Marie Clarissa aka Carrie Marie Ellis Wirt, daughter of Fred Ellis & his wife Sarah Agnes "Agnes, Aggie" Artley Ellis
Paternal g/parents Joel Ellis & his wife Emeline Bailey Ellis
Carrie M married Apr 1910 in Elkhart Co,IN to Henry Lewis Wirt, son of Charles H Wirt & his 1st wife Alma D Waterbury Wirt
***********************
1910 Mason Twp, Cass Co,MI - Ellis, Fred L 49 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 42 PA (both parents b PA), son Guy H 15 IN & son Edward M C 12 MI
1900 Oslo Twp, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Fred L 41 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 34 PA (both parents b PA), son Francis 13 IN, son Mace 11 IN, daughter Clara M 8 WI, son Guy H 6 IN & son Edward M 2 MI
1880 Elkhart, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Joel 59 NY (both parents b NH), wife Emeline 53 NY (both parents b NH), son Charles 23 IN (both parents b NY), son Mace 22 IN (both parents b NY), son Fredrick 19 IN (both parents b NY), daughter Clara 17 IN (both parents b NY) & son Joel 14 IN (both parents b NY) & Baily, Edwin NY (both parents b NY)
***********************
Mrs Marie C Wirt, 84, Wakarusa Route 1, died at 5:40 am Friday, April 22, in Elkhart General Hospital, where she was admitted March 21 following a heart attack.
Mrs Wirt was born in Kimberley, Wis, Jan 24, 1893, to Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
She married Henry Wirt April 12, 1910. He died Jan 21, 1974.
She was a member of the Wakarusa United Methodist Church, the Nappanee OES and the OES Past Matrons Club.
Survivors include three daughters, Mrs Simon (Avanelle) Boorda, South Bend, Mrs Robert (Josephine) Bowlby, Elkhart, and Mrs Dale (Kathleen) Sherk, Bremen; 10 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 10 am Monday, April 25, at the Lienhart Funeral Home with the Rev Harold Kratzat officiating. Burial was in Olive Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Wakarusa Public Library.
Wakarusa Tribune
27 April 1977
***************************
*** brother Francis Henry "Frank" Ellis is findagrave memorial 88299936
*** brother Mace F Ellis is findagrave memorial 177914771
*** brother Edward M Wirt is findagrave memorial 69554491
***************************
*** her brother ...
Mace Ellis, age 71, of Elm Street, Marcellus died January 6, 1961 in the Marcellus Convalescent Home.
He was born June 27, 1889, the son of Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
He married Golda Cook on January 22, 1913. He moved to Marcellus January 8, 1938.
He is survived by his wife Golda; three daughters, Mrs Charles (Bernita) Mohney, Mrs Lyle (Jean) Mihills and Mrs Dallas (Mary Lou) Richcreek; two sons, Leon and Billy Ellis; two brothers, Frank and Guy; one sister, Mrs Henry Wirt; thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Marcellus News (Cass Co,MI)
12 January 1961
*******************************
*** her grandfather Joel Ellis
& his brother John W Ellis ...
Joel Ellis, one of the retired citizens of Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, Feb 14, 1821. His father's name was Jacob, and he is the brother of John W Ellis, whose sketch appears on page 820.
When Joel ariived in this county with his parents he was nearly 12 years of ago. He remained with his father on the farm till he was 24, when he was married to Miss
Emeline Bailey.
He soon afterward engaged in the forwarding and commission business on the St Joseph, an enterprise of much consequence at that period, and one which has made him a historical character in the progress of Elkhart county. From 1846 to 1851, Mr Ellis continued the business, until his name became a household word over an extent of country 30 miles to the south and eastward. At that day the only outlet to this region for market purposes - was down the St Joseph to the port of the same name on Lake Michigan. Mr Ellis owned boats and three warehouses, the latter being situated on the Elkhart, a little above its confluence with the St Joseph. Remains of one of these warehouses are still standing. One of these warehouses was at the foot of Washington street, another on Sycamore street, and a third on lot No 3. The means of transportation employed by Mr Ellis were keelboats, and these towed by light draft steamers. At the time mentioned there were 20 or 25 boats running between Elkhart and St Joseph, of which five were steamers. Besides these there were numerous flatboats. There was usually from 25 to 30 inches of water on the shoals, and quite large cargoes of produce were taken down the river. The steamers would carry 300 bushels of corn, and the keel boats much more. Among the shippers at Mr Ellis' docks were Barnes & Defrees, Hawks Bros, of Waterford; Mr Bivens, of Oswego; Mr Darrough, of Benton and Harris Bros, of Monocut (***Monoquet***). All kinds of merchandise were brought up from St Joseph.
