Grandson of Nicholas and Frances Ducray (née Françoise Petitjean). Frank was descended from Servois Ducray, one of the Ducray Nine, nine Ducray brothers who saved the life of the French King Henry IV ("Henry the Great," "Good King Henry") in the 1590s, and were rewarded with knighthood and villages. Servois' village was Gondenans-les-Moulins. The family crest is a shield and swords, with nine arrows crossed in the shape of an asterisk representing the nine brothers.
Son of Charles Celestin and Hannah (née Heslop) Ducray. Charles Celestin Ducray was born in the Ducray family village in France.
Frank was Sheriff of Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1921-1923. During Prohibition, he was forced to shoot and kill a bootlegger who shot at Frank and his deputy sheriff, striking the deputy sheriff twice.
Frank was a divinity student at Lawrence University, and earned his doctorate.
In his youth and into his twenties, Frank was the Colorado State wrestling champion, and later the Nebraska State wrestling champion. He fought bouts in several states throughout the West, Midwest, and South. An outstanding athlete, he also was a champion boxer, and football player. Later, he taught and coached at schools throughout western Colorado. The newspaper Ogden Standard (Ogden, Utah) reported on 27 February 1915 about Frank's career, and noted that he was the physical director for the Grand Junction, Colorado, schools. In 1917, at age 40 at the time of his registration for WW I, he and Anna were living in Grand Junction, Colorado, and he was the Physical Director for the YMCA.
On 6 June 1921 during his time as Sheriff, he was on a train in Pueblo, Colorado, when a terrible flash flood struck two trains that were stopped at the station. Frank and other survivors did all they could to help save people; tragically, many lives were lost. Numerous reporters interviewed Sheriff DuCray for his eyewitness account; interviews of his describing the heartbreaking disaster were published in newspapers throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Numerous articles about him are available at Chronicling America, a free historical newspapers site of the U.S. Library of Congress; and at the paid subscription site newspaperabstracts.com.
Frank married Anna E. Perkins (1880-1947).
Frank and Anna had three daughters: Margaret Laurian (born 1900), Anna T. Hall (born 1901), and Grace DuCray Tucker (1913-1998). Grace's son, Frank George Edwin Tucker (15 Feb 1941-2006 Jan 2)) in 1972 was elected 9th Judicial District Attorney, serving Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado. His famous prosecutions included Claudine Longet and Ted Bundy. Sadly, Grace also had a baby son, William, who lived only two days, before his brother Frank George Edwin was born. Will is at rest with his great-aunt, Frank's sister, Celestine DuCray Beckett.
Frank's grandparents Nicholas (1785-1873) and Frances (1795-1883) married 13 Feb 1822 in Gondenans-les-Moulins.
From search "HARDY PIONEER FAMILY Ducray" online:
In 1839, Nicholas and Frances with their nine children left the port of Le Havre, France, aboard the ship Navire Marie, headed for a new home in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where friends from France already had settled. The ship began taking on water near Newfoundland, and hoping to keep the ship afloat, passengers and crew threw everything overboard, including the Ducrays' chest containing $2,000 in gold and everything else they brought for their start in the United States. Despite all efforts, the ship foundered. Everyone aboard was shipwrecked on a sand island off of the coast of Newfoundland. After days without rescue, without food and fresh water, the ship's crew became crazed. A passenger François Poly overheard the crew planning to kill and eat Nicholas Ducray and one of his sons (possibly his eldest, 15-year-old Jean-Baptiste). François saved the lives of the Ducrays by hiding them buried in sand. To everyone's great fortune, all were rescued the following day by a passing ship. The Ducrays remained lifelong friends with Jean François Poly. The Ducrays had with them a simple wooden cross with an ivory carving of Jesus, that they credited for their fortune of surviving the perilous voyage. The Ducray family bought 80 acres acres southeast of East Mead Township (now Meadville), Crawford County, Pennsylvania, on the southern edge of Tamarack Lake; and later bought another farm on 72 acres located "2 miles south of Frenchtown and Route 27" and "on Route 441 near Boussons Corners." (An estate sale was listed in 1963 upon the passing of Nestor Ducray, grandson of Nicholas and Frances, son of Julius C. and Julia [née Grosclaude] Ducray. Nestor's sister Eva/Eve Mary Ducray Brunot passed away in 1967. The wood cross with ivory carving of Jesus brought with the family to America was kept by Eva, then passed to one of her children.)
