George Ellis 1825-1910

ELLIS, GALE, MORRIS, VALENTINE

Posted By: Rich Lowe (email)
Date: 10/1/2001 at 14:07:54

George Ellis

Was born in Bloomingburg, Sullivan county, New York, March 26, 1825 and died Feb. 1, 1910, being nearly 85 years old.

It is quite a coincident that he died only about 10 hours later than his fellow townsmen, Lowell Valentine, who was in his 90th year. We better realize the great age of these two good men when we see that their united lives would reach back to nearly 10 years prior to the beginning of our Revolutionary war. The life of Mr. Ellis alone extends two thirds of the way back to the beginning of that conflict which seems to us so long ago.

He moved with his parents to Iowa and settled in Van Buren county in 1839 and in Keosauqua in 1850.

He was married to Ruth Ann Gale, who at the age of 80 years, survives to mourn the loss of him who was her loved and loving companion for 60 years.

Having no children of their own they too an orphan girl, Emma Morris, and reared her to womanhood and from their home she was married and afterward died. Some years ago, her daughter, Anna Glover, took her mother's place in the Ellis home.

It will be seen that Mr. Ellis came to Iowa about 75 years ago while it was yet a territory, and seven years before it became a state. So that to a large sense he was a pioneer product, and did his share, with other remarkable men, toward making our county such a desirable land in which to dwell.

He was a farmer and did not retire from that calling to well merited rest until he was 69? years old. He was a good father and as such well deserved the appreciation couched in the remark: "He is a benefactor of men who makes two blades of grass grow where one grew before."

Birmingham Enterprise
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Obituary of George Ellis
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George Ellis, whose death at Keosauqua was mentioned in the REPUBLICAN last week, was a native of New York and born in Sullivan county, March 26, 1825. In the spring of 1839 he came with his parents to Iowa, settling near Keosauqua. On March 31, 1850, he was married to Miss Ruth A. Gale, a daughter of John and Rebecca G. (McCrary) Gale, who survives. No children were born to them. In 1855 they moved to a farm they purchased in the eastern part of Vernon township, consisting of nearly 250 acres, where they resided until they moved to Keosauqua in 1892, since which time their home has been here. Mr. Ellis was a man of strong character. In politics he was an ardent republican, and though not a member of any church, he believed the teachings of the Bible and read it much. Wherever he was known he was respected and he will be missed and mourned in this community. The funeral was held from the residence at 2 o'clock , Thursday, Feb. 3, 1909 [1910], Rev. J. W. Cheney, an old friend of the family, in charge of the services. The pall bearers were Oliver Sargeant, Fred Anderson, W. S. Bennett, Walter Beer, J. K. Matheson an Deming Kingsbury. The interment was in the Purdom cemetery.
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Keosauqua Republican, Feb. 10, 1910

Note: George was the son of Jeremiah and Rebecca Miller Ellis. I would like to hear from anyone with connections to this family.