Ellis, John Calvin

PATTERSON, SHOWALTER, BLEAKNEY, FLINT, MILLS, JENSON, DUNLAP, MULBROOK, KLEIN, KOON, SCHMIDT, MORRISON, COX

Posted By: Janice Young (email)
Date: 10/15/2003 at 21:17:22

John Calvin Ellis

John Calvin Ellis was born in Scott County, Iowa, the son of John Henry and Harriett Patterson Ellis. The parents were both from Pennsylvania. Calvin became the father of eighteen children, most of whom lived at Mingo at one time or another.

Calvin's first wife was Mary Ellen Showalter, daughter of John and Liza Jane Showalter. Calvin and Mary were married February 13, 1878, at Kellogg, Iowa. Mary was to die in childbirth delivering their ninth child. The children of Calvin and Mary Ellis were as follows:

1. Sylvia Azalia was born November 11, 1878, at Kellogg. She married William Wade Bleakney and became the mother of Jay Vernon, Mary Ellen Trease, Ray Franklin, Ernest, Iola Cooper, and Naomi Phipps.

2. John Henry was born August 11, 1880. He and his wife, Lucy, were the parents of Helen, June Lucas, Calvin, and Shirley Martin.

3. Louella and her twin LeRoy were born June 13, 1882. Lou married Henry Flint. The Flints named their sons, Howard, Donald, and Forest.

4. LeRoy and his wife Lavina were the parents of five children: Harold, Glenn, John, Donald and Leah Mae Frazier.

5. Harriet, born September 10, 1884, married Jesse Mills. Their story appears elsewhere in this book.

6. James Earl (Dick) Ellis was born January 15, 1887, and married Effie Louella Jenson. Their family moved to Canada. Dick and Effie were the parents of eight children: Lester, Loren, Luella Rose, twins Earl and Elga, twins Violet and Vernon, and Faye.

7. Goldie Mae, born May 9, 1890, married Willard Henry Benson and had nine children: Myrtle Irene Callison, Florence White, Glen wilbur, Charles Ronald, Merle Royce, Kenneth, Wilma Thompson, and twins Lois and Louis.

8. Minnie Belle, born January 19, 1892, married Bert Dunlap. Bert was janitor aththe Farrar School for years. They were the parents of Ruth Beem and Thelma Jahke.

9. Mary Ellen was born November 14, 1893, and names after her mother, who died giving birth. Little Mary died in 1987 and was buried beside her mother at Rushville cemetery near Kellogg.

Calvin found himself alone with nine children. In February, he married Kate Mulbrook. Kate was the child of German Immigrants, Karl and Susan Mulbrook. Kate, at the age of twenty-five, set about raising nine step-children. She also set out to have nine of her own.

1. Jacob Martin Ellis was born October 24, 1894. he hied of pneumonia at the age of twenty and is buried at Ashton.

2. Willie Jathan was born and died in 1896.

3. Jessie Rae was born february 1, 1898. Jesse was commonly called the Mayor of Greencastle. If anything happened in Greencastle, Jesse knew about it. He remained a bachelor all his life, but he lived children, and was very good with them. Although labeled a "character" Jesse was a good hearted soul and a hard worker and was loved by many.

4. Elvina Agnes, born April 1, 1899, married John Charley Klein. Their children were: Betty (died in infancy), Clifford, Doris Rector, and Janet Leonard.

5. Walter Ross was born July 2, 1901. he and Jesse "batched" together in Greencastle for years. They were always in demand as hired men.

6. Elizabeth was born January 22, 1904, and married Dr. Warren Linley Koon, a Four-Square minister. They moved to California and were the parents of Dorothy Gardner and Warren, Jr.

7. Theodore Roosevelt (Ted) was born February 22, 1906. he married Wanda Schmidt. Their children were Marjorie Pollock Morrison, Robert, and Karen Meyer Johnson.

8. Cynthia Ann was born July 27, 1908, and married John (Jack) Cox. Their daughter's name is Shirley Crawford.

9. Willard Wade (Bill) was born June 10, 1910. Bill and Ann had one son named James Arthur.

Calvin Ellis was a carpenter by trade. He built a large barn on the Jim Smith farm south of Greecastle, as well as other buildings in the area. He died in 1912 at the age of fifty-seven.

Kate raised her family with the help of her brothers, Monty and Peter Mulbrook. She died in 1932 and is buried at Ashton.

By Susan Mills Cochran as printed in:

Mingo Iowa Community Centennial 1884-1894 Book by the History Book Committee