Soon after settling in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Nicholas became a trustee of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pettis, and donated an acre of land beside the church for use as the church's cemetery. Nicholas and Frances and many of their family and friends are at rest there, in Section B Lot 5.
Nicholas and Frances's descendants (first generation) went to California, Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Montana, and Minnesota.
Nicholas and Frances had ten children, nine born in the family village in France:
1) Françoise Virginie/Frances Virginia born 1822
2) Jean-Baptiste/John B. Ducray 1824-1890 March 20
3) Celestine F. Ducray Bourquin, 25 Feb 1826-1899 Feb 7
4) Augustus Ducray 27 Sept 1827-1895 May 12 Pettis
Birth name: Gustavus Ducray.
5) Claude Marie 8 August 1828-1912 February 23 = Mary F. Wood
6) Jeanne Claude/Johanna/Jane born 1831
7) Jean Claude/John C. Ducray 1833-1875 April 6
8) Charles Celestin Ducray 29 April 1835-1925
9) Justin Ducray January 1836-1914 December 24
Birth name: Augustus Ducray.
Began using his name Justin Ducray in 1862, after his brother Gustavus's name change to Augustus Ducray.
10) Julius C. Ducray Meadville 1841-1925 Pettis
Julius was the first descendant of Servois Ducray born in the U.S.
Son of Charles Celestin and Hannah (née Heslop) Ducray. Charles Celestin Ducray was born in the Ducray family village in France.
Frank was Sheriff of Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1921-1923. During Prohibition, he was forced to shoot and kill a bootlegger who shot at Frank and his deputy sheriff, striking the deputy sheriff twice.
Frank was a divinity student at Lawrence University, and earned his doctorate.
In his youth and into his twenties, Frank was the Colorado State wrestling champion, and later the Nebraska State wrestling champion. He fought bouts in several states throughout the West, Midwest, and South. An outstanding athlete, he also was a champion boxer, and football player. Later, he taught and coached at schools throughout western Colorado. The newspaper Ogden Standard (Ogden, Utah) reported on 27 February 1915 about Frank's career, and noted that he was the physical director for the Grand Junction, Colorado, schools. In 1917, at age 40 at the time of his registration for WW I, he and Anna were living in Grand Junction, Colorado, and he was the Physical Director for the YMCA.
On 6 June 1921 during his time as Sheriff, he was on a train in Pueblo, Colorado, when a terrible flash flood struck two trains that were stopped at the station. Frank and other survivors did all they could to help save people; tragically, many lives were lost. Numerous reporters interviewed Sheriff DuCray for his eyewitness account; interviews of his describing the heartbreaking disaster were published in newspapers throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Numerous articles about him are available at Chronicling America, a free historical newspapers site of the U.S. Library of Congress; and at the paid subscription site newspaperabstracts.com.
Frank married Anna E. Perkins (1880-1947).
Frank and Anna had three daughters: Margaret Laurian (born 1900), Anna T. Hall (born 1901), and Grace DuCray Tucker (1913-1998). Grace's son, Frank George Edwin Tucker (15 Feb 1941-2006 Jan 2)) in 1972 was elected 9th Judicial District Attorney, serving Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado. His famous prosecutions included Claudine Longet and Ted Bundy. Sadly, Grace also had a baby son, William, who lived only two days, before his brother Frank George Edwin was born. Will is at rest with his great-aunt, Frank's sister, Celestine DuCray Beckett.
Frank's grandparents Nicholas (1785-1873) and Frances (1795-1883) married 13 Feb 1822 in Gondenans-les-Moulins.
