Nims, Ellal

NIMS, HASKELL

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/25/2007 at 07:33:38

Ellal Nims was born in Shelburne, Massachusetts, in 1795. His parents removed to Bolton, Warren County, New York, when he was a boy of ten, and he grew to manhood there. Fifty years ago, lacking a few weeks, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Haskell. Two years later, in 1829, they started for the West, stopping for some six years in Ohio and about the same time at Alton, Illinois. They did not reach Maquoketa until 1841, where for the most part, they have resided for the last 36 years.

Mr. Nims united with the Presbyterian Church in his youth and came West holding fast his profession. He and his wife were among the original members of the Congregational Church of this place, and he was one of the deacons of that organization for a long time.

Though never a well man, and almost always suffering from a variety of disorders, his life held out to the ripe age of 82. After a months' painful sickness, Friday evening, September 21(1877), at the going down of the sun, he fell asleep as gently as a child. The funeral services were held at the Congregational Church the following Sabbath and were attended by a large circle of friends.

Thus another of the rapidly diminishing company of old settlers has passed on into the land of Life. May it be long before we have to record the departure of another.
(Maquoketa Excelsior, Saturday, September 29, 1877.)