Thursday, October 26,
1933
John D. Ellis, 93, Was Born and
Spent Entire Life on the Farm
Where He Died; Cast His First
John D. Ellis, one of the oldest residents of Posey County, passed away at his home near Farmersville
at 11:30 o'clock Friday (20
Oct 1933) morning
at the venerable age of 93 years, ten months and 28 days. Before his death he
fell into a deep sleep from which he did not revive and passed peacefully away.
Death was caused by infirmities of old age.
Mr. Ellis was born November 22, 1839, and had lived all his life and reared a
family upon the farm where he died. We know of no other person in Posey county or elsewhere who has lived continuosly
at the same place of residence over such a long term of years. He was a son of Elisha Ellis, one of the early residents of Posey county, who received a land grant, or United States patent certificate, for the 80-acre
tract where the present homestead is now situated, including the tract of land
where Farmersville now stands. The certificate, or land grant, is written on a
sheep skin and was signed by John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States. Martin Van Buren was president when Mr.
Ellis was born. The first great panic, or depression, was still upon the country
about the time Mr. Ellis was born and is known as the panic of 1837.
The distance between his home and the L. & N. railroad
station, which was not then built, was covered with woods and there was an
abundance of animal life, including deer and bear, in the surrounding country
and Mr. Ellis found great pleasure in hunting those animals.
Mr. Ellis cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln
during the November, 1860, election.
During the Civil war he was a member of the Home Guards under the
command of General Alvin P. Hovey and crossed the Ohio river into Kentucky where the Confederate general, Morgan,
had been making raids.
On January 22, 1862, Mr. Ellis was united in marriage to
Miss Harriett Russell, whose people also were early residents of this county
and she still survives. To this union four surviving children were born, Grant,
John, Jay, and Burchard Ellis, all of whom are living
in this county.
The funeral was
held Saturday afternoon from the Short funeral home and burial was in the
Bellefontaine cemetery. Rev. E. F. Shake, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church, was in charge. The pallbearers were Marsh Hall,
William D. Utley, Sylvanus Jackson, Charles Phillips,
Jack Duckworth and Richard Stevens.
--------------------------------------------
Originally submitted by Betty Sellers