From search "HARDY PIONEER FAMILY Ducray" online:
In 1839, Nicholas and Frances with their nine children left the port of Le Havre, France, aboard the ship Navire Marie, headed for a new home in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where friends from France already had settled. The ship began taking on water near Newfoundland, and hoping to keep the ship afloat, passengers and crew threw everything overboard, including the Ducrays' chest containing $2,000 in gold and everything else they brought for their start in the United States. Despite all efforts, the ship foundered. Everyone aboard was shipwrecked on a sand island off of the coast of Newfoundland. After days without rescue, without food and fresh water, the ship's crew became crazed. A passenger François Poly overheard the crew planning to kill and eat Nicholas Ducray and one of his sons (possibly his eldest, 15-year-old Jean-Baptiste). François saved the lives of the Ducrays by hiding them buried in sand. To everyone's great fortune, all were rescued the following day by a passing ship. The Ducrays remained lifelong friends with Jean François Poly. The Ducrays had with them a simple wooden cross with an ivory carving of Jesus, that they credited for their fortune of surviving the perilous voyage. The Ducray family bought 80 acres acres southeast of East Mead Township (now Meadville), Crawford County, Pennsylvania, on the southern edge of Tamarack Lake; and later bought another farm on 72 acres located "2 miles south of Frenchtown and Route 27" and "on Route 441 near Boussons Corners." (An estate sale was listed in 1963 upon the passing of Nestor Ducray, grandson of Nicholas and Frances, son of Julius C. and Julia [née Grosclaude] Ducray. Nestor's sister Eva/Eve Mary Ducray Brunot passed away in 1967. The wood cross with ivory carving of Jesus brought with the family to America was kept by Eva, then passed to one of her children.)
Soon after settling in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Nicholas became a trustee of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pettis, and donated an acre of land beside the church for use as the church's cemetery. Nicholas and Frances and many of their family and friends are at rest there, in Section B Lot 5.
Nicholas and Frances's descendants (first generation) went to California, Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Montana, and Minnesota.
Nicholas and Frances had ten children, nine born in the family village in France:
1) Françoise Virginie/Frances Virginia born 1822
2) Jean-Baptiste/John B. Ducray 1824-1890 March 20
3) Celestine F. Ducray Bourquin, 25 Feb 1826-1899 Feb 7
4) Augustus Ducray 27 Sept 1827-1895 May 12 Pettis
Birth name: Gustavus Ducray.
5) Claude Marie 8 August 1828-1912 February 23 = Mary F. Wood
6) Jeanne Claude/Johanna/Jane born 1831
7) Jean Claude/John C. Ducray 1833-1875 April 6
8) Charles Celestin Ducray 29 April 1835-1925
9) Justin Ducray January 1836-1914 December 24
Birth name: Augustus Ducray.
Began using his name Justin Ducray in 1862, after his brother Gustavus's name change to Augustus Ducray.
10) Julius C. Ducray Meadville 1841-1925 Pettis
Julius was the first descendant of Servois Ducray born in the U.S.
Grandson of Nicholas and Frances Ducray (née Françoise Petitjean). Frank was descended from Servois Ducray, one of the Ducray Nine, nine Ducray brothers who saved the life of the French King Henry IV ("Henry the Great," "Good King Henry") in the 1590s, and were rewarded with knighthood and villages. Servois' village was Gondenans-les-Moulins. The family crest is a shield and swords, with nine arrows crossed in the shape of an asterisk representing the nine brothers.
Son of Charles Celestin and Hannah (née Heslop) Ducray. Charles Celestin Ducray was born in the Ducray family village in France.
Frank was Sheriff of Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1921-1923. During Prohibition, he was forced to shoot and kill a bootlegger who shot at Frank and his deputy sheriff, striking the deputy sheriff twice.
Frank was a divinity student at Lawrence University, and earned his doctorate.
In his youth and into his twenties, Frank was the Colorado State wrestling champion, and later the Nebraska State wrestling champion. He fought bouts in several states throughout the West, Midwest, and South. An outstanding athlete, he also was a champion boxer, and football player. Later, he taught and coached at schools throughout western Colorado. The newspaper Ogden Standard (Ogden, Utah) reported on 27 February 1915 about Frank's career, and noted that he was the physical director for the Grand Junction, Colorado, schools. In 1917, at age 40 at the time of his registration for WW I, he and Anna were living in Grand Junction, Colorado, and he was the Physical Director for the YMCA.
On 6 June 1921 during his time as Sheriff, he was on a train in Pueblo, Colorado, when a terrible flash flood struck two trains that were stopped at the station. Frank and other survivors did all they could to help save people; tragically, many lives were lost. Numerous reporters interviewed Sheriff DuCray for his eyewitness account; interviews of his describing the heartbreaking disaster were published in newspapers throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Numerous articles about him are available at Chronicling America, a free historical newspapers site of the U.S. Library of Congress; and at the paid subscription site newspaperabstracts.com.
Frank married Anna E. Perkins (1880-1947).
