BIOGRAPHY

ELIPHALET PARISH - OF BERGEN, NY

ELIPHALET PARISH, father of Elisha M. Parish and grandfather of George E. Parish, was a pioneer of Genesee County. He was born in Massachusetts, January 16, 1786. In 1811 he migrated west, his outfit consisting of an ox team, a wagon and a few utensils. He selected a tract of land, the site of the present town of Bergen, purchasing it from the original owners; here-he settled in the forest, erected log buildings and began to clear the land of its timber and made him a home. He became an influential man in the community, and for many years was a deacon in the First Congregational church of Bergen; a man of the' strictest integrity and faithful in all his relations as a Christian, neighbor and friend. Nothing but serious sickness could keep him from attending to the duties of the church, in which he has always taken an active part. He was married four times, his first wife being Theodosia Brewster, daughter of Capt. Elisha Brewster of Worthington, Mass., who served his country through the entire Revolutionary war, receiving his discharge in the handwriting of George Washington, a relic which he treasured sacredly through a long life. His second wife was Sallie Brewster; his third wife was Zipporah Brewster; all of these ladies were sisters. His fourth marriage was to Mary Ann Dennis, of Henrietta, NY He was the father of eight children, as follows: Minerva B., wife of Horace R. Holt; Anna P., wife of Pitman Wilcox; Oliver, who was married to Melvina Devereaux of Bergen; Elisha H., who was married to Mary Putnam; Theodosia, who was married, first, to C. W. Smith of Northampton, Mass., and second, to Franklin D. Kingman of Bergen; Eliphalet, who died in infancy; Zepporah, who was married to Charles Hall of Wheatland: and Sallie, wife of Frank Baker.

Source:
Our County and it's people
A descriptive work on Genesee County, New York
Edited by: F. W. Beers
J.W. Vose & Co., Publishers, Syracuse, NY 1890