Mr Ellis relates how, at one time, just before the opening of navigation, he had 27,000 barrels of flour in his warehouses at one time. This was in the spring of 1847. But the time came when the building of the Michigan Southern railroad destroyed the importance of the St Joseph river as an avenue of traffic, and Mr Ellis found, as many another man has found, that what was a great benefit to the community at large was a serious interference with his own present profits and his future prospects. In 1852 navigation on the St Joseph river, for commercial purposes, closed forever, and the keelboats and steamers went into a perpetual ordinary, or were knocked in pieces for other utilities than conveying farm products to market. Mr Ellis found his warehouses deserted, and the corn, wheat and flour of the region, and the merchandise that was needed in it, going and coming on the M S railroad. Reluctantly he yielded to the inevitable, locked his empty warehouses, tied up his boats or run them down the river for sale, and turned his attention to other and more modern pursuits. But it was a serious loss to him. The last cargo was a load of high wines for Hawks Bros, which was shipped in the Red Rover, Capt James Smith. The barge never came back, but was sold in St Joseph.
After he had closed the forwarding and commission business Mr Ellis took up his residence on a farm of 320 acres that he owned south of Elkhart, and improved it.
In 1863 he returned to Elkhart to reside, having exchanged a portion of his farm for 90 acres within the corporate limits of the town. This property has grown quite valuable by the growth of the city, and a portion of it has been sold as city lots. Mr Ellis' residence is situated on Burg street, in one of the finest portions of North Elkhart. He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, and occupies a high social position in his locality.
Mr and Mrs Ellis have 6 sons and 1 daughter. Jacob is employed as a railroad man; Wm D is married and is an employe in Mayor Conn's music-horn factory; Charles F also is an attache of that establishment; Mace P is railroading; Fred L and Joel Ellis, Jr, are at home, and Clara, the daughter, is also at home.
A portrait of Mr Joel Ellis appears in this volume.
John W Ellis, of the Excelsior Starch Works, Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, in the year 1825. He was the son of Jacob and Catharine (Burch) Ellis. Mr Ellis' boyhood and youth were passed on his father's farm. His family removed to Elkhart, Ind, in 1831, and settled upon wild land, among the Indians, in what is now Concord tp. When Mr. Ellis was 18 years of age he found employment in a store in Elkhart as a clerk. His employer was Philo Morehouse, and he remained with him about two years. He then engaged in trade on his own account at Edwardsburg, Mich. In one year he made a change to Waukegan, Wis, remaining there till 1850, when he went out among the pioneers to California, and was engaged in mining there for two years. He went out in what was called the "second emigration," overland, making the trip in 52 days, from the Missouri river to Sacramento, the quickest passage of that season. On returning he again engaged in trade at Waukegan, and continued in that line till 1856, when he came to Elkhart, and here was engaged in merchandising
and farming till 1873. He still owns a farm in this vicinity.
When the Excelsior Starch Mills were built he joined the stock company, assisted in establishing the works, and has since given his attention to promoting the success of the enterprise. He is also connected with the Eagle Knitting Factory, and is a director in that company.
Mr Ellis, in 1849, was married to Miss Clarissa Green. They have 5 children: Mary C, Jay B, Colonel Fremont, James S and Lulu Belle.
Mary C is married to Koss F McGregor, Dayton, 0, who is a steam engine manufacturer. Jay B is a machinist, and has a shop in Elkhart. Colonel F is a physician; was a graduate of the New York Homeopathic College, and is practicing in Ligonier, Ind. James S is connected with the Eagle Knitting Works. Lulu is attending school.
Mr Ellis is a member of the Congregational Church in Elkhart, and is a Deacon in that organization. He is a member of the Masonic order, and holds the rank of Sir Knight. He was a member of the City Council in 1876 and 1878. From 1861 to 1875 he was Assessor of the town and tp of Elkhart, and thus acquired a thorough knowledge of the value of property here. Mr Ellis has been secretary of the Excelsior Starch Mills for the last three years, and a director of the company since its organization.
Mr John W Ellis' portrait appears in this work.
