RAY, Hattie Moffett - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Mrs. Ed Ray came to her death on Sunday afternoon by a lightning stroke. The family live on the Kidwell place, west of town, on the Terre Haute road. She left the house about 2 o'clock intending to look at some berry patches on the Bushong place and after that to call at the Bushong home. When she did not return by six o'clock the family became uneasy and made search for her. The youngest daughter, Dorothy, finally found her on the Bushong farm, dead. A physician and the coroner were summoned who decided that death was accidental and the way the straw hat she was wearing was torn led some to believe that she had been kicked by some domestic animal. It was after dark before the coroner was secured. In the morning some of the folks revisted the scene of her death when it was plain to be seen that lightning had struck the tree under which she had taken refuge and had caused her death. The torn hat, a slight mark on the back of the neck and one limb were all the traces left by the death-dealing stroke. Funeral services at the Union Church on Tuesday afternoon were conducted by Rev. Mr. House of the Mellott Christian Church. Burial at the Baptist Cemetery at Newtown. The following obituary was prepared by the daughter, Miss Laura Ray. Hattie Ellen, second daughter of John and Laura Pogue Moffitt, was born near Attica, Oct 5, 1878. Here she spent her childhood days and grew to womanhood. She confessed her believe in the Savior in early life when she was baptized with her mother by Rev. Mr. Jenkins of the United Brethren Church and she is the first to meet that mother who preceded her in death 16 years ago. February 16, 1896 she was married to Marcus Edmund Ray who with six children: Laura, Robert, Cuba, Dorothy, Roscoe and Charles Edmund are left to mourn her sudden departure; also an aged father and 3 sisters: Mrs. Luella Earl of Kokomo, Miss Florence Moffit at home; and Mrs. Orrie McMurtrie of near Newtown; besides a host of relatives and friends. Mother has gone from amongst us but the influence she yielded over these young lives will go on and on throughout the ages. She will be remembered by thos who knew her for her cheerfulness, industry, honesty and her love for her home the joyous welcome for all. Her instant death Sunday, July 27 at 2 o'clock brought to a close a short life of 45 years 9 months 22 days. In her going we see the realization of her wish that she might be spared long hours of suffering in her last illness.

The community around Guion was shocked on Sun. evening to hear of the tragic death of Mrs. M. E. . RAY. Sunday afternoon about one-thirty she took a bucket and went to the big pasture on the Bushong farm looking about blackberries. Soon a thunderstorm came up and she did not return home the family became uneasy about her and some of them went to hunt for her. They searched for some time and returned to the house to see if she had come back. It was not until after sundown that she was found by two of her daughters. She was lying under a large sugar tree near the Bushong sugarhouse and was dead. They were unable to arrive at a definite conclusion as to what had caused death. On Monday morning some of the family and neighbors went back to the tree where the body was found and the tree showed plainly that it had been struck by lightning. Mrs. Ray was wearing rubber boots and one of these was badly bursted and torn almost in shreds on one side as if the lightning had gone out through it. There was also a large hold in her hat. The coroner was called back that morning and gave a verdict of killed by lightning.