BAYS Family Background
7. William (Buddy) Harrison Ferrell
Was born 10/15/1878 in PC, Ky. He died 6/26/1977 in Independence, Ks. and is buried at Mt. Hope. See Exhibit 3 for obituary. William H. (our grandfather) was a farmer and a county tax assessor. He was an Odd Fellow and a member of the National Grange for over 50 years. He married Oma V. Bays on 4/16/1902. See Exhibit 4 for their marriage certificate. Oma’s uncle, Pleasant Berry Bays married the couple and Sarah E. Ferrell Combs (William’s sister) was one of the witnesses. William was 23 and Oma was almost 20. She was the daughter of the family’s minister, John Taylor Bays. Together they had three children. John Paul Ferrell was born 1/27/1906, Helen Virginia Ferrell born 11/10/1909 and an infant son (12/24/1903 to 12/29/1903) buried at Quaker Cemetery.
Oma was diagnosed with tuberculosis and Grandpa moved the family to Colorado Springs, Colorado to help her recover (they were there 6/1913 per a postcard.) He later moved them to Albuquerque, N.M. in late March or early April of 1914 (again per a postcard.) William H. worked for the railroad while he was in New Mexico. We have several of the lanterns that he used for signaling.
8. Oma Virginia (possibly Viola) Bays
Oma was born 5/26/1882 most likely in Fleming County, Kentucky. She was the oldest of 7 children. Oma died of TB on 6/9/1914 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is buried at Mt. Hope. Oma was 32 years old. Our Grandfather kept a trunk of her clothes, letters and belongings in the old smoke house at the farm. From these items we learned several facts. For her health, Oma and Helen and Paul were in Colorado Springs in July 1913. Grandpa later followed. In July of 1913 there was a drought in Kansas. Coffeeville was out of water and Independence had a 2-week supply left. In June 1914 they lived at 419 S. High Street in Albuquerque. Oma had a friend named Rose Greenup who may be the “Rose” in one of the pictures we have. Oma’s father, John Taylor Bays was not only a minister but also represented Standard Advertising & Printing Company of Fort Scott, Kansas.
Olive B. Ferrell remembers a large oval picture of Oma, in a dark wooden frame, hanging in Grandpa’s bedroom in the old farmhouse. She had on a “white” blouse. Olive did not see it hanging in the “new” farmhouse. Karen Freeman Waylan also confirmed this information and stated that the picture was given to Helen. Kay Freeman Gough rescued it from Helen’s house years ago and now it will be restored. Lisa C. Ferrell has the picture in Little Rock. We also found a small picture of Oma at the farm. It was with numerous other pictures and documents in the garage where Uncle Mack kept his cars. Oma was a very beautiful woman.
Frances Gillon Clubine provided much of the following information in 9/2003. Oma’s parents were John Taylor Bays (B: 8/29/1859, D: 8/10/1936) and Eliza Jane Davis Bays (B: 5/7/1857, D: 8/17/1926), both are buried at Mt. Hope. Eliza Jane was born in Grange City, Kentucky. They were married on 10/14/1880. John Taylor Bays was a minister with the First Christian Church. He preached in country churches and also established the North Side Christian Church in Independence. NOTE: This church is not listed in the current Independence phone directory. Pleasant Berry Bays was John Taylor Bays’ brother and he was also a minister. Pleasant had a daughter named Marrietta Bays and she was a “holiness preacher”. Pleasant was a drummer boy during the Civil War for the Union.. John T. and Pleasant B. were born in Bath County, Ky. We have several pictures of the Bays family in Volume 2 of the Ferrell Family Tree. The Bays Family lived at 613 East Main Street in the mid 1920’s.
Eliza’s mother Lucinda Davis (B: 6/26/1837, D: 3/14/1927) lived with the Bays family. Her husband was Samuel Jones Davis. We do not know Lucinda’s maiden name and were unable to trace Samuel J. Davis in the LDS Family search or in Rootsweb. We have a picture of Lucinda with a young Helen V. Ferrell (Oma’s daughter). Lucinda was born in Fleming County, Kentucky. She was almost 90 years old when she died and was buried at Mt. Hope on 3/16/1927.
