POLLY WRAY

 Polly was 2 years old (1922) when she moved to the Children's Home.  She would live at the Children's Home for the remainder of her life "....but along the way she would experience what it was to be cared for, to be a part of a family, and most importantly what it was to be loved.”

The late Rev. Robert Bradshaw, as a young man was Assistant Superintendent and also Coach at the Children’s Home. He knew Polly and tells the story of Christmas 1929. “ A housemother took Polly Wray and the other nine-year old girls to town to do their Christmas shopping. Polly Wray had 20 cents to spend.

With one nickel she bought a present for her housemother; with another she bought a present for a distant aunt living in another town; with the third she bought a present for the girl whose name she had drawn in school. She had only one nickel left. Her housemother told her to buy something for herself. ’No’ said Polly. 'I want to buy Mr. Bradshaw a gift.’ And, with her last nickel, she bought a little wooden horse for Mr. Bradshaw.” This gift remained on his desk throughout his life.

That was Christmas 1929!

On August 22, 1930, Polly Wray died from blood poisoning. It is reported that move then 300 children marched through the pasture toward the Wachovia Arbor Moravian Cemetery, but because Polly Wray was not of the Moravian faith, she could not be buried in their cemetery. She is buried in a grave adjacent to the cemetery and located in the pasture. Also buried next to Polly Wray is an adult who had been a long-time employee of the Children’s Home.

Observed by Dan Jones