History of Elkhart County, Indiana: Together with Sketches of Its Cities and Biographies of Representative Citizens: History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of the Pre-historic Races
Chas C Chapman
1881
Paternal g/parents Joel Ellis & his wife Emeline Bailey Ellis
Carrie M married Apr 1910 in Elkhart Co,IN to Henry Lewis Wirt, son of Charles H Wirt & his 1st wife Alma D Waterbury Wirt
***********************
1910 Mason Twp, Cass Co,MI - Ellis, Fred L 49 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 42 PA (both parents b PA), son Guy H 15 IN & son Edward M C 12 MI
1900 Oslo Twp, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Fred L 41 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 34 PA (both parents b PA), son Francis 13 IN, son Mace 11 IN, daughter Clara M 8 WI, son Guy H 6 IN & son Edward M 2 MI
1880 Elkhart, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Joel 59 NY (both parents b NH), wife Emeline 53 NY (both parents b NH), son Charles 23 IN (both parents b NY), son Mace 22 IN (both parents b NY), son Fredrick 19 IN (both parents b NY), daughter Clara 17 IN (both parents b NY) & son Joel 14 IN (both parents b NY) & Baily, Edwin NY (both parents b NY)
***********************
Mrs Marie C Wirt, 84, Wakarusa Route 1, died at 5:40 am Friday, April 22, in Elkhart General Hospital, where she was admitted March 21 following a heart attack.
Mrs Wirt was born in Kimberley, Wis, Jan 24, 1893, to Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
She married Henry Wirt April 12, 1910. He died Jan 21, 1974.
She was a member of the Wakarusa United Methodist Church, the Nappanee OES and the OES Past Matrons Club.
Survivors include three daughters, Mrs Simon (Avanelle) Boorda, South Bend, Mrs Robert (Josephine) Bowlby, Elkhart, and Mrs Dale (Kathleen) Sherk, Bremen; 10 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 10 am Monday, April 25, at the Lienhart Funeral Home with the Rev Harold Kratzat officiating. Burial was in Olive Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Wakarusa Public Library.
Wakarusa Tribune
27 April 1977
***************************
*** brother Francis Henry "Frank" Ellis is findagrave memorial 88299936
*** brother Mace F Ellis is findagrave memorial 177914771
*** brother Edward M Wirt is findagrave memorial 69554491
***************************
*** her brother ...
Mace Ellis, age 71, of Elm Street, Marcellus died January 6, 1961 in the Marcellus Convalescent Home.
He was born June 27, 1889, the son of Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
He married Golda Cook on January 22, 1913. He moved to Marcellus January 8, 1938.
He is survived by his wife Golda; three daughters, Mrs Charles (Bernita) Mohney, Mrs Lyle (Jean) Mihills and Mrs Dallas (Mary Lou) Richcreek; two sons, Leon and Billy Ellis; two brothers, Frank and Guy; one sister, Mrs Henry Wirt; thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Marcellus News (Cass Co,MI)
12 January 1961
*******************************
*** her grandfather Joel Ellis
& his brother John W Ellis ...
Joel Ellis, one of the retired citizens of Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, Feb 14, 1821. His father's name was Jacob, and he is the brother of John W Ellis, whose sketch appears on page 820.
When Joel ariived in this county with his parents he was nearly 12 years of ago. He remained with his father on the farm till he was 24, when he was married to Miss
Emeline Bailey.
He soon afterward engaged in the forwarding and commission business on the St Joseph, an enterprise of much consequence at that period, and one which has made him a historical character in the progress of Elkhart county. From 1846 to 1851, Mr Ellis continued the business, until his name became a household word over an extent of country 30 miles to the south and eastward. At that day the only outlet to this region for market purposes - was down the St Joseph to the port of the same name on Lake Michigan. Mr Ellis owned boats and three warehouses, the latter being situated on the Elkhart, a little above its confluence with the St Joseph. Remains of one of these warehouses are still standing. One of these warehouses was at the foot of Washington street, another on Sycamore street, and a third on lot No 3. The means of transportation employed by Mr Ellis were keelboats, and these towed by light draft steamers. At the time mentioned there were 20 or 25 boats running between Elkhart and St Joseph, of which five were steamers. Besides these there were numerous flatboats. There was usually from 25 to 30 inches of water on the shoals, and quite large cargoes of produce were taken down the river. The steamers would carry 300 bushels of corn, and the keel boats much more. Among the shippers at Mr Ellis' docks were Barnes & Defrees, Hawks Bros, of Waterford; Mr Bivens, of Oswego; Mr Darrough, of Benton and Harris Bros, of Monocut (***Monoquet***). All kinds of merchandise were brought up from St Joseph.
