William Ray Shively From Daviess County, Indiana

William Ray Shively was born 30-Nov-1887 in Daviess County, IN and died 11-Aug-1964 in Los Angeles County, CA.  He was the son of William Shively and Mary E. Allen. (Mary E. Allen was married on 28-May-1865 to Duncan Francis Wade in Daviess County, IN). For more information on the young love of William Ray Shively see the Shively blog article written on 5-Apr-2013.  Ray Shively was married several times.  He was married young on 24-Dec-1903 to Martha May Lawrence who divorced him. He was married second to Louise Boettinger in 1907. This marriage may have also ended in divorce.  Ray Shively was married third to Hazel Fay Newgent who died in 1933.  A fourth marriage is recorded in Vigo County, IN on 27-Dec-1945 and his wife is Marthella Farmer Denning.  

A timeline helps establish the facts on the life of William Ray Shively.

1900 census Ray living with parents in Daviess County, IN

1903 married to Martha May Lawrence

1904 divorced from Martha May Lawrence

1910 California census, age 22, in Navy

1920 December newspaper article concerning business (cigar store) closing

1927 Newspaper article mentioning Ray moving to Cold Springs, MN

1927 Ray and wife, Hazel, listed on Bloomington, IN city directory
1930 Cook County, IL (Chicago) census with wife Hazel

1930 Hazel Newgent Shively listed on census in her mothers household

1933 Wife Hazel Newgent Shively dies

1945 married to Marthella Farmer Denning

1964 dies in Los Angeles County, CA

The following information was extracted from the Brazil Weekly Democrat, Brazil, IN, Thursday, December 30, 1920, Page 5, Column 5:

Booster Cigar Store Is Closed

Ray Shively, proprietor of the Booster Cigar store on North Walnut street filed a voluntary petition in bankruptcy in the Federal court at Indianapolis this morning, giving as his liabilities $4,009.81 and his assests at $2,934.

Shively was formerly in the United States navy and purchased the Booster cigar store last spring shortly after retiring from the service. Shively also established a wholesale business in connection with his cigar store and the purchase of a large stock on which sale was slow is believed to be responsible for his financial troubles.

Located in the Brazil Daily Times, Brazil, IN, Saturday, July 9, 1927, Page 10, Column 3:

To Cold Spring

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Shively left yesterday morning for Cold Spring, Minn., where they will make their future home. Mr. Shively is connected with the Cold Spring Granite company, one of the largest concerns of its kind in the country. Mrs. Shively will be remembered as the daughter of Mrs. Bessie Newgent, of West National avenue.

Many thanks of appreciation are given to Sean Elsele, Special Collections Librarian at the Vigo County Public Library who found the following newspaper articles:

Tribune, September 24, 1933, Page 2:

Mrs. Hazel Fay Shively

Special to The Tribune-Star

BRAZIL, Ind., Sept. 23 -- Mrs. Hazel Fay Shively, wife of Ray Shively of Washington, D.C., died at 2 o'clock this morning at the home of her mother, Mrs. Bessie A. Newgent, 954 West National avenue, after an extended illness of complications, aged 38 years. Mrs. Shively had been in poor health for the past four years and had been confined to her bed at the home of her mother in this city since June. The deceased was born near Bellmore, Parke county, but most of her life until her marriage had been spent in this city. She was a member of the Christian church. Mrs. Shively is survived by the husband, also the mother, Mrs. Bessie Newgent, of this city; the father, George B. Newgent, of Terre Haute; two brothers and a sister, Clyde, of Bedford; Emmett, at home, and Mrs. Roy Hadley, city; also two nephews, Ward L. Newgent and Roy L. Hadley Jr. The remains were prepared for burial at Miller & Sons' funeral home Sunday morning. Funeral services will be announced later.

Tribune, August 12, 1964, Page 2:

Rites On Coast For Ray Shively

Funeral services are pending in Long Beach, Calif., for former Terre Haute city official Ray Shively, 79, who died there Tuesday afternoon in the Veterans Hospital. He had been admitted to the hospital in the morning and death came following several months of failing health.

Shively served as deputy city controller in the administration of former Mayor Vern R. McMillan and later was employed as auditor for the Hotel Deming. He was active in business and political affairs here for a number of years.

His Masonic associations in the Blue Lodge, York Rite and Shrine were in the East.

Mr. and Mrs. Shively had moved to Long Beach from here about 18 months ago.

Besides the widow, Mrs. Marthella Farmer Denning Shively, he is survived by a stepson, Lawrence Denning, and five stepgrandchildren, all of Terre Haute.

Ray Shively Who Lived In Daviess County, Indiana

The following articles were extracted regarding Ray Shively who lived in Washington, Daviess County, IN.  The story of young love did not end so well per the information. 

