Benjamin Ellyson

ELLYSON, HEMINGWAY, BEDELL, HALL, COPPOCK, BARNHART, HAMPTON, ARMSTRONG

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 3/29/2017 at 15:21:41

24 June 1920 - The West Branch Times

Benjamin Ellyson, one of Cedar county's old and highly respected pioneer citizens, passed away at the home of his son-in-law, C. C. Hampton, Fourth day, 6-16-20, aged 96 years, 4 months and 17 days.

He was born near Damascus, Ohio. He was married to Abigale Hemingway in 1847, to which union nine children were born, the oldest being 71 years old at the time of his death. They are, Alfred of Amesbury, Mass., Miriam Hall and Hannah Bedell of Springville, Iowa, Robert M. of Frankfort, S. Dak., William B. of West Liberty and Rebecca E. Coppock, Fidelia Barnhart and Franklin B. of this place. James died in infancy.

In 1852 he and his brother, Zadok, made a prospective trip to the West, seeking a new home. They took their first car ride to Cleveland, Ohio, crossing Lake Erie on a steamboat to Detroit, Mich., where they took a stage for Dixon, Ill., stopping there to visit their uncle, William Butler. From there they went to Galena, Ill., crossed the Mississippi river at Dubuque and took stage for Cedar Rapids--at that time nothing on the east side of the river but a log hotel on a sand bank. Then they went on foot to their brother Websters, the farm now owned by Hayden Campbell. They each entered 160 acres of land in Johnson county and returned to Ohio.

Early in the summer of 1854, Benjamin and wife with four children, together with his brother Zadok, started for their new home in the west. The two men each with a loaded covered wagon and the wife and four children coming in a two seated carriage drawn by one horse.

The first day they drove about 25 miles and put up for the night at a friend, Thomas Bowman, near Massilon, Ohio. From there they followed the trail made by the cattle their uncle, William Butler, had driven from Dixon, Ill., to eastern Ohio, this being their only sign board. After days of tiresome travel they at last put up for a night in Moline, Ill., next morning crossing the Mississippi river at Rock Island, From here to Tipton, Iowa, where they took dinner at Johnathan Cattell's. They crossed the Cedar river at Gower's ferry, reaching his brother Websters just as the sun went down on the 18th day of their tiresome journey. He soon sold the Johnson county farm and purchased the 160 acres in Gower township that he owned at the time of his death.

In 1863 his wife died leaving him with eight children. In the fall of 1865 he was married to Elma C. Armstrong of Columbiana county, Ohio. To this union two children were born, Cora A. Hampton and Lewis N. Ellyson, both of this place. They lived continuously on the old Gower township farm until 1894 when they went to make their home with their daughter, Cora A. Hampton, where his wife departed this life 2nd month, 15, 1919.

He had been greatly affected for years but bore his suffering with that fortitude which marks a true Christian. He was a member of the Society of Friends. Many ministers from a distance visited him and spoke words of comfort that his work was done and he was only waiting as a sheaf of wheat fully ripe ready to be garnered.

The funeral was held from the Hickory Grove meeting house, 6th month 19, 1920, where a great number of relatives and friends met to pay respect to the departed.