Mr Ellis relates how, at one time, just before the opening of navigation, he had 27,000 barrels of flour in his warehouses at one time. This was in the spring of 1847. But the time came when the building of the Michigan Southern railroad destroyed the importance of the St Joseph river as an avenue of traffic, and Mr Ellis found, as many another man has found, that what was a great benefit to the community at large was a serious interference with his own present profits and his future prospects. In 1852 navigation on the St Joseph river, for commercial purposes, closed forever, and the keelboats and steamers went into a perpetual ordinary, or were knocked in pieces for other utilities than conveying farm products to market. Mr Ellis found his warehouses deserted, and the corn, wheat and flour of the region, and the merchandise that was needed in it, going and coming on the M S railroad. Reluctantly he yielded to the inevitable, locked his empty warehouses, tied up his boats or run them down the river for sale, and turned his attention to other and more modern pursuits. But it was a serious loss to him. The last cargo was a load of high wines for Hawks Bros, which was shipped in the Red Rover, Capt James Smith. The barge never came back, but was sold in St Joseph.
After he had closed the forwarding and commission business Mr Ellis took up his residence on a farm of 320 acres that he owned south of Elkhart, and improved it.
In 1863 he returned to Elkhart to reside, having exchanged a portion of his farm for 90 acres within the corporate limits of the town. This property has grown quite valuable by the growth of the city, and a portion of it has been sold as city lots. Mr Ellis' residence is situated on Burg street, in one of the finest portions of North Elkhart. He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, and occupies a high social position in his locality.
Mr and Mrs Ellis have 6 sons and 1 daughter. Jacob is employed as a railroad man; Wm D is married and is an employe in Mayor Conn's music-horn factory; Charles F also is an attache of that establishment; Mace P is railroading; Fred L and Joel Ellis, Jr, are at home, and Clara, the daughter, is also at home.
A portrait of Mr Joel Ellis appears in this volume.
John W Ellis, of the Excelsior Starch Works, Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, in the year 1825. He was the son of Jacob and Catharine (Burch) Ellis. Mr Ellis' boyhood and youth were passed on his father's farm. His family removed to Elkhart, Ind, in 1831, and settled upon wild land, among the Indians, in what is now Concord tp. When Mr. Ellis was 18 years of age he found employment in a store in Elkhart as a clerk. His employer was Philo Morehouse, and he remained with him about two years. He then engaged in trade on his own account at Edwardsburg, Mich. In one year he made a change to Waukegan, Wis, remaining there till 1850, when he went out among the pioneers to California, and was engaged in mining there for two years. He went out in what was called the "second emigration," overland, making the trip in 52 days, from the Missouri river to Sacramento, the quickest passage of that season. On returning he again engaged in trade at Waukegan, and continued in that line till 1856, when he came to Elkhart, and here was engaged in merchandising
and farming till 1873. He still owns a farm in this vicinity.
When the Excelsior Starch Mills were built he joined the stock company, assisted in establishing the works, and has since given his attention to promoting the success of the enterprise. He is also connected with the Eagle Knitting Factory, and is a director in that company.
Mr Ellis, in 1849, was married to Miss Clarissa Green. They have 5 children: Mary C, Jay B, Colonel Fremont, James S and Lulu Belle.
Mary C is married to Koss F McGregor, Dayton, 0, who is a steam engine manufacturer. Jay B is a machinist, and has a shop in Elkhart. Colonel F is a physician; was a graduate of the New York Homeopathic College, and is practicing in Ligonier, Ind. James S is connected with the Eagle Knitting Works. Lulu is attending school.
Mr Ellis is a member of the Congregational Church in Elkhart, and is a Deacon in that organization. He is a member of the Masonic order, and holds the rank of Sir Knight. He was a member of the City Council in 1876 and 1878. From 1861 to 1875 he was Assessor of the town and tp of Elkhart, and thus acquired a thorough knowledge of the value of property here. Mr Ellis has been secretary of the Excelsior Starch Mills for the last three years, and a director of the company since its organization.
Mr John W Ellis' portrait appears in this work.