The Washington Herald, Washington, IN, Saturday, August 8, 1903, Page 1, Column 3:

Nipped In The Blossom

Boy Who Desired To Become A Groom Put In Jail To Allow His Ardor To Cool

Relatives Say That Sixteen-Year-Old Boy Was About To Elope With Small Girl

Ray Shively, a lad of sixteen years residing in the east end, was in jail today to await the cooling of his feverish desire to wed a girl of fourteen summers named May Lawrence, who resides on Crosby street.  The lad announced that he intended to marry the girl and do it quick.  Then was when the lad’s relatives spoke up in meeting and forbade the match.

The boy threatened to elope with the child and it is said preparations were made several days ago to that end but the plans were defeated by the boy’s relatives.  The would-be groom immediately started on a fresh set of plans, however, and last night Thomas Wade, a half-brother to Shively asked that the boy be placed in jail to prevent the affair.  The police arrested young Shively and confined him.  Relatives say that unless he promises to behave they will have him sent to the house of correction.  The girl is aged fourteen years and is the daughter of Kenneth Lawrence, a shop man of Cosby street while the boy lives with his mother in the east end.

This afternoon Shively signed an agreement that he would not elope with the girl, that he would obey his mother and that he would go to work and try to help her.  He was then released from jail and allowed to return home.

The Washington Herald, Washington, IN, Saturday, September 24, 1904, Page 1, Column 1:

Romantic Love Story Ends In Divorce Suit

May Shively Asks That The Court Restore Her Maiden Name

Was Married At Fourteen

The paths of love with the young and unexperienced are rough and wearsome, in the case of the story of Ray Shively’s and Martha May Lawrence’s early marriage may be taken as an ideal one.  Mrs. Shively has filed suit against her husband for divorce, charging abandonment, cruel treatment, intoxication and numerous other things.

It will be remembered that the young couple experienced quite a romantic series of troubles in their attempt to wed last fall.  The first stage of the affair was Shively’s arrest for his determination to visit the girl in spite of the objections of relatives, and his declaration at the police station that he would marry her.  He was released on a promise to resign to the inevitable fate of remaining from the house, but a few weeks later it was learned that the two had made a secret visit to Lawrenceville, Ill.  Here they were refused a license, she saying that she was fourteen years of age.  They returned to this city somewhat crestfallen, but in a few days were encouraged by the parents of the girl agreeing to go with the pair to the Illinois town and giving their personal consent.  The happy two were married, as she says in her complaint, on the 24^th of December, 1903.

Mrs. Shively says that her husband abandoned her in March and that she was compelled to live with her father.  Later he returned and the two lived together until July when they separated, she asserting that he cursed her and otherwise treated her cruelly.  She also maintains that at her age she was not capable of contracting marriage and therefore she asks that her maiden name be restored to her.

The attorneys for the plaintiff are Hastings, Allen & Hastings.

Ray Shively is listed with his parents, William and Mary E Shively on the 1900 Daviess County,  IN census.  They are listed in town of Washington, Washington Township as follows:  William Shively born Nov 1832, wife Mary E born Sept 1844, daughter Reva born March 1884, son Ray born Nov 1887 and step-daughter Dora Blakley born June 1879.  William and Mary E state they have been married 13 years which would be approximately 1887.  Mary E was Mary E Allen who was married on 28-May-1865 to Duncan Francis Wade in Daviess County, IN.  

A marriage for William Ray Shively to Louise Boettinger is recorded in Vigo County, IN.  The couple was married on 21-Aug-1907.  The parents of William Ray Shively are listed as William Shively, deceased and Mary E. Allen.  The following newspaper article regarding this event was recorded in The Washington Gazette, Washington, IN, Saturday, August 31, 1907, Page 1, Column 4:

Ray Shiveley Weds

Friends here will be surprised to learn of the wedding of Ray Shively, a former Washington boy, at Terre Haute, Wednesday evening, August 21.  His bride was Miss Louise Boettinger, a Terre Haute girl.  The ceremony was performed by the past of St. Pauls Lutheran church.  A delicious wedding supper was served the couple after the ceremony.  Those present were Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Lutes, formerly of Washington, Mrs. Boettinger, Mr. and Mrs. Will Castle, Mrs. C. C. Sanders, Mrs. C. Uphouser, Harry Boettinger, Mr. and Mrs. James Ruse, Josephine and Frank Martin.  The bride is the only daughter of Victor Boettinger of Terre Haute.  The groom is a Washington boy, having moved to Terre Haute two years ago.  He is a brakeman on the Vandalia lines between Terre Haute and St. Louis.  The couple will live at 1526 Liberty avenue, Terre Haute.

The following marriage for Ray Shively was recorded in Vigo County, IN.  Ray Shiveley was married to Marthella Farmer Denning on 27-Dec-1945.  The parents of Ray are listed as William L. Shiveley, deceased, who was born in Orange County, IN and Mary E. Wade also deceased.  Ray Shively was born 30-Nov-1887 and had been married twice before.  The information says one marriage ended in the death of the spouse and the other marriage ended in divorce. Marthella Farmer Denning also had been married twice with one marriage ending with the death of the spouse and the other marriage in divorce.