Frank and Anna had three daughters: Margaret Laurian (born 1900), Anna T. Hall (born 1901), and Grace DuCray Tucker (1913-1998). Grace's son, Frank George Edwin Tucker (15 Feb 1941-2006 Jan 2)) in 1972 was elected 9th Judicial District Attorney, serving Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado. His famous prosecutions included Claudine Longet and Ted Bundy. Sadly, Grace also had a baby son, William, who lived only two days, before his brother Frank George Edwin was born. Will is at rest with his great-aunt, Frank's sister, Celestine DuCray Beckett.
Frank's grandparents Nicholas (1785-1873) and Frances (1795-1883) married 13 Feb 1822 in Gondenans-les-Moulins.
From search "HARDY PIONEER FAMILY Ducray" online:
In 1839, Nicholas and Frances with their nine children left the port of Le Havre, France, aboard the ship Navire Marie, headed for a new home in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where friends from France already had settled. The ship began taking on water near Newfoundland, and hoping to keep the ship afloat, passengers and crew threw everything overboard, including the Ducrays' chest containing $2,000 in gold and everything else they brought for their start in the United States. Despite all efforts, the ship foundered. Everyone aboard was shipwrecked on a sand island off of the coast of Newfoundland. After days without rescue, without food and fresh water, the ship's crew became crazed. A passenger François Poly overheard the crew planning to kill and eat Nicholas Ducray and one of his sons (possibly his eldest, 15-year-old Jean-Baptiste). François saved the lives of the Ducrays by hiding them buried in sand. To everyone's great fortune, all were rescued the following day by a passing ship. The Ducrays remained lifelong friends with Jean François Poly. The Ducrays had with them a simple wooden cross with an ivory carving of Jesus, that they credited for their fortune of surviving the perilous voyage. The Ducray family bought 80 acres acres southeast of East Mead Township (now Meadville), Crawford County, Pennsylvania, on the southern edge of Tamarack Lake; and later bought another farm on 72 acres located "2 miles south of Frenchtown and Route 27" and "on Route 441 near Boussons Corners." (An estate sale was listed in 1963 upon the passing of Nestor Ducray, grandson of Nicholas and Frances, son of Julius C. and Julia [née Grosclaude] Ducray. Nestor's sister Eva/Eve Mary Ducray Brunot passed away in 1967. The wood cross with ivory carving of Jesus brought with the family to America was kept by Eva, then passed to one of her children.)
Soon after settling in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Nicholas became a trustee of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pettis, and donated an acre of land beside the church for use as the church's cemetery. Nicholas and Frances and many of their family and friends are at rest there, in Section B Lot 5.
Nicholas and Frances's descendants (first generation) went to California, Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Montana, and Minnesota.
Nicholas and Frances had ten children, nine born in the family village in France:
1) Françoise Virginie/Frances Virginia born 1822
2) Jean-Baptiste/John B. Ducray 1824-1890 March 20
3) Celestine F. Ducray Bourquin, 25 Feb 1826-1899 Feb 7
4) Augustus Ducray 27 Sept 1827-1895 May 12 Pettis
Birth name: Gustavus Ducray.
5) Claude Marie 8 August 1828-1912 February 23 = Mary F. Wood
6) Jeanne Claude/Johanna/Jane born 1831
7) Jean Claude/John C. Ducray 1833-1875 April 6
8) Charles Celestin Ducray 29 April 1835-1925
9) Justin Ducray January 1836-1914 December 24
Birth name: Augustus Ducray.
Began using his name Justin Ducray in 1862, after his brother Gustavus's name change to Augustus Ducray.
10) Julius C. Ducray Meadville 1841-1925 Pettis
Julius was the first descendant of Servois Ducray born in the U.S.
Son of Charles Celestin and Hannah (née Heslop) Ducray. Charles Celestin Ducray was born in the Ducray family village in France.
Frank was Sheriff of Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1921-1923. During Prohibition, he was forced to shoot and kill a bootlegger who shot at Frank and his deputy sheriff, striking the deputy sheriff twice.
Frank was a divinity student at Lawrence University, and earned his doctorate.
In his youth and into his twenties, Frank was the Colorado State wrestling champion, and later the Nebraska State wrestling champion. He fought bouts in several states throughout the West, Midwest, and South. An outstanding athlete, he also was a champion boxer, and football player. Later, he taught and coached at schools throughout western Colorado. The newspaper Ogden Standard (Ogden, Utah) reported on 27 February 1915 about Frank's career, and noted that he was the physical director for the Grand Junction, Colorado, schools. In 1917, at age 40 at the time of his registration for WW I, he and Anna were living in Grand Junction, Colorado, and he was the Physical Director for the YMCA.