History of Elkhart County, Indiana: Together with Sketches of Its Cities and Biographies of Representative Citizens: History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of the Pre-historic Races
Chas C Chapman
1881
Marie Clarissa aka Carrie Marie Ellis Wirt, daughter of Fred Ellis & his wife Sarah Agnes "Agnes, Aggie" Artley Ellis
Paternal g/parents Joel Ellis & his wife Emeline Bailey Ellis
Carrie M married Apr 1910 in Elkhart Co,IN to Henry Lewis Wirt, son of Charles H Wirt & his 1st wife Alma D Waterbury Wirt
***********************
1910 Mason Twp, Cass Co,MI - Ellis, Fred L 49 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 42 PA (both parents b PA), son Guy H 15 IN & son Edward M C 12 MI
1900 Oslo Twp, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Fred L 41 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 34 PA (both parents b PA), son Francis 13 IN, son Mace 11 IN, daughter Clara M 8 WI, son Guy H 6 IN & son Edward M 2 MI
1880 Elkhart, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Joel 59 NY (both parents b NH), wife Emeline 53 NY (both parents b NH), son Charles 23 IN (both parents b NY), son Mace 22 IN (both parents b NY), son Fredrick 19 IN (both parents b NY), daughter Clara 17 IN (both parents b NY) & son Joel 14 IN (both parents b NY) & Baily, Edwin NY (both parents b NY)
***********************
Mrs Marie C Wirt, 84, Wakarusa Route 1, died at 5:40 am Friday, April 22, in Elkhart General Hospital, where she was admitted March 21 following a heart attack.
Mrs Wirt was born in Kimberley, Wis, Jan 24, 1893, to Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
She married Henry Wirt April 12, 1910. He died Jan 21, 1974.
She was a member of the Wakarusa United Methodist Church, the Nappanee OES and the OES Past Matrons Club.
Survivors include three daughters, Mrs Simon (Avanelle) Boorda, South Bend, Mrs Robert (Josephine) Bowlby, Elkhart, and Mrs Dale (Kathleen) Sherk, Bremen; 10 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 10 am Monday, April 25, at the Lienhart Funeral Home with the Rev Harold Kratzat officiating. Burial was in Olive Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Wakarusa Public Library.
Wakarusa Tribune
27 April 1977
***************************
*** brother Francis Henry "Frank" Ellis is findagrave memorial 88299936
*** brother Mace F Ellis is findagrave memorial 177914771
*** brother Edward M Wirt is findagrave memorial 69554491
***************************
*** her brother ...
Mace Ellis, age 71, of Elm Street, Marcellus died January 6, 1961 in the Marcellus Convalescent Home.
He was born June 27, 1889, the son of Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
He married Golda Cook on January 22, 1913. He moved to Marcellus January 8, 1938.
He is survived by his wife Golda; three daughters, Mrs Charles (Bernita) Mohney, Mrs Lyle (Jean) Mihills and Mrs Dallas (Mary Lou) Richcreek; two sons, Leon and Billy Ellis; two brothers, Frank and Guy; one sister, Mrs Henry Wirt; thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Marcellus News (Cass Co,MI)
12 January 1961
*******************************
*** her grandfather Joel Ellis
& his brother John W Ellis ...
Joel Ellis, one of the retired citizens of Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, Feb 14, 1821. His father's name was Jacob, and he is the brother of John W Ellis, whose sketch appears on page 820.
When Joel ariived in this county with his parents he was nearly 12 years of ago. He remained with his father on the farm till he was 24, when he was married to Miss
Emeline Bailey.
He soon afterward engaged in the forwarding and commission business on the St Joseph, an enterprise of much consequence at that period, and one which has made him a historical character in the progress of Elkhart county. From 1846 to 1851, Mr Ellis continued the business, until his name became a household word over an extent of country 30 miles to the south and eastward. At that day the only outlet to this region for market purposes - was down the St Joseph to the port of the same name on Lake Michigan. Mr Ellis owned boats and three warehouses, the latter being situated on the Elkhart, a little above its confluence with the St Joseph. Remains of one of these warehouses are still standing. One of these warehouses was at the foot of Washington street, another on Sycamore street, and a third on lot No 3. The means of transportation employed by Mr Ellis were keelboats, and these towed by light draft steamers. At the time mentioned there were 20 or 25 boats running between Elkhart and St Joseph, of which five were steamers. Besides these there were numerous flatboats. There was usually from 25 to 30 inches of water on the shoals, and quite large cargoes of produce were taken down the river. The steamers would carry 300 bushels of corn, and the keel boats much more. Among the shippers at Mr Ellis' docks were Barnes & Defrees, Hawks Bros, of Waterford; Mr Bivens, of Oswego; Mr Darrough, of Benton and Harris Bros, of Monocut (***Monoquet***). All kinds of merchandise were brought up from St Joseph.
