Jacob Raymond "Jay" Hollis
December 27, 1906 — March 9, 2004
Jacob (Jay) Raymond Hollis was born December 27, 1906 in the family farm home about 13 miles north-west of Hamilton. Before he was born, a baby sister had died in 1898 and a baby brother, Richard, had died in the late summer of 1906. When Jay was born, his brother James, called Jim, was 7 years old and his sister Elizabeth, called Bessie, was 4. His sister Clara was born in 1909, and his sister, Ella, in 1912. His brother, Elmer, was born in 1917. A brother, Floyd, was born and died in 1919. In 1926, Jay’s sister, Bessie Smith died as a result of a house fire. Bessie’s 4-year-old daughter, Mary Ellen, then came to live with the family.
During the first half of his grade school days, Jay walked a mile and a half to Ruweda (Ru-weed-a) grade school. Then his dad bought land a short distance west and in 1917 had their house moved to just half a mile west of the Ruweda grade school. He went all eight grades at Ruweda, as did all of his brothers and sisters and five of his six children.
In the summer of 1928, he met a high school girl named Mildred Long, who was doing housework for a neighbor couple during her summer vacation from school. Jay and Mildred were married on February 8, 1931. They lived across the road from his parents during the first year of their married life. Then in early March of 1932, they moved to a farm in western Kansas near Utica. They lived there 3 ½ years, during the years of the Dust Bowl.
In October 1935, they moved back to the house they had lived in before moving to western Kansas. In April 1936, they moved to a farm one mile west of there. In February 1959, they moved in with Jay’s mother to care for her during the last three years of her life. Shortly after her death, they moved to Climax where Jay took the custodial position in the Climax Grade School for one year. After that one year, they moved back to Northwest Greenwood County, where he remained until he was 96 years old.
From the time Jay was about 15 until he was about 90 years old, he never went to a doctor once, except to a dentist. He gradually lost all of his teeth, but he never chose to get dentures. Instead, his gums got tough and he let them substitute for teeth. He seemed to get along pretty well that way.
He began attending the Hamilton Baptist church in about 1952, and continued to attend as long as his health and hearing permitted.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Mildred, his four brothers, Jim, Richard, Elmer, and Floyd, and his four sisters: Bessie Smith, Clara Waddell, Ella Lane, and an infant sister.
He is survived by his six children: Rosalie Garrison and her husband Jim of Eureka, Annie Kepley of Humboldt, Nellie Taylor of NW Greenwood County, Kansas, Marvin of NW Greenwood County, Frances Brewer and her husband Don of Hermitage, Missouri, and Ralph Hollis and his wife Connie of Greenville, Texas. 22 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 18 step-great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren also survive him.
Funeral services were held 2:00 P.M., Saturday, March 13, 2004, at Koup Family Funeral Home, Eureka, with the Reverend Leon Wise, of the Hamilton Baptist Church, officiating. Interment followed at Janesville Cemetery, Hamilton, Kansas.
A memorial was established with the Gideons International.
During the first half of his grade school days, Jay walked a mile and a half to Ruweda (Ru-weed-a) grade school. Then his dad bought land a short distance west and in 1917 had their house moved to just half a mile west of the Ruweda grade school. He went all eight grades at Ruweda, as did all of his brothers and sisters and five of his six children.
In the summer of 1928, he met a high school girl named Mildred Long, who was doing housework for a neighbor couple during her summer vacation from school. Jay and Mildred were married on February 8, 1931. They lived across the road from his parents during the first year of their married life. Then in early March of 1932, they moved to a farm in western Kansas near Utica. They lived there 3 ½ years, during the years of the Dust Bowl.
In October 1935, they moved back to the house they had lived in before moving to western Kansas. In April 1936, they moved to a farm one mile west of there. In February 1959, they moved in with Jay’s mother to care for her during the last three years of her life. Shortly after her death, they moved to Climax where Jay took the custodial position in the Climax Grade School for one year. After that one year, they moved back to Northwest Greenwood County, where he remained until he was 96 years old.
From the time Jay was about 15 until he was about 90 years old, he never went to a doctor once, except to a dentist. He gradually lost all of his teeth, but he never chose to get dentures. Instead, his gums got tough and he let them substitute for teeth. He seemed to get along pretty well that way.
He began attending the Hamilton Baptist church in about 1952, and continued to attend as long as his health and hearing permitted.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Mildred, his four brothers, Jim, Richard, Elmer, and Floyd, and his four sisters: Bessie Smith, Clara Waddell, Ella Lane, and an infant sister.
He is survived by his six children: Rosalie Garrison and her husband Jim of Eureka, Annie Kepley of Humboldt, Nellie Taylor of NW Greenwood County, Kansas, Marvin of NW Greenwood County, Frances Brewer and her husband Don of Hermitage, Missouri, and Ralph Hollis and his wife Connie of Greenville, Texas. 22 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 18 step-great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren also survive him.
Funeral services were held 2:00 P.M., Saturday, March 13, 2004, at Koup Family Funeral Home, Eureka, with the Reverend Leon Wise, of the Hamilton Baptist Church, officiating. Interment followed at Janesville Cemetery, Hamilton, Kansas.
A memorial was established with the Gideons International.
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