NOTE: A cemetery plot description provided after our Grandfather’s death in 1977 shows the plot he purchased for his family. Several Bays family members are buried there. Charles Wayne Ferrell and Warren Mackenzie Ferrell are also buried there now. Fanny Bates Ferrell is not buried in this plot. She is buried next to her parents and sisters. Refer to Exhibit 5 for the plot description. For more detail see Volume 5 of the Ferrell Family Tree for gravesite information and pictures of headstones for various family members.
Oma had 5 sisters –Lula Inez, Etna Mae, Estella (Stella) Lee, Grace Maude, and Mabelle M. There was one brother – Samuel George Bays.
Lula Inez Bays – never married. She was called Aunt Lu. B: 11/8/1884 in Kentucky and D: 8/8/1947 at age 62 and is buried at Mt. Hope.
Edna or Etna Bays was born in 3/8/1886 in Kansas. Frances Gillon Clubine (Stella’s daughter) remembered that Aunt Edna taught music as well as played music for the silent movies at the movie houses. Phillip Pipkin Lewis was her husband and they lived in Tujunga, California in the mid 1920’s. They had 3 children but their names are not known. Edna died 2/8/1936 at the age of 50. She was a large woman and had an oversize casket when she was buried.
George Samuel Bays was born 10/28/1888 in Cresco, Kansas. He died in 10/19/1949 in Tulsa Oklahoma. His wife was Bessie Ruth Little. He lived in Wichita Falls, Texas before he moved to Tulsa.
Estella “Stella” Lee Bays (B: 3/30/1891in Severy, Kansas; D: 10/4/1975) married Ernest Gillon (B: 2/10/1886; D: 9/19/1974.) on 10/10.1910 in Independence, Kansas. She belonged to the DAR.
One of their daughters Frances Ione Gillon Clubine (86 years old in 2003) lived in Independence. Frances was born 3/22/1917 and she became a teacher. Her address was 607 N. 13th Street, Independence, Ks. 67301-2738. Frances’ phone number is 620-331-1932. Her husband’s name was Gerald Clubine and they had 3 sons. In 9/2003 Frances was recovering from cancer and chemotherapy. Frances said that she and Elizabeth Ann Ferrell were good friends. Frances had about 4 sisters and one brother (the youngest) named Wilmer Ernest Gillon. They called him Bill. He retired from farming and had his farm auction on Saturday 9/6/2003 one day before Uncle Mack’s farm auction was held. Bill was 80 years old. Ruth, one of Frances’ sisters was a good friend of Helen Virginia Ferrell.
Frances sisters were:
Ruth Maude – (B: 7/31/1911) age 92 in 2003 and lived in Cleveland, Oklahoma with her grandson.
She had Alzheimer’s;
Dolly Ernestine – (B: 5/11/1913) deceased and buried in Maryland;
Stella Marie Bauer – (B: 4/8/1915) deceased and buried in Florida;
Mazie Jane Baugus – (B: 1919) lived in Des Moines, Iowa.
Wilmer Ernest Gillen (B: 2/20/1923)
Mabelle M. Bays was born 8/18/1895 in Severy, Ks. She never married. She died 2/19/1974 at age 78 and is buried at Mt. Hope. She was the head librarian for the Independence Public Library from 1936 until 1965 when she retired. She began working for the Library in 1913! She was also a regent for the Esther Lowrey Chapter of the DAR. She is remembered as very pleasant and friendly. Her home was at 619 Fountain Street.
Grace M. Bays born 1893 married Emery Pease. She died before Emery and is buried at Fort Scott, Ks. Grace and Emery had three children. One of the children is a daughter Carolyn.
For more information review the attached Bays Family Tree which traces the family back to Pittsylvania, Virginia.
Additionally, see the information about Pleasant Berry Bays brother of John T. Bays (Oma’s father.)