NAME (SP): Oceana, Ocenna Fakland Gray (Oceana per cemetery records).

LOCATION OF BIRTH: At Sea. "Born on an American Ship June 2, 1849. Arrived in Oregon 1849" (Source: Oregon, Biographical and Other Index Card File). Born on her father's brig, the 'Rising Sun,' just off of the Falkland Islands, Atlantic Ocean. On Ship Ward Off Cape Horn

PARENTS: Charles Bush and (?)

ADOPTIVE PARENTS: Mrs. RACHEL LOUISE HITE of Sacramento, Calif. (who later married DR JAMES COSSET HAWTHORNE)

MARRIAGE: Caf. W. C. Gray (Captain William Polk Gray)
DATE: October 27, 1868, / Portland, Oregon.

Name: Oceanna Falkland Bush Gray
Birth Date: 2 Jun 1849
Location Date: 1849
Location: Oregon, USA
Spouse: William Polk
(Source: Oregon Biographical and Other Index File)

Name: O F Gray
Census Date: 1883
Residence County: Whitman
Residence State: Washington
Birth Location: On Ship Ward Off Cape Horm
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Female
Estimated birth year: abt 1849
Race: White
LINE: 4
Roll: V228_19
(Source: Washington State and Territorial Census)

Name: Oceanna Gray
Census Date: 22 Apr 1887
Residence County: Franklin
Residence State: Washington
Locality: Pasco
Birth Location: Flk
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Female
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
(Source: Washington State & Territorial Census)

Record Series: Death Records
Collection: Department of Health, Death Index, 1907-1960; 1965-2014
County: Statewide
Da Reference Number: {B35A6A11-2BF0-46A5-A46B-285ABB3364AD}
Image Number: 702
Document Number: 87
Document Reference Id: cn 28
First Name: Ocenna Fakland
Last Name: Gray
Date Of Death: 28 Apr 1924
Age: 74
Gender: Female
Father Name: Chas Bush
Mother Name: Beach
Batch Id: 503200
Batch Locality: Washington, United States
Death Place: Pasco, Franklin, Washington
Mother Name Surname: Beach
Spouse Name: Caf. W. C. Gray
(Source: Washington State Digital Archives, Death Records)

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NOTE that Oceanna F Bush (age 11) was living in Berline, Hartford county, Connecticut in 1860 (census). She was living with Horace B and Martha May, with their son Charles I May. 1880 census shows Oceana (age 31) and William Gray (age 35) living in a small Indian fishing village on the banks of the Columbia River in Celilo, Oregon, with children Mary, Willetta, and Rachel (oldest daughter Oceana already deceased)

BIOGRAPHY: (Excerpts from 'Pasco's Grand Old Man', Page 170, interview with W.P. Gray)
"...was born off the Falkland Islands while her parents were traveling from Connecticut to Sacramento to take part in the stirring events of the California gold rush. Her father was the owner and captain of the ship in which they had rounded the Horn, and the little girl, born before port was reached, was Oceana Falkland Bush. Before the vessel reached Sacramento the young mother had died, and a kind woman by the name of Hite took the little one and brought her up as her own. The foster mother later became the wife of Dr. J. C. Hawthorne of Sacramento and the baby was always known by the name of her foster father. In 1864 she was married to Capt. William Polk Gray ..." On the walls of the captain's sitting room are hung the portraits of his family. Two pictures hanging side by side is a fine looking man and an attractive woman - the captain and his wife. When it was remarked that Mrs Gray was a beautiful woman, he looked pleased and said simply, 'I always thought she was beautiful'.

MARRIAGE BIOGRAPHY: (Excerpts from 'Reminiscences of Capt. W. P. Gray', Page 344)
"I was married on October 27, 1868, at Portland, Oregon. My wife's name was Oceana Falkland Bush. She was the adopted daughter of Mrs. Hawthorne, of Portland, a pioneer family after whom Hawthorne avenue and Hawthorne Park are named.

"My wife was born on her father's brig, the 'Rising Sun,' just off of the Falkland Islands while on a voyage around the Horn. I met her for the first time at the celebration over the driving of the first spike in the Oregon and California railroad in East Portland, April 16, 1868."

"I went to the river to take the ferry. I happened to meet my wife's adopted mother, who had just come over. I told her that I was going over to see Ocea and asked her to save me the trip by having Ocea get ready as soon as possible, so that we could be married that evening. She said it was impossible. I told her I was used to doing the impossible and I would make all arrangements and be there that evening.

The ferry quit running at 8 o'clock. I arranged with them to make an extra trip for us and promised them ten dollars an hour for whatever time it took after 8 o'clock. I hurried down town where I bought a wedding ring, hired the necessary cabs, secured a license, arranged with a preacher to be there and got Bob Bybee to stand up with me as best man.

I went out to see how Ocea was getting along. I asked her if she was all ready to be married that night. I never saw any one more surprised. Her mother had thought it was a crazy notion of mine and decided not to tell Ocea anything about it.

At first she said she couldn't possibly be married that night, but when I told her that the preacher would be there, the cabs were hired, the ferry would take us over and it would be very awkward to stop the proceedings, she decided we had better be married at once. She got Hannah Stone, who is now Mrs. Dr. Josephi, to act as bridesmaid."

