ARREN BRAY. Among the families who have been residents of Christian County since 1840 we are pleased to name the one represented by our subject.
Mark Bray, the father of our subject, brought his family to this county from North Carolina in 1840 and became one of the wealthy and influential citizens of the county. Arren Braly was born in the Old North State November 15, 1835, and was fifth in order of birth of nine children. He was but five years of age when his parents came to Missouri and he attended the first school in this part of the county, it being on a part of his father’s farm.
When twenty-one years of age he started out to farm for himself, but later began working in his father’s mill at Linden, where he remained for about nine years. In the year 1858 he married Miss Ann Wrightman, daughter of Joseph and Keziah (Beckner) Wrightman, natives of Virginia. Her parents moved to Illinois and resided there until 1856, when they came to Christian County, Missouri, and located near Linden, on a farm where they remained a number of years. Mr. Wrightman was drowned in 1883, when seventy-two years of age. For many years he was a worthy member of the Baptist Church. The mother died in 1863. They were the parents of eleven children, as follows: Sarah, deceased, was the wife of David Grayston; Julia is the wife of James Agnew; Timothy, a resident of Springfield; Mrs. Bray; George, residing in this county; Leah, died young; William is probably deceased; Abigail resides in Kansas, and is the wife of Steve Lawing; Susan resides in Bond County, Arkansas, and is the wife of Louis Suitzer; Rebecca, the wife of John Taylor, resides at Shell City, and Edward died when four years of age.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bray resided at Linden until 1860 and then moved on a farm, where they resided until the breaking out of the Civil War, after which they moved to Sangamon County, Illinois After the war Mr. Bray relocated on his farm and remained on the same until he came to the farm where he now lives in 1873. He has been unusually successful in his chosen occupation and is well and favorably known all over the county. He owns 100 acres where he now lives and eighty acres south of this place. His attention is given to farming and stockraising and he is a member of the Farmers’ Alliance. Formerly a Democrat, he is now with the People’s party. He and family attend the Baptist Church. To his marriage have been born nine children: George, a prosperous farmer of the neighborhood, is the owner of eighty acres. He married Miss Davidson and has four children.: Lynn, Minnie, Iva and Ross; Anna married Andrew Fargey and they own a farm of 100 acres near the old home. They have four children, as follows: Herbert, Cora, May and Lou; Frank, married Miss Russell and has three children: Effie, Mark and an infant unnamed. They reside in the Ozark Region; Mary married James Tindle and has one child, Lois. They live near Ozark; Sidnia, Nellie, Susie, Barbara and Overton are the other children. Mr. Bray is a public-spirited citizen and no worthy movement is allowed to fail for want of support on his part.