The Reverend Fred Ray
Trion Methodist Church 1928-1934


Former Trion resident William "Joe" McGrady sent the following photograph and information about Fred Ray, a minister at Trion Methodist Church from 1928 to 1934.

(Here is more information about the McGrady family.)

ray and mcgrady
The Reverend Fred Ray stands in front of a group outside Trion Methodist Church in a photograph taken in the early 1930s. The man second from right is Carl McGrady, contributor Joe McGrady's father.


Frederick Herman Ray was born November 4, 1893. He was educated at Young Harris College and Asbury College. It was while he was a student at Young Harris that he met May LeMaster of Maysville, Georgia. They married in August 1917.

He was licensed to preach in 1915, and admitted into the North Georgia Conference of the Methodist Church on trial in 1920 and into full-connection in 1924. Ray served churches in Holbrook, Powder Springs, Dalton, Trion, Lindale, Thomaston, Cleveland, and Cartersville. 

Fred Ray died on November 10, 1945, survived by his wife, four daughters, and a son. He was buried in Cartersville where he pastored Douglas Street Methodist Church. His wife, May, moved to Texas where she died in 1982. Her body was taken back to Cartersville to be buried beside her husband.

According to an account written after his death, while a minister, if "his church began to be lukewarm, or to lose its enthusiasm, he would start a revival and would run it until there was a 'break-through.' If that did not happen in a week, he would run it two, three, or four weeks. And if one revival a year was not enough, he would have two or three."



Thanks to William "Joe" McGrady for sharing the photograph and information.



Copyright 2014 Greg W. McCollum.  All rights reserved.