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Oliver BrayOliver Bray

Oliver Bray

Benona Township Cemetery North
Lot 110 of the old section, south side of the road
Shelby, Oceana County, Michigan
(1823 - March 15, 1893)

 

Oliver Bray should have been about 70-71 when he died. Note that on this tombstone, the date and the county where hs is buried matches other records. There are some major discrpancies regarding the age and the name of the cemetery, that make me unsure that this is the correct Oliver Bray. However, I can see where the age on the tombstone could be interpreted as 71 (rather than 21), so I do believe that it is possible that this is him. Also note that the other names on the tombstone appear to be the names of his siblings.

Oliver Bray died March 15, 1893 and is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Shelby, Oceana County, Michigan (source Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans).

Historical Collections by Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society has the same date of death as well as the death of his brother Asa just a few days later (March 24, 1893).

Note: Find a Grave for Benona Township Cemetery lists an Oliver Bray died March 16, 1893, (age 21). It also lists an Oliver Bray with no dates. A note says: On the same stone as Asa, Harvey, Oliver Bray and Betsey Ann Bray Meyers.

Find a Grave also lists Asa Bray, died March 21, 1893, (age 23). I suspect someone had a hard time reading the information on the tombstone.

Mount Hope and Benona Township cemeteries appear to be two different cemeteries, but I only found one Oliver and Asa Bray in Benona in 1880.

I can't explain the discrepancy between the Headstones Provided for Deceased Union Civil War Veterans and the Find a Grave website.