Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962
Name:Harold S. Delay
Gender:Male
Race:White
Birth Place:S. Charleston, Clark, Ohio
Birth Date:13 May 1876
Father's name:David W. Delay
Mother's name:Cynthia Rowley

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Harrold S. Delay
Home in 1880: South Charleston, Clark, Ohio
Age: 4
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1876
Birthplace: Ohio
Relation to Head of Household: Son
Father's Name: David W. Delay
Father's birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Name: Cynthia Delay
Mother's birthplace: Ohio
Occupation: At School
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
David W. Delay 45
Cynthia Delay 42
Albert H. Delay 17
Mamie Delay 12
Lizzie Delay 12
Emma Delay 10
Frank L. Delay 6
Harrold S. Delay 4
Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: South Charleston, Clark, Ohio; Roll: 999; Page: 118A; Enumeration District: 38; Image: 0097

1900 United States Federal Census
Name:Delay
Age:26
Birth Date:Feb 1874
Home in 1900:Chicago Ward 33, Cook, Illinois
Race:White
Gender:Male
Relation to Head of House:Boarder
Marital Status:Single
Occupation:Artist
Household Members:Name:Age
Fred Ward 32
Delay 26
Source Citation
Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 33, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 287; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 1042

Cook County, Illinois, Marriages Index, 1871-1920
Name:Harold Delay
Age:26
Gender:Male
Birth Year:abt 1876
Marriage Type:Marriage
Marriage Date:13 Aug 1902
Marriage Place:Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA
Spouse Name:Austria Roath
Spouse Age:21
Spouse Gender:Female

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Harold S Delay
Age in 1910: 31
Birth Year: 1879
Birthplace: Ohio
Home in 1910: Chicago Ward 32, Cook, Illinois
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Austria R Delay
Father's Birthplace: New York
Mother's Birthplace: New York
Occupation: Artist/Studio
Household Members: Name Age
Harold S Delay 31
Austria R Delay 27
David R Delay 6
Margaret B Delay 5
Virginia C Delay 3
Gordon H Delay 1 8/12
Tillie Steinberg 16
Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Chicago Ward 32, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_279; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 1401; Image: 367

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Name:Harold Saylor DeLay
County:Cook
State:Illinois
Birth Date:13 May 1876
Race:White
Draft Board:3
Age:42
Occupation:Artist/Self/119 No. Clark St., Chicago, Cook, Ill.
Nearest Relative:(Wife) Austria Roath DeLay/878 Oak St, Winnetka, Cook, Ill.
Height/Build:Tall/Medium
Color of Eyes/Hair:Brown/Brown Grey.
Signature: Harold S. DeLay

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Harold S De Lay
Age: 42
Birth Year: abt 1878
Birthplace: Ohio
Home in 1920: New Trier, Cook, Illinois
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Austria De Lay
Father's Birthplace: Ohio
Mother's Birthplace: Ohio
Home Owned: Own
Able to Read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Occupation: Artist
Household Members: Name Age
Harold S De Lay 42
Austria De Lay 37
David De Lay 16
Margaret De Lay 15
Virginia De Lay 13
Gordon De Lay 11
Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: New Trier, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T625_361; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 129; Image: 365

1930 United States Federal Census
Name:Harold S De Lay
Birth Year:abt 1877
Gender:Male
Race:White
Birthplace:Ohio
Marital Status:Married
Relation to Head of House:Head
Home in 1930:New Trier, Cook, Illinois
Street address:Oak St.
Block:8 Provident Land Ass Sub
House Number in Cities or Towns:878
Dwelling Number:174
Family Number:184
Home Owned or Rented:Owned
Home Value:15, 000
Radio Set:No
Lives on Farm:No
Age at First Marriage:26
Attended School:No
Able to Read and Write:Yes
Father's Birthplace:New York
Mother's Birthplace:Ohio
Able to Speak English:Yes
Occupation:Artist
Industry:Commercial
Class of Worker:Working on own account
Employment:Yes
Household Members:Name:Age
Harold S De Lay 53
Austria R De Lay 50
Margaret De Lay 25
Cynthia V De Lay 23
Harold G De Lay 21
Source Citation
Year: 1930; Census Place: New Trier, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 503; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 2222; Image: 423.0