Mr Ellis relates how, at one time, just before the opening of navigation, he had 27,000 barrels of flour in his warehouses at one time. This was in the spring of 1847. But the time came when the building of the Michigan Southern railroad destroyed the importance of the St Joseph river as an avenue of traffic, and Mr Ellis found, as many another man has found, that what was a great benefit to the community at large was a serious interference with his own present profits and his future prospects. In 1852 navigation on the St Joseph river, for commercial purposes, closed forever, and the keelboats and steamers went into a perpetual ordinary, or were knocked in pieces for other utilities than conveying farm products to market. Mr Ellis found his warehouses deserted, and the corn, wheat and flour of the region, and the merchandise that was needed in it, going and coming on the M S railroad. Reluctantly he yielded to the inevitable, locked his empty warehouses, tied up his boats or run them down the river for sale, and turned his attention to other and more modern pursuits. But it was a serious loss to him. The last cargo was a load of high wines for Hawks Bros, which was shipped in the Red Rover, Capt James Smith. The barge never came back, but was sold in St Joseph.
After he had closed the forwarding and commission business Mr Ellis took up his residence on a farm of 320 acres that he owned south of Elkhart, and improved it.
In 1863 he returned to Elkhart to reside, having exchanged a portion of his farm for 90 acres within the corporate limits of the town. This property has grown quite valuable by the growth of the city, and a portion of it has been sold as city lots. Mr Ellis' residence is situated on Burg street, in one of the finest portions of North Elkhart. He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, and occupies a high social position in his locality.
Mr and Mrs Ellis have 6 sons and 1 daughter. Jacob is employed as a railroad man; Wm D is married and is an employe in Mayor Conn's music-horn factory; Charles F also is an attache of that establishment; Mace P is railroading; Fred L and Joel Ellis, Jr, are at home, and Clara, the daughter, is also at home.
A portrait of Mr Joel Ellis appears in this volume.
John W Ellis, of the Excelsior Starch Works, Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, in the year 1825. He was the son of Jacob and Catharine (Burch) Ellis. Mr Ellis' boyhood and youth were passed on his father's farm. His family removed to Elkhart, Ind, in 1831, and settled upon wild land, among the Indians, in what is now Concord tp. When Mr. Ellis was 18 years of age he found employment in a store in Elkhart as a clerk. His employer was Philo Morehouse, and he remained with him about two years. He then engaged in trade on his own account at Edwardsburg, Mich. In one year he made a change to Waukegan, Wis, remaining there till 1850, when he went out among the pioneers to California, and was engaged in mining there for two years. He went out in what was called the "second emigration," overland, making the trip in 52 days, from the Missouri river to Sacramento, the quickest passage of that season. On returning he again engaged in trade at Waukegan, and continued in that line till 1856, when he came to Elkhart, and here was engaged in merchandising
and farming till 1873. He still owns a farm in this vicinity.
When the Excelsior Starch Mills were built he joined the stock company, assisted in establishing the works, and has since given his attention to promoting the success of the enterprise. He is also connected with the Eagle Knitting Factory, and is a director in that company.
Mr Ellis, in 1849, was married to Miss Clarissa Green. They have 5 children: Mary C, Jay B, Colonel Fremont, James S and Lulu Belle.
Mary C is married to Koss F McGregor, Dayton, 0, who is a steam engine manufacturer. Jay B is a machinist, and has a shop in Elkhart. Colonel F is a physician; was a graduate of the New York Homeopathic College, and is practicing in Ligonier, Ind. James S is connected with the Eagle Knitting Works. Lulu is attending school.
Mr Ellis is a member of the Congregational Church in Elkhart, and is a Deacon in that organization. He is a member of the Masonic order, and holds the rank of Sir Knight. He was a member of the City Council in 1876 and 1878. From 1861 to 1875 he was Assessor of the town and tp of Elkhart, and thus acquired a thorough knowledge of the value of property here. Mr Ellis has been secretary of the Excelsior Starch Mills for the last three years, and a director of the company since its organization.
Mr John W Ellis' portrait appears in this work.
