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.