Seven children were born from that union: 'three of the Gray daughters died from diphtheria during a two-day period. The Grays survived their other two children, Willeta and Hawthorne.' (5 of 7 children mentioned)

‘Mr. Gray secured 19 acres on the bank of the Columbia River for $100 where city of Pasco is now located, and built their home. Mr. Gray later secured 80 acres, extending from the river to the railroad section where Pasco is located; he platted 50 acres of it as an addition to Pasco before the plat of Pasco itself was filed!’

'Mr. Gray was the local land agent for the Northern Pacific. He had charge of the selling of their lots and acreage. He was County Commissioner, a dairy with 10 cows, 100 hogs, and had over 200 horses, and was feeding over 400 of the Northern Pacific employees. In addition to this, he was attending every Republican state convention.' (to keep the flow of the Columbia River unimpeded)

"By the summer of 1886 he had 45 different kinds of trees growing on his place at Pasco, without irrigation. In addition to a large number of vegetables usually grown in the Northwest, he successfully matured peanuts, cotton and sugar cane."

(Source: 'Early Journal Content, this set of works include research articles, news, letters, and other writings published in more than 200 of the oldest leading academic journals. People may post this content online or redistribute in any way for non-commercial purposes. Also, 'THE QUARTERLY of the Oregon Historical Society VOLUME XIV DECEMBER, 1913 NUMBER 4 Copyright, 191 3, by Oregon Historical Society is the original source.)

CHILDREN: (Excerpt 'Pasco Grand Old Man', page 176)
In 1864 Capt. Gray was married to Oceana Falkland Bush. To this union seven children were born. The oldest daughter OCEANA, died before the family moved to Pasco. WILLETTA, RACHEL, CATHERINE and MARY came to Pasco in the '80's. The last three of these girls passed away in the fall of 1888, victims of a diptheria epidemic, and lie buried on the old homestead in a little plot overlooking the Columbia. Two boys, HAWTHORNE C., and WILLIAM, were born in 1889 and '91, but William only lived a little over a year and rests beside his sisters in the family plot. Willetta and Hawthorne were the only ones to live to maturity. Willetta was married to Jesse H. Sprague and they made their home here for many years.

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OBITUARY: MRS. W. P. GRAY, AGED PASCO PIONEER PASSED AWAY MONDAY
Pasco and the West lost one of its earliest pioneers Monday morning when Mrs. W. P Gray passed away after a long illness. She was one of the few now living to have had personal contact with the gold rush to California in ‘49 tho she was only a child at the time.

Since that time, she lived in East Portland and in Pasco for the past 43 years, coming here with her husband in 1881.

During her lifetime, she saw the growth of the great northwest from a few sparse settlements to its present enormous proportions. She passed through the various hardships of the pioneer, but lived to see the county she had spent her life reach an advanced stage of development.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at two o’clock from the Congregational church with Rev. A. D. Shaw in charge and burial will be made in the Pasco cemetery.

As a mark of respect and honor, the Chamber of Commerce voted unanimously to ask that all places of business be closed for the hour of the funeral.

Oceana Falkland Bush was born on the south Atlantic near the Falkland Islands on June 2, 1849 on board the American brig. “Rising Sun”, of which her father was captain and part owner. The mother died before the brig reached San Francisco with her load of gold hunters.

The father took a claim where the city of Sacramento now stands, but died when the child was two years old. A noble hearted woman who afterward became the wife of Dr. S. C. Hawthorne of East Portland, Oregon adopted the orphan.

She was married to W. P. Gray at the Hawthorne home in Portland on October 27, 1868. To this union were born seven children, but only one survives, Captain Hawthorne C. Gray of the aviation corps of the American Army now stationed at Scott Field, Illinois. He was expected to reach Pasco for the funeral Thursday night. (Note: He died Nov 1927 in an aviation accident)

Honorary pall bearers will be John Mulholland, W. K. Storment, A. P. Gray (Alvin Parker Gray Mayor of Pasco), H. B. Pratt, James Walters and A. E. Kelley. The active pall bearers will be L. N. Goodell, Charles Lumm of Kennewick, L. A. Schuneman, Bert McClarkin, Arthur Sylvester and A. K. Wilkins.
(Source: Tri-City Herald, April 29, 1924 on Microfilm)

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PARENT(?):
1. Charles Edwin Bush, baptized October 19, 1828 to Gilbert and Thankful Bush in Branford, CT. (Sr?)
2. Charles E Bush (Jr?), born in CT, on October 23 1841 applied for U.S., Citizenship Affidavits of US-born Seamen at Select Ports, New York; (1920 census records Oceanna father born in CT, as well as mother)
3. A passport was issued March 19, 1849 to Charles Edwin Bush, 28, of Branford, CT.
4. Chas E Bush is in Sacramento, CA on October, 1850 census.

'September 13, 1849: Am brig Rising Sun, Hooper, 165 days from New York'
(Source: The Maritime Heritage Project ~ San Francisco 1846-1899, Merchants in Port)

The times would fit (March-September) - Co-Owner of ship, Hooper? WS death record states father is Charles Bush. Is this Oceanna Bush father?

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DATE OF BURIAL: 1924
(Source: City View Cemetery Records)

* Buried next to her husband William Polk Gray
* Buried next to Oceanna and husband William Gray is:
1) Rachel A Gray (8 YOA)
2) Mary Gray (3 YOA)
3) Willetta Gray Sprague (w Jessie Sprague)
4) Catherine H Gray (buried across in next row, 6 YOA)
5) William H Gray (buried across in next row, 1 YOA)