 |
 ESSE K. ELLIS, located on section 7, North
Okaw Township, commenced many years
ago to build up a homestead, succeeded
admirably with his first plans, and is now
spending his declining years in ease and quiet, the
farm being carried on by his sons, who are enterprising and industrious men, and are keeping up
its reputation as did their father before them. Our subject was reared to farming pursuits, and began life in Lincoln County, Tenn., on the 20th of February, 1817. He received a good education in the common schools, taking readily to his books, and remained a member of his father’s household until twenty-three years of age. After leaving home he traced his steps to this county, where he commenced working by the month. He was thus content to “paddle his own canoe,” and in due time received from his father a deed to 200 acres of land, which is now included in the Ellis homestead. Upon this he operated successfully with the result already indicated. When in his thirtieth year Jesse K. Ellis was united in marriage with Miss Nancy Fuller, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in North Okaw Township, Aug. 20, 1846. Mrs. Ellis was born in Russell County, Va.. Dec. 23, 1822, and is the daughter of Henry and Jennie (Jesse) Fuller, natives of South Carolina. They emigrated to Virginia after their marriage and subsequently, in the fall of 1834, came to this county and took up their residence on a- farm in North Okaw Township, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. Ellis after his marriage invested his surplus capital in additional land, which he divided among his children, reserving to himself the home farm of 120 acres. This is highly cultivated and supplied with good buildings, neat and substantial fences, and all the farm machinery required by the modern agriculturist. Mr. Ellis has been prominent in township affairs, and in the fall of 1 857 was elected Justice of the Peace, which office, with the exception of two and one-half years, he has held to the present time. He was Collector for four years and School Treasurer fifteen years. He cast his first presidential vote for Martin Van Buren, and since exercising the right of suffrage, has been an uncompromising Democrat. His estimable wife is a highly respected lady and a member in good standing of the Separate Baptist Church. The ten children born to this worthy pair are recorded as follows: James W., born May 2, 1847, married Miss Helen Button and is farming in N. Okaw Township; Elizabeth J., born May 15, 1849, is the wife of Jackson Hearn, and is a resident of Mattoon; Henry W., born Jan. 27, 1851, resides with his parents; William, born Feb, 8, 1852, married Miss Amanda Blythe, and is employed in the pottery business in Mattoon; Samuel F., born Dec. 18, 1853, is clerking for his brother, a grocer in Mattoon; Stephen D., born Sept. 16, 1855. married Miss Rosa J. Fuller, and is engaged on the street car line at St. Louis, Mo.; Mary H., born Sept. 16, 1857, is the wife of John Votaw, who is farming in Osage County, Kan.; Willis C., born Nov. 23, 1859, married Miss Katie J. Luce, and is assisting in the management of the farm; David J., born Dec. 25, 1861, married Miss Amanda Luce, and is living at Mattoon; Nancy I., born May 10, 1866, died in infancy. The paternal grandfather of our subject, James Ellis by name, is supposed to have been born in New Jersey. It is certain at least that he passed his early years there and subsequently removed to Jefferson County. Tenn., and afterward to Lincoln County, which is now a part of Moore County, where he spent the remainder of his days. He was married in early manhood to Miss Sarah Riggs, who also died in Tennessee. Their seven children were named respectively, Jesse, William, Hulda N., Elizabeth, Mary, Delilah and James. Delilah died when about twenty years of age, but the others reached years of maturity, married and reared families of their own. All are now deceased. Mary, the wife of James Curry, together with her husband, died in this county. William died in Shelby County, this State, and James in Tennessee. Grandfather Ellis became a large land-owner in Tennessee, and was engaged in the pursuit of agriculture his entire life. Jesse Ellis, the father of our subject, was born in Jefferson County, Tenn., in 1784. He received a limited education and remained under the parental roof until his. marriage. The maiden of his choice was Miss Jennie Elliott, a native of his own county, and who became his wife in 1804. She was born in October, 1782. After their marriage they continued on a farm in Jefferson County for about three years, and then Mr. Ellis entered a tract of land in Lincoln County, upon which he operated until March, 1836. He then sold out, and coming North entered land in what was Shelby but is now Moultrie County, Ill., and proceeded with its improvement and cultivation until the fall of 1853, when his earthly labors ended. Mrs. Jennie Ellis had died in the fall of 1839. She was a member of the old-school Baptist Church, and was the mother of the following named children: James, John, William, Clisbe, Margaret, Pleasant M., Wiley C.. Jesse K., and Willis H. (deceased). Of this family but three are living. The second wife of Jesse Ellis, Sr., was Mrs. Isabel (Elliott) Curry, the sister of his first wife. She only lived about three years after her marriage. Her only child was a daughter named Sarah Minerva, now the wife of William A. Hendricks. The third wife of Mr. Ellis was Mrs Nancy (Chowning) Owens. She died in 1846, and he was then married to Mrs. Maria (Curry) Bennett, in 1847. Of this marriage there were born five children, two of whom died in infancy. There are living two sons and a daughter, namely, Joseph B., married, and a practicing physician in Carbondale, Kan.; Mary A., a resident of Tennessee, and Nathan C., who is married and farming in North Okaw Township, this county. |
 |
| Return To Contents |
|