The Fay Family: The Iowa Fays
THE FAY FAMILY PAGE

GENEALOGIES
   
IOWA
   
There are two interesting Iowa mysteries and three large Iowa groups of Fays.
   
Two little girls, Margaret and Maude Amanda, were each born shortly before 1880. Each of them married around 1900. For each, we have very full documentation from her marriage on down. For each, evidence of birth and parentage cannot be found, in one case, because she rode the Orphan Train; in the other case, because she simply isn't there; or is she? Read about both here, add to our information if you can.
   
In searching for information about these, I noticed that there are three family groups. John Packard Fay can be traced to Orlin; as can Oliver Stevens Fay. We have had no luck yet in tracing Samuel Alexander or his father Levi Fay back to Orlin, but we believe that a connection exists. (The pages for Samuel Alexander and Oliver Stevens are being prepared.)
   
Below is a map of Iowa showing concentrations of Fays in the middle of the 19th century. Below that again is some miscellaneous information about various Fays. Thanks to Scott for his invaluable work in collecting numerous Iowa references.
   
   
MISCELLANEA
From the WWI HONOR ROLL OF LINN COUNTY, IOWA:

Charles E. Fay (Troy Mills) Edward S. Fay (Coggan) Harold B. Fay (Coggan) William Stiles Fay (Cedar Rapids)
John H. Fay, the son of David S. and Clarissa, appears on the list of 1914 Rural Tax Payers for Spring Grove Township (John Packard group).
Also on the taxpayer list are John Fay Newland and H. D. Newland from Center Point. Did a Fay woman marry into the Newland family?
The USGenWeb Archives, hosted by RootsWeb, can provide much information. Searching the cemetery lists, for example, brings up the following.
   
The Osage (Protestant) Cemetery (Oliver Stevens group): 

Fay, Oliver S.; 1810-1878
From Gethsemane Cemetery, Lansing Township, Allamakee County, a Roman Catholic cemetery, comes the following list: 

Fay, Bridget                                          1829   1894 Jun 02
Fay, Catherine                                1865 Nov 08    1916 Jun 25
Fay, Michael                                  1825 Jun 05    1895 Jun 05     Obit
Fay, Philip                                   1855 Jul --    1905 Nov 22     DR
Fay, Thomas                                             ?    1904 Aug 15
Fay, William                                  1825 Nov 08    1906 Dec 14     DR
From Postville Cemetery, Grand Meadow, Clayton County, comes (Samuel Alexander's group, as are the next two): 

Fay, Elizabeth Schreiber              1841 May 15    1924 Jun 19     FS DR Mrs. James
Fay, Eva B Webb                       1879 Apr 24    1973 Mar 09     FS DR Mrs. George W
Fay, George W                         1877 Aug 25    1933 Sep 14     DR
Fay, James                                    1845           1902
a second group in Postville: 

Fay, Effie                               1872           1947
Fay, Frank                               1869           1946
Fay, Oliver H                            1890           1930    Vet?
a third group in Postville: 

Fay, Charles H                           1870 Sep 26       1953 Oct 17   FS DR
Fay, Jennie                                      1871      1956 Aug 16   FS Mrs. Charles
There is a group from Osage that I have not yet identified, although my guess is that Samuel, born about 1826, is one of John's line.

	Census Place:	Osage, Mitchell, Iowa
	Source:	FHL Film 1254356  National Archives Film T9-0356     Page 497A     
	Relation	Sex	Marr	Race	Age	Birthplace
Samuel FAY	Self	M	M	W	54	NY
	Occ:	Farmer	Fa: NY	Mo: ---
Emeline FAY	Wife	F	M	W	45	OH
	Occ:	Keeping House	Fa: NY	Mo: NY
Millie FAY	Dau	F	S	W	21	IA
	Occ:	School Teacher	Fa: ---	Mo: ---
Charles FAY	Son	M	S	W	19	IA
	Occ:	Farmer	Fa: ---	Mo: ---
Emma FAY	Dau	F	S	W	15	IA
	Occ:	At School	Fa: ---	Mo: ---
   
Samuel, Emeline and Emma also appear in 1895.

According to the Slayton family history, Emeline Slayton b: 1834 in Dover, Tuscarawas Co., OH d: in Osage, Mitchel Co., IA, married Samuel Fay b: 1830 in Dover, Tuscarawas Co., OH. [Samuel seems to have been born in NY, however, according to all of the census records.] They had three children, all born in Dover (according to the Slaytons, but I think that is wrong): Gilbert Fay, b. 1856; Samuel, b. 1858; and Emma, b. 1860.

That there are more children than these three is clear from the 1870 census, where five children are listed: Horatio 14, Gilbert 12, Mary 10, Charles 8, and Emma 6. This Mary is most probably the "Millie" listed with the family in 1880.

Later census material shows Horatio married, with two children of his own. I have not found Gilbert after the 1870 census, and I have not found Horace in the 1880 census.
   
From the 1895 census, Honatis [sic], age 40; and Jennie, age 38, Alda, age 1, and Ori, age 8. The 1900 census has the correct spelling:
Horatio, born 9/1855
Jennie, born 6/1856
Ori, born 7/1886 Alda, born 5/1893