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Stephen GREY (formerly George Willis Yost) was born on 24 Nov 1894 ^[1] in Evanston, Cook, Illinois.

George Willis Yost married (1) Mabel Ruth KINSMAN about 1914 in Illinois, USA. Stephen met her at a skating rink, they fell in love, and married.

George and Mabel had the following children:

Times were tough, George left the family at home and went to find work. He finally found work in Detroit, MI, and sent word he had a job, would send money from the first paycheck, and would send for them as soon as possible, and that he had rented a room. An "Uncle Dave" talked with Mabel and scared her, telling her George would never send for her and that the only way to do was to let him handle it, he would make sure George came home. To make a long, painful story short, the next thing George knew, two big, burly detectives came to his room and cuffed him, claiming he had deserted his wife and children, and they were taking him to jail. Uncle Dave paid his bail and had him released to him. He put George to work in his shop, monitored his every move, and tried in his way to correct what he felt were defects in George’s character. George thought Mabel had done all this, Uncle Dave never told him any different, and the more he thought about the injustice he felt she had served on him, and what with Uncle Dave’s restrictions and the threat of jail being held over his head, he made plans to "chuck the whole mess." The marriage to Mabel Ruth Kinsman was annulled around 1920 on grounds of desertion.

Because of the problems in his marriage to Mabel, George Willis Yost left Ohio and moved to Florida about 1920 and changed his name to Stephen Benjamin Grey. He became a pictorial artist, focusing on outdoor advertising and other types of commercial lettering and pictures. Mabel died in Michigan, USA.

Stephen married (2) Trula NORRIS about 1925/1926 in Miami, Dade, Florida, USA. Trula was born in Tennessee, USA.

Stephen and Trula had the following children:

Trula was one of Stephen’s neighbors in South Florida. After the devastation of the 1926 hurricane to South Florida, Stephen and Trula and son packed up and went to see if work would be better in California. She contracted spinal meningitis and died in California. Stephen spent $1,000 and drove to Los Angeles to pick up a specialist on the futile hope that anything might be done to save her, but to no avail. He was left heartbroken with a three year old son, a fledgling business, and medical and funeral bills.

Trula died about 1927 in San Diego, California, USA. She was buried in the Chula Vista cemetery, San Diego, California, USA. Stephen packed up and went back to South Florida, so he could place his little son with Trula’s mother, Clemmie, now remarried and surnamed Shelby. Stephen made sure she received money for the care she gave her grandson, money was really tight in those days, and gratefully received.

Stephen married (3) Mary Grace SLATTERY, nick named Gracie, daughter of George Henry SLATTERY and Kellie May CARVER on 06 Oct 1930 in Ft. Meyers, , Florida. Mary was born on 02 Oct 1901 in Jacksonville, Duvall, Florida.

Family Gossip: Gracie loved to read and play the piano. She and her sister Marion were given art lessons by a French lady, a neighbor. Parents obtained a piano for Gracie and arranged for lessons. Gracie was blonde, blue-eyed, tall and statuesque. Her eyes were merry and she had an irrepressible sense of humor.

Stephen and Mary had the following children:

Mary died in May 1963 in Miami, Dade, Florida. She was buried in May 1963 in Miami, Dade, Florida.

Stephen Grey died in May 1988 in Miami, Dade, Florida. ^[1] He was buried in Miami, Dade, Florida.

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