History of Elkhart County, Indiana: Together with Sketches of Its Cities and Biographies of Representative Citizens: History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of the Pre-historic Races
Chas C Chapman
1881
Paternal g/parents Joel Ellis & his wife Emeline Bailey Ellis
Carrie M married Apr 1910 in Elkhart Co,IN to Henry Lewis Wirt, son of Charles H Wirt & his 1st wife Alma D Waterbury Wirt
***********************
1910 Mason Twp, Cass Co,MI - Ellis, Fred L 49 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 42 PA (both parents b PA), son Guy H 15 IN & son Edward M C 12 MI
1900 Oslo Twp, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Fred L 41 IN (both parents b NY), wife Sarah A 34 PA (both parents b PA), son Francis 13 IN, son Mace 11 IN, daughter Clara M 8 WI, son Guy H 6 IN & son Edward M 2 MI
1880 Elkhart, Elkhart Co,IN - Ellis, Joel 59 NY (both parents b NH), wife Emeline 53 NY (both parents b NH), son Charles 23 IN (both parents b NY), son Mace 22 IN (both parents b NY), son Fredrick 19 IN (both parents b NY), daughter Clara 17 IN (both parents b NY) & son Joel 14 IN (both parents b NY) & Baily, Edwin NY (both parents b NY)
***********************
Mrs Marie C Wirt, 84, Wakarusa Route 1, died at 5:40 am Friday, April 22, in Elkhart General Hospital, where she was admitted March 21 following a heart attack.
Mrs Wirt was born in Kimberley, Wis, Jan 24, 1893, to Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
She married Henry Wirt April 12, 1910. He died Jan 21, 1974.
She was a member of the Wakarusa United Methodist Church, the Nappanee OES and the OES Past Matrons Club.
Survivors include three daughters, Mrs Simon (Avanelle) Boorda, South Bend, Mrs Robert (Josephine) Bowlby, Elkhart, and Mrs Dale (Kathleen) Sherk, Bremen; 10 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 10 am Monday, April 25, at the Lienhart Funeral Home with the Rev Harold Kratzat officiating. Burial was in Olive Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Wakarusa Public Library.
Wakarusa Tribune
27 April 1977
***************************
*** brother Francis Henry "Frank" Ellis is findagrave memorial 88299936
*** brother Mace F Ellis is findagrave memorial 177914771
*** brother Edward M Wirt is findagrave memorial 69554491
***************************
*** her brother ...
Mace Ellis, age 71, of Elm Street, Marcellus died January 6, 1961 in the Marcellus Convalescent Home.
He was born June 27, 1889, the son of Fred and Agnes (Artley) Ellis.
He married Golda Cook on January 22, 1913. He moved to Marcellus January 8, 1938.
He is survived by his wife Golda; three daughters, Mrs Charles (Bernita) Mohney, Mrs Lyle (Jean) Mihills and Mrs Dallas (Mary Lou) Richcreek; two sons, Leon and Billy Ellis; two brothers, Frank and Guy; one sister, Mrs Henry Wirt; thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Marcellus News (Cass Co,MI)
12 January 1961
*******************************
*** her grandfather Joel Ellis
& his brother John W Ellis ...
Joel Ellis, one of the retired citizens of Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, Feb 14, 1821. His father's name was Jacob, and he is the brother of John W Ellis, whose sketch appears on page 820.
When Joel ariived in this county with his parents he was nearly 12 years of ago. He remained with his father on the farm till he was 24, when he was married to Miss
Emeline Bailey.
He soon afterward engaged in the forwarding and commission business on the St Joseph, an enterprise of much consequence at that period, and one which has made him a historical character in the progress of Elkhart county. From 1846 to 1851, Mr Ellis continued the business, until his name became a household word over an extent of country 30 miles to the south and eastward. At that day the only outlet to this region for market purposes - was down the St Joseph to the port of the same name on Lake Michigan. Mr Ellis owned boats and three warehouses, the latter being situated on the Elkhart, a little above its confluence with the St Joseph. Remains of one of these warehouses are still standing. One of these warehouses was at the foot of Washington street, another on Sycamore street, and a third on lot No 3. The means of transportation employed by Mr Ellis were keelboats, and these towed by light draft steamers. At the time mentioned there were 20 or 25 boats running between Elkhart and St Joseph, of which five were steamers. Besides these there were numerous flatboats. There was usually from 25 to 30 inches of water on the shoals, and quite large cargoes of produce were taken down the river. The steamers would carry 300 bushels of corn, and the keel boats much more. Among the shippers at Mr Ellis' docks were Barnes & Defrees, Hawks Bros, of Waterford; Mr Bivens, of Oswego; Mr Darrough, of Benton and Harris Bros, of Monocut (***Monoquet***). All kinds of merchandise were brought up from St Joseph.
