The Nancy E. Davis Collection
  The John Samuel Ellis Bible |
Biography
John Samuel Ellis was born 01 May 1822 in Chatham Co., North Carolina. His parents were Jesse Ellis born 04 January 1784 and Nancy Medearis, born January 1788; place unknown. They were married in Chatham Co., North Carolina on 08 October 1807. He was their 9th child. He had 13 siblings, but at least four of them died young. John married Maria Leonard, at Batavia, Ohio May 1, 1844. Maria was born 02 July 1825, the first daughter of Aaron Leonard and Elizabeth Perrine. John’s father Jesse died a year later on 09 Sept 1845 at Batavia, Ohio. John and Maria had issue of two sons. (A) William Jesse born 05 April 1845 (B) Henry Le Adlas born, November 14, 1846 at Batavia, Ohio Tragically, their mother Maria died of Cholera, 29 January 1849, at the age of 25. William and Henry were four and five years old. Maria was buried at the Old Union Cemetery in Batavia, Ohio (2) Martha Eliza Pavey became John’s second wife on 21 February 1850 and were married in Highland County, Ohio.¹ She was born 05 November 1829, the first child of Charles Twyford Pavey and Lucinda Taylor. She was well educated in a private school and wrote for a leading ladies magazine of the time. She was a relative of President Zachery Taylor. John and Martha had issue of four children. She was a loving mother to John’s orphaned boys as well as to her own children. ( C ) Nancy Adelia born 27 November 1850. Around 1853 John and Martha moved to New Lexington, Ohio. Where he went into the Dry Goods business with his brother-in-law Stephen Thatcher Strattan who had married Martha's sister, Isabelle.³ ( D ) Edward Everett born 28 February 1853 in New Lexington, Ohio. In 1854, John and Martha are back in Batavia where they have issue of two more sons ( E ) John Albert born 26 January 1854 ( F ) Charles F. born 22 July 1855 In 1857 John and Martha had removed to Mt. Vernon, Illinois. She taught in the public schools for a time and they were active in the Methodist Church. The 1860 census lists John as a Saddler. He worked for the L&N Railroad upholstering the seats in the cars. John was a Methodist Minister and a farmer of note, raising prize peaches and grapes from which he made sacramental wine for himself and the church. It was said he attended his farm unassisted. Martha died in Mt Vernon on 24 November 1862, and is buried in West Salem Cemetery in Mt, Vernon, Illinois under the surname of PAVEY. John was 40 years old and a widower again with six children this time. William Jesse as seventeen and Charles F was seven. Mrs. Elizabeth “Betty” Moss Hinman became wife number three on 14 June 1863. She was a thirty year old widow with a 9 year old son named Robert, and a three year old daughter named Alma at the time of the Marriage. Every one loved Aunt Betty, as she was called. She and John had issue of three more children before she died in 1872 at the age of thirty nine. Cause of death unknown as well as the burial place. ( G ) Jake T. born 16 March 1864 ( H ) Annie E. born 10 February 18 She lived to be Four years old. ( I ) Myra 10 November,1869 Again John was a widower. Myra was three, Jake was eight, Charles was seventeen, John Albert was 18, Edward Everett was 19 and Nancy Adelia was 22. William Jesse had married Harriet Elizabeth Wiley on 04 October 1871 so he was gone from home. They had issue of five children. Henry was allegedly serving an apprenticeship in Batavia, Ohio learning the printing business from his uncle John Leonard who worked on the Gazette News paper in Cincinnati, Ohio Jake, then eight years old, was taken in by his uncle John R. Moss who raised the boy as one of his own and saw to it he had the best education he could provide. Jake became a great educator and scholar, but he was struck down by diphtheria at the age of 42 while living in Carbondale, Illinois. Jake had married Miss Beulah Noland of Sandoval, Illinois. Born 28 December 1878 and who shared his love of the literary. They had no children. Jake and his father died the same year, 1906. They are buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Edward was married 18 March 1875 to Antoinette “Nettie” Thorne who was born 20 October 1858. They had issue of seven children. Henry was married January 23, 1877 to Zella Mae Applegate born 17 May 1860, the daughter of Andrew Jackson Applegate and Mary Ann Chambers. They had issue of three children. Nancy was married 15 April 1877 to George Witham born 15 April 1855. They had issue of four children. The 1880 census finds John, 58, and Myra, 11, living with William Jesse and his wife at Mt Vernon. John Albert was married 26 May 1883 to Miss Minnie Davis born 24 November 1864 at Mt. Vernon, Illinois. They had issue of four children. Charles F. was married to 18 October 1899 to Miss Lucy Land, born May 1869 at Carmi, Illinois They had issue of three children. John Samuel married Louisa M. Carpenter on 20 November 1872. No dates on her birth. They had issue of one child. George Ellis born 03 February 1874, died in 1883 at the age of nine. No record of his burial. Because John and Myra were living with William in 1880, it is apparent they had parted long before the death of George. Henry’s wife Zella Mae died of Cholera, 26 August 1882. She was buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Miami County, Ohio. She was 22. She left behind 3 young daughters. I . Hattie Marie born 12 November 1877 in Batavia, Ohio II. Mabel born 31 October1878 III Elizabeth born 12 June 1879 After the death of Zella