Gray, Billy Joe

1937 - 1996  (58 years)

• Name	Gray, Billy Joe
  Birth	18 Aug 1937	Clay City, Clay County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Reference Number	GRAY.B005
  _FGRAVE	69573098
  Death	28 Jul 1996	Calhoun, Richland County, Illinois   [1, 2, 5, 6]
  Funeral	31 Jul 1996	Zirkle Funeral Home, Olney, Richland County, Illinois   [1, 3]
  _MEDC	Billy Jo suffered a severe heart attack in 1982 and suffered a stroke about 9 years later.
  Burial	31 Jul 1996	Crest Haven Memorial Park, Claremont, Richland County, Illinois   [1, 2, 3]
  		Headstone, Gray, Billy J. and Betty L.
  Person ID	I14	Carl Wayne Gray Research | Gray - Yauch William Gray and Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Yauch Descendants, Hasler - ? Mr. Hasler and ? Descendants, Jauch - Birk Christian 'Heitl' Jauch and Maria Birk Descendants, Jauch - Hasler Jacob Jauch and Margaret 'Margret' Hasler Descendants, Lents - Seal Jacob Lents and Elizabeth 'Betsy' Seal Descendants, Mitchell - ? James Mitchell and ? Descendants, Mitchell - Pendleton Joseph Henry 'Joe' Mitchell and Elizabeth Anna Pendleton Descendants, Pendleton - Wilson Jonathan Pendleton and Eliza Ann Wilson Descendants
  Last Modified	21 Aug 2026

  
  

  Father	Gray, John Jasper,   b. 26 May 1896, Noble, Richland County, Illinois d. 19 Jul 1948, Olney Sanitarium, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 52 years)
  Mother	Mitchell, Mary Elsie,   b. 16 Aug 1903, Ingraham, Clay County, Illinois d. 31 Oct 1973, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois (Age 70 years)
  Marriage	30 Oct 1919	Mount Erie, Wayne County, Illinois   [4, 7, 8, 9]
  	Wayne County, Volume F, Page 74, License #157
  Age at Marriage	He : 23 years and 5 months - She : 16 years and 2 months.
  Family ID	F5	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Zimmerle, Martha Geraldine 'Jitter',   b. 5 Apr 1940, Olney, Richland County, Illinois d. 28 Jun 2009, Burgin Manor Nursing Home, Olney, Richland County, Illinois (Age 69 years)
  Marriage	9 Feb 1958	Olney, Richland County, Illinois   [10]
  Age at Marriage	He : 20 years and 6 months - She : 17 years and 10 months.
  Divorce	1964
  Children	+ 1. Living + 2. Living
  Family ID	F19	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Hane, Betty Leona,   b. 18 Jul 1942, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio d. 27 Apr 2014, Calhoun, Richland County, Illinois (Age 71 years)
  Marriage	11 Jun 1965	Manteno, Kankakee County, Illinois   [5, 6, 11]
  Age at Marriage	He : 27 years and 10 months - She : 22 years and 11 months.
  Children	> 1. Living
  Family ID	F20	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 18 Aug 1937 - Clay City, Clay County, Illinois Marriage - 9 Feb 1958 - Olney, Richland County, Illinois Marriage - 11 Jun 1965 - Manteno, Kankakee County, Illinois Death - 28 Jul 1996 - Calhoun, Richland County, Illinois Funeral - 31 Jul 1996 - Zirkle Funeral Home, Olney, Richland County, Illinois Burial - 31 Jul 1996 - Crest Haven Memorial Park, Claremont, Richland County, Illinois  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Billy Joe Gray (1937-1996) and Glenn William McDowell (1936-2016) From the Nella Grace (Luke) McDowell (1909-1998) collection Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Carl Lester Gray, Billy Joe Gray, Clayson Adrian MCDowell, and Glenn William McDowell From the Nella Grace (Luke) McDowell (1909-1998) collection Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray
  		Betty L. (Hanes) and Billy Joe Gray Contributed by Debra (McDowell) Blank
  		Nella, Barb, Glenn, Betty, Hazel, Kay McDowell, Billy Joe Gray From the Nella Grace (Luke) McDowell (1909-1998) collection Contributed by Carl Wayne Gray

  
  

  Recordings		Jack Daniels (One Hell Of A Man) sung by Billy Joe Gray (1937-1996) This song was recorded on a 45 rpm vinyl record by my uncle, Billy Joe Gray and given to me by my aunt, Leona McDowell Schofield. I converted it from the 45 rpm to mp3 format and am sharing it here. Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell
  		Blue Bar sung by Billy Joe Gray (1937-1996) This song was recorded on a 45 rpm vinyl record by my uncle, Billy Joe Gray and given to me by my aunt, Leona McDowell Schofield. I converted it from the 45 rpm to mp3 format and am sharing it here. Contributed by Leona Mae McDowell

  
  

• Notes

  As a teenager, Bill lost a leg from a shooting accident while cleaning a shotgun. He and Betty adopted Lynn Ann Loy in July 1981. He was the leader of the True Country Band for 15 years.

  
  

• Sources

  [S32] Funeral Card, Gray, Bill J., none. (Reliability: 2). [S33] https://www.findagrave.com, Headstone, Gray, Billy J. and Betty L., (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69573098/bill-j-gray), none. (Reliability: 2). [S5] The County Commoner (Noble, Illinois), Obituary, Gray, Bill J., 58, (The County Commoner (Noble, Illinois), page 3, 13 Aug 1996), none. [S4] Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Clay County, Illinois, (District 0004) (Township), image 04, page 2b, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6224/4584337_00620?backurl=https%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fd), none. (Reliability: 2). [S34] https://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Gray, Betty, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128665670/betty-leona-gray), none. (Reliability: 2). [S5] The County Commoner (Noble, Illinois), Obituary, Gray, Bill J., 58, (The County Commoner (Noble, Illinois), page 3, 13 Aug 1996), none. (Reliability: 2). [S20] Obituary, Grove, Mary E., 70, none. (Reliability: 2). [S15] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, Clay City, Illinois, (District 0003) (Village), image 23, page 12a, (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/6061/4300174_00630?pid=14757672&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll) (Reliability: 2). [S14341] Illinois Statewide Marriage Index 1763-1900, Marriage Index,, (http://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/marriagesrch.jsp) (Reliability: 2). [S281] Richland County Genealogical and Historical Society, Olney, Illinois, Foot Prints, Past and Present, Volume 29, Number 3 & 4, (Fall/Winter 2006), page #185, none. (Reliability: 2). [S18] https://www.findagrave.com, Obituary, Rinehart, Elsie Leona, 84, (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123761593/elsie_leona_mcdowell_taylor_rinehart), none. (Reliability: 2).