John and Nancy Sumner Ray's House, Nevermore

This past week my distant Ray cousins Mike and Kathy Thompson told me John and Emaline Sumner Ray's house is gone.  Poof!   Gone in a big puff of smoke.  It burned down.

I hated to hear that.  It is like a part of my heritage  poofed  also.

This is the house Nancy Sumner slipped out of her bedroom window to elope with young William Trammell, who her parents disproved  of.

Years ago when my boys were boys another distant Ray cousin, Thelma Welch Swanson ( now deceased),  gave us a tour of the Franklin and relatives' stomping grounds out in the country of Macon County.  We got to see John Ray and Nancy Sumner Ray's house. 

The occupier of the house at the time was the late  Cecil Baldwin, who was in his 90s at the time.  He was a bachelor. 

Rocky & Adam Hunter on John Ray Property c1990

My boys by a structure on the Ray property .

I am grateful I got to see the house and take a picture of it.