Mae, 27 January 1883, Henry removed to Mt.Vernon where he had family to help care for his young daughters. He was employed with the Register News as a printer. Tragedy struck again when Henry’s two year old daughter died. There must have been an epidemic because George died then as well. One year and one month later Mabel died 25 February 1884. There is no record where the three young children were buried. Hattie survived and on 25 February 1896 she was married toElmer Frances Strattan in Mt Vernon. He was born 04 November 1873 (5) John's next wife was a Mrs.Trafton and they married sometime in 1884. Her grown boys didn’t like him and they ran him off. They were divorced. There are no records. A transcript written by Edward Edgar Ellis, John's grandson, in 1949 states, "when I was young there was an elderly lady that I used to call my Great Grandmother in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Her name was Mrs. Shepherd It was about 1881. I don’t know how she fit into the picture. She was my Great Grandmother on my fathers side.” Edward Edgar's father was William Jesse, son of John, son of Jesse. The 1880 census records a Lucinda M. Shepherd as the only person with the surname Shephard in Jefferson County. John's daughter Myra was married, 03 July 1886 in Mt Vernon to Asa Collins born in 1866. They had issue of three children. In February 1888, a Tornado ripped through the center of Mt. Vernon. Accounts of the event were devastating. Henry and his half brother Charles were on the injured list. We don’t know the extent of their injuries. Henry was married a second time to Ida Mae Johnson on 17 November 1888 in Mt. Vernon. We don’t know what happened in this marriage. She was never mentioned again not even in Henry’s obituary. John met his next wife when a cyclone blew her into his front yard one Sunday afternoon. Fanny Lawry born about 1862, John stated “She was a gift from God." He made her his housekeeper and married her on 18 September 1891, in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. Fanny had a son from a previous marriage Morris who was 5 years old. John and Fanny had three more children. ( K ) Edna born 1892, developed T.B. and went north to Idaho and Colorado for her health. Possibly died at Denver, Colorado. She married Maga Brown at Twin Falls, Montana. ( L ) Margaret born 1895 married a Mr. Brady in Sturgis, Kentucky and later divorced. ( M ) Hobart born 1897 and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville, Indiana. No date is available. Henry L. died 09 March 1896 at Mt. Vernon at the age of 56. He served in the Civil War as a drummer and received a pension. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. William Jesse died 19 March 1898 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois At the age of 53. He was a Veteran of the Civil War and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery. Charles F. died 01 October 1889 in St. Louis, Missouri at 34 years of age. He was returned to Mt.Vernon for services and burial at Oakwood Cemetery. In the obituary for Charles it read, "the Rev. John Ellis and son Edward Everett of Howel attended the services." Charles was formerly the proprietor of the Jefferson County Democrat. He worked at various printing offices. At one time, he published a paper and still later managed a printing office. He died of locked bowels. In 1897 John and Fanny lived at 113 East Oregon Street, Evansville, Indiana. He was working as an upholsterer for the Rail Road. In 1906 John suffered a stroke and died. At the age of 84. His body was returned to Mt. Vernon for burial at Oakwood Cemetery. Jake died the same year in Carbondale, Illinois of Diphtheria at the age of 42. His body was returned to Mt.Vernon for burial at Oakwood. Edward Everett died 24 December 1926 at the age of 73 at St Louis, Missouri. Myra died 21 March 1934 in Arthur, Illinois She was buried at Arthur Cemetery. She was one of Arthur’s Gold Star Mothers having lost her only son in the war, when he was only 22 years old. She had two daughters as well. Nancy Adelia died 31 August 1935 in Los Angeles, California. She was John's first daughter and lived to be 85 years old. John Albert died 28 October 1939 in Buhl, Idaho at the age of 85. He was an employee of the L&N Railroad and lived in Sturgis, Kentucky for a time. He moved to Idaho in 1915. Written by Nancy E. Davis Great Great Granddaughter November 2007 1 Source: "Marriage Records of Highland County, Ohio" by David and Jane McBride © 1962, pg. 72, lookup provided by J. L. Asche 2Note: Charles T. Pavey married Lucinda Taylor on February 12, 1829 in Highland County, Ohio, "Marriage Records of Highland County, Ohio" by David and Jane McBride © 1962, pg 181, lookup provided by J. L. Asche 3 Note: Stephen T. Stratten [sic] married Isabella Jane Pavy [sic] on November 11, 1849 in Highland County, Ohio, "Marriage Records of Highland County, Ohio" by David and Jane McBride © 1962 pg. 231, lookup provided by J. L. Asche 4Note: Mrs. Shephard was Lucinda Taylor Pavey Shepherd, the mother of Martha Pavey Ellis. Charles T. Pavey died Sept. 20, 1847 and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, in Fairfield Township in Highland County, Ohio (pg. 154 "Cemetery Inscriptions of Highland County, Ohio" by David and Jane McBride ©1954, lookup provided by J. L. Asche) Lucinda married Levi Shepherd Oct. 12, 1854 in Highland County, Ohio (pg. 212 "Marriage Records of Highland County, Ohio" by David and Jane McBride © 1962, lookup provided by J. L. Asche) |