Mr Ellis relates how, at one time, just before the opening of navigation, he had 27,000 barrels of flour in his warehouses at one time. This was in the spring of 1847. But the time came when the building of the Michigan Southern railroad destroyed the importance of the St Joseph river as an avenue of traffic, and Mr Ellis found, as many another man has found, that what was a great benefit to the community at large was a serious interference with his own present profits and his future prospects. In 1852 navigation on the St Joseph river, for commercial purposes, closed forever, and the keelboats and steamers went into a perpetual ordinary, or were knocked in pieces for other utilities than conveying farm products to market. Mr Ellis found his warehouses deserted, and the corn, wheat and flour of the region, and the merchandise that was needed in it, going and coming on the M S railroad. Reluctantly he yielded to the inevitable, locked his empty warehouses, tied up his boats or run them down the river for sale, and turned his attention to other and more modern pursuits. But it was a serious loss to him. The last cargo was a load of high wines for Hawks Bros, which was shipped in the Red Rover, Capt James Smith. The barge never came back, but was sold in St Joseph.
After he had closed the forwarding and commission business Mr Ellis took up his residence on a farm of 320 acres that he owned south of Elkhart, and improved it.
In 1863 he returned to Elkhart to reside, having exchanged a portion of his farm for 90 acres within the corporate limits of the town. This property has grown quite valuable by the growth of the city, and a portion of it has been sold as city lots. Mr Ellis' residence is situated on Burg street, in one of the finest portions of North Elkhart. He is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, and occupies a high social position in his locality.
Mr and Mrs Ellis have 6 sons and 1 daughter. Jacob is employed as a railroad man; Wm D is married and is an employe in Mayor Conn's music-horn factory; Charles F also is an attache of that establishment; Mace P is railroading; Fred L and Joel Ellis, Jr, are at home, and Clara, the daughter, is also at home.
A portrait of Mr Joel Ellis appears in this volume.
John W Ellis, of the Excelsior Starch Works, Elkhart, was born in Oswego county, NY, in the year 1825. He was the son of Jacob and Catharine (Burch) Ellis. Mr Ellis' boyhood and youth were passed on his father's farm. His family removed to Elkhart, Ind, in 1831, and settled upon wild land, among the Indians, in what is now Concord tp. When Mr. Ellis was 18 years of age he found employment in a store in Elkhart as a clerk. His employer was Philo Morehouse, and he remained with him about two years. He then engaged in trade on his own account at Edwardsburg, Mich. In one year he made a change to Waukegan, Wis, remaining there till 1850, when he went out among the pioneers to California, and was engaged in mining there for two years. He went out in what was called the "second emigration," overland, making the trip in 52 days, from the Missouri river to Sacramento, the quickest passage of that season. On returning he again engaged in trade at Waukegan, and continued in that line till 1856, when he came to Elkhart, and here was engaged in merchandising
and farming till 1873. He still owns a farm in this vicinity.
When the Excelsior Starch Mills were built he joined the stock company, assisted in establishing the works, and has since given his attention to promoting the success of the enterprise. He is also connected with the Eagle Knitting Factory, and is a director in that company.
Mr Ellis, in 1849, was married to Miss Clarissa Green. They have 5 children: Mary C, Jay B, Colonel Fremont, James S and Lulu Belle.
Mary C is married to Koss F McGregor, Dayton, 0, who is a steam engine manufacturer. Jay B is a machinist, and has a shop in Elkhart. Colonel F is a physician; was a graduate of the New York Homeopathic College, and is practicing in Ligonier, Ind. James S is connected with the Eagle Knitting Works. Lulu is attending school.
Mr Ellis is a member of the Congregational Church in Elkhart, and is a Deacon in that organization. He is a member of the Masonic order, and holds the rank of Sir Knight. He was a member of the City Council in 1876 and 1878. From 1861 to 1875 he was Assessor of the town and tp of Elkhart, and thus acquired a thorough knowledge of the value of property here. Mr Ellis has been secretary of the Excelsior Starch Mills for the last three years, and a director of the company since its organization.
Mr John W Ellis' portrait appears in this work.
History of Elkhart County, Indiana: Together with Sketches of Its Cities and Biographies of Representative Citizens: History of Indiana, Embracing Accounts of the Pre-historic Races
Chas C Chapman
1881
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