1940 United States Federal Census
Name:Harold S Delay
Respondent:Yes
Age:64
Estimated birth year:abt 1876
Gender:Male
Race:White
Birthplace:Ohio
Marital Status:Married
Relation to Head of House:Head
Home in 1940:New York, Queens, New York
Street:21 Street
House Number:23-16
Farm:No
Inferred Residence in 1935:South Charleston, Ill
Residence in 1935:South Charleston, Ill
Sheet Number:5A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation:78
Occupation:Artist
House Owned or Rented:Owned
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented:6800
Attended School or College:No
Highest Grade Completed:High School, 2nd year
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census:18
Class of Worker:Working on own account
Weeks Worked in 1939:12
Income:0
Income Other Sources:Yes
Household Members:Name:Age
Harold S Delay 64
Emma S Wood 47
Source Citation
Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, Queens, New York; Roll: T627_2719; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 41-34

New York, New York, Death Index, 1862-1948
Name:Harold Delay
Birth Year:abt 1876
Age:71
Death Date:6 Aug 1947
Death Place:Manhattan, New York, USA
Certificate Number:17309

WILMETTE LIFE.
Wilmette, Cook County, Illinois
September 18, 1947.
Page # 71.
Obituaries.
HAROLD SAYLOR DELAY.
Private memorial services were held Monday, September 15 at Christ Church, Winnetka, for Harold Saylor DeLay of 878 Oak Street, Winnetka. Mr. DeLay died in New York City on August 6..
Mr. DeLay was born in Springfield, Ohio on May 13, 1877. He was a student at the Art Institute of Chicago and student under John Vanderpoel and Frank Duvanick in preparation for his career as a painter of portraits and illustrator of books and magazines. He had lived in Winnetka for 30 years..
Mr. DeLay is survived by his wife, Mrs. Austria Roath DeLay, two sons, David of Sturgeon Bay, Wis. and Gordon of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and two daughters, Mrs. Margaret DeLay Johnson of Winnetka and Mrs. Virginia DeLay Siebert of Albany, NY..
The memorial services were followed by burial in the churchyard.

Harold Saylor De Lay was born on May 13, 1876, in the west central Ohio town of South Charleston and attended the Art Institute of Chicago with Ada and Adolph Schultz, Karl Albert Buehr, Henry Hutt, J.C. Leyendecker, and other artists who went on to their own successful careers. De Lay exhibited student works in 1895 with some of them. By the first decade of the twentieth century, he had embarked on a career as a fine artist and commercial artist, initially illustrating books and magazine covers. Some early credits include illustrations for Technical World Magazine, 10 Story Book, Thirty-One Years on the Plains and the Mountains by William F. Drannan (1900), Life in the Mines by C. H. Simpson (1908), With Lyon in Missouri by Byron A. Dunn (1910), The Quest of the Silver Fleece by W.E.B. Du Bois (1911), The Short-Stop by Zane Grey (1914), and "646" and the Troubleman by Charles H. Oliver (1916). De Lay also contributed five illustrations to the novel Daughters of Destiny (1906) by Schuyler Staunton, a pseudonym of L. Frank Baum, creator of the Wizard of Oz series.

De Lay created several illustrations for Elgin Watches in the 1920s. He also did illustrations of Biblical scenes in a series of prints. During the 1930s, he worked for pulp magazines, providing several covers for Golden Fleece and Weird Tales. He also drew black-and-white illustrations for the interior of Weird Tales from 1936 to 1939. According to Jaffery and Cook's Collector's Index to Weird Tales, his first interior illustration was for "Black Canaan" by Robert E. Howard, a story that appeared in the magazine in the month Howard killed himself, June 1936. Comic book fans will be glad to know that Harold De Lay also wrote, pencilled, and inked comic book covers and stories while working for Funnies, Inc., from 1939 to 1947. Titles included Blue Bolt, Fantoman, Funny Pages, The Human Torch, Mystic Comics, Target Comics, and True Comics. De Lay also adapted Treasure Island to the comics.