the white man, W.B. FAITHFUL was in a barroom with a crowd of negroes, and while drinking dropped a dollar upon the floor, which was picked up by one of the colored men. Faithful looked around and accused Richard GAY of having his money. Some words passed between them and a fight ensued. GAY was shot dead at the beginning of the fight and FAITHFUL was cut several times in the back and shot through the wrist by some of the negroes standing near. For a while it was though he too had been killed. FAITHFUL’S wounds were dressed Saturday night and on Sunday he was brought to Greenville and placed in jail. Whiskey was at the bottom of the row.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ncpcfr/pittobituaries_4.html

Allison Gay

Allison Gay lets her personal light shine to guide young people down pathways of success. Working as a teacher and artist, she has molded students in the academy into thinkers and creative workers.

Allison is the daughter of William and Candi Gay and the granddaughter of the late Alice Hemby and George Gay.

Read this tribute essay that appeared in the Voyage ATL magazine  recognizing Allison for her extraordinary life story.

After cancelling the annual reunion celebration in 2018, the Gay Parker Family resumed celebrating family and family history in 2019. The Friday fish fry and Saturday dinner and program once again gave everyone moments to revel and rediscover joy and connections with cousins, aunts, uncles, and brothers and sisters. Uncle Rob and Uncle Dave presented entertaining post dinner speeches about their years growing up and about whether their personalities were more like Pa Bob’s or Ma Lillie’s personalities.  Uncle Dave closed his speech with a crowd pleasing rendition of “The Bridge Builder” in homage to Uncle Rob.

Joshua Gay, son of Gwendolyn Gay, is a 2018 graduate of North Carolina Central University. He is the grandson of the late Lucille Gay Blow, daughter of the late Bob and Lillie Gay.

Currently,  Josh is pursuing a Masters degree at Elon University in multi-media.

For Black History Month, Josh has produced a YouTube video that poetically and pictorially states that Black people are a part of America.

Click and enjoy Josh’s video.

Private Robert Gay, US Army

Pa Bob Gay, patriarch of the Gay-Parker family, became one of the few young Black men to leave the Farmville-Pitt County, NC to serve in World War I.

Pa Bob spent time at Camp Jackson (now Fort Jackson) during the time that the camp was being created and later recalled travelling to France.

When Pa Bob entered the army in December 1917, he was 21 years old, already married to Ma Lillie, and had a son named Herman Lee. By the time that Pa Bob had returned home he had a daughter named Jennie.

On this 100th year celebration of WWI and the Armistice we proudly cheer and applaud our patriarch Robert “Pa Bob” Gay for his service to our country.

Colonel Ronald M. Gay

On this Veterans Day, we salute two of our family members who chose to serve our country as career military men.

The first family member is Colonel Ronald McRay Gay, NCARNG. He is the son of Herman and Dannie Ruth Gay. Colonel Gay (Ronnie) was born on July 21, 1952 in Farmville, North Carolina. Ronnie attended H.B. Sugg High School in Farmville and later graduated from North Carolina A&T State University, where he received a BS degree in Economics. Along with receiving his degree, Ronnie was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in ROTC. This began the extensive service to his country. Ronnie served our country in the Army for over 27 years.

During his career Ronnie attended military schools like Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course. He also received many U.S. Decorations and badges such as the Army Command Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. Ronnie received State Awards such as the NCNG Achievement Medal.

Appointments that Ronnie received were Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and, Colonel..

We proudly recognize and thank Colonel Ronald McRay Gay for his service to our country and for making the Gay-Parker family proud.

Staff Sergeant Melvin C. Gay

On this Veterans Day, the second member of the Gay-Parker family that we salute is Staff Sergeant Melvin Curtis Gay. Melvin is the son of David Clinton Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Gay.

Melvin was born August 7, 1959. He is a graduate of North Pitt High School in Bethel, NC. After graduation from high school Melvin enlisted in the Army in 1977. Melvin continued his education and became a graduate of University of Maryland University College with a BS degree in Information Technology.

During his military career, Melvin went from basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina to deployment to different military arenas like Iraq War. Also, he was stationed in such places as Stuggart, West Germany and Wurzburg, Germany. Melvin received many citations like the Desert Storm/Desert Shield Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

Because of his service to our country, we proudly thank and recognize Staff Sergeant Melvin Curtis Gay, another of our family’s military heroes.

To see an earlier post with more pictures of veterans in the family, click here.