On 6 June 1921 during his time as Sheriff, he was on a train in Pueblo, Colorado, when a terrible flash flood struck two trains that were stopped at the station. Frank and other survivors did all they could to help save people; tragically, many lives were lost. Numerous reporters interviewed Sheriff DuCray for his eyewitness account; interviews of his describing the heartbreaking disaster were published in newspapers throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Numerous articles about him are available at Chronicling America, a free historical newspapers site of the U.S. Library of Congress; and at the paid subscription site newspaperabstracts.com.
Frank married Anna E. Perkins (1880-1947).
Frank and Anna had three daughters: Margaret Laurian (born 1900), Anna T. Hall (born 1901), and Grace DuCray Tucker (1913-1998). Grace's son, Frank George Edwin Tucker (15 Feb 1941-2006 Jan 2)) in 1972 was elected 9th Judicial District Attorney, serving Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado. His famous prosecutions included Claudine Longet and Ted Bundy. Sadly, Grace also had a baby son, William, who lived only two days, before his brother Frank George Edwin was born. Will is at rest with his great-aunt, Frank's sister, Celestine DuCray Beckett.
Frank's grandparents Nicholas (1785-1873) and Frances (1795-1883) married 13 Feb 1822 in Gondenans-les-Moulins.
From search "HARDY PIONEER FAMILY Ducray" online:
In 1839, Nicholas and Frances with their nine children left the port of Le Havre, France, aboard the ship Navire Marie, headed for a new home in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where friends from France already had settled. The ship began taking on water near Newfoundland, and hoping to keep the ship afloat, passengers and crew threw everything overboard, including the Ducrays' chest containing $2,000 in gold and everything else they brought for their start in the United States. Despite all efforts, the ship foundered. Everyone aboard was shipwrecked on a sand island off of the coast of Newfoundland. After days without rescue, without food and fresh water, the ship's crew became crazed. A passenger François Poly overheard the crew planning to kill and eat Nicholas Ducray and one of his sons (possibly his eldest, 15-year-old Jean-Baptiste). François saved the lives of the Ducrays by hiding them buried in sand. To everyone's great fortune, all were rescued the following day by a passing ship. The Ducrays remained lifelong friends with Jean François Poly. The Ducrays had with them a simple wooden cross with an ivory carving of Jesus, that they credited for their fortune of surviving the perilous voyage. The Ducray family bought 80 acres acres southeast of East Mead Township (now Meadville), Crawford County, Pennsylvania, on the southern edge of Tamarack Lake; and later bought another farm on 72 acres located "2 miles south of Frenchtown and Route 27" and "on Route 441 near Boussons Corners." (An estate sale was listed in 1963 upon the passing of Nestor Ducray, grandson of Nicholas and Frances, son of Julius C. and Julia [née Grosclaude] Ducray. Nestor's sister Eva/Eve Mary Ducray Brunot passed away in 1967. The wood cross with ivory carving of Jesus brought with the family to America was kept by Eva, then passed to one of her children.)
Soon after settling in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Nicholas became a trustee of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pettis, and donated an acre of land beside the church for use as the church's cemetery. Nicholas and Frances and many of their family and friends are at rest there, in Section B Lot 5.
Nicholas and Frances's descendants (first generation) went to California, Oregon, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Montana, and Minnesota.
Nicholas and Frances had ten children, nine born in the family village in France:
1) Françoise Virginie/Frances Virginia born 1822
2) Jean-Baptiste/John B. Ducray 1824-1890 March 20
3) Celestine F. Ducray Bourquin, 25 Feb 1826-1899 Feb 7
4) Augustus Ducray 27 Sept 1827-1895 May 12 Pettis
Birth name: Gustavus Ducray.
5) Claude Marie 8 August 1828-1912 February 23 = Mary F. Wood
6) Jeanne Claude/Johanna/Jane born 1831
7) Jean Claude/John C. Ducray 1833-1875 April 6
8) Charles Celestin Ducray 29 April 1835-1925
9) Justin Ducray January 1836-1914 December 24
Birth name: Augustus Ducray.
Began using his name Justin Ducray in 1862, after his brother Gustavus's name change to Augustus Ducray.
10) Julius C. Ducray Meadville 1841-1925 Pettis
Julius was the first descendant of Servois Ducray born in the U.S.
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