Joe Ellis: Frontiersman

Posted on March 6, 2025 by FHadmin

The image above is what I always think of when my Great-Grandmother Rosa Isabell (Ellis) McCracken Apt’s brother Joe Ellis is mentioned. He was a man with a horse on the frontier, but why did he keep moving his family? And, why did he go to a place where the entire population of the township filled less than three pages of census forms?

The Early Years

Joseph Andrew “Joe” Ellis, son of Joseph Lewis and Cynthia Ann (Nicholson) Ellis, was born in Brown Township, Ripley County, Indiana in January 1869. He was the sixth of eight known children although it appears that one other daughter died as an infant or young child, likely prior to Joe’s birth.

Joe moved with his parents to Kansas about 1879. He was living with them in Grant Township, Neosho County, Kansas in 1880. By 1885, Joe had moved with his parents to Walnut Township, Crawford County, Kansas.

Married Life Began On The Move

Nine years later, when Joe was 25, he married Emma (May) Johnston in Sherman Township, Crawford County, Kansas. At the end of 1896, he moved his family to near Galesburg in Neosho County, Kansas where he planned to farm the following year.

That venture didn’t last long as Joe, May, and their son were living in Jordon Valley in Pawnee County, Oklahoma in 1900. Oklahoma was not yet a state and much of the area remained Indian Territory. Thus, it is unclear what attracted Joe, May, and her brother George’s family, who lived next to them, to Oklahoma.

Again, the venture did not last long. By the time their second son was born in March 1903, they were back in Crawford County, Kansas. In May, 1906, their third son was born in Jetmore, Hodgeman County, Kansas.

Joe and May’s sons. L to R: Raymond Francis, Joseph Philip, and James “Jimmie” Lee. The photo was likely taken shortly before (or possibly after) Joseph died as Jimmie was only two years old at the time of his death.

Settling Down?

The family soon moved to Sutton Township, Lane County, Kansas. In August 1906, they filed a homestead claim on 160 acres of land. On this property, Joe built a sod house, barn, and well on this property. It isn’t known what all crops or livestock Joe had at this point. However, among items Joe raised were melons, corn, and cane.

Nearby, and likely having made the move with them, were May’s father, some of May’s siblings, and Joe’s nephew Robert F. “Frank” Plummer, son of his sister Mary Jane.

The school age children in the families would have had a bit of a hike to school, as Joe and May’s home was two and a half miles from West Lake School, which was the closest school to their home.

It was while living in this home that Joe and May lost their oldest son Joseph. They had moved to the area hoping the climate would be good for his health, but the change was not enough. In 1908, he lost his battle with tuberculosis.

Just a Few Miles Away

The family stayed at the homestead a bit longer than their previous homes. Still, seven years after they obtained the homestead property, they moved again. This time they purchased 640 acres a few miles away. This property was only one mile from West Lake School. Thus, the kids now had a shorter distance to travel to school.

On this property, Joe built a larger sod home with three rooms and a half-basement, a well, a large chicken house, a barn, granary, and more. The well was over 60 feet deep and provided water for both the home and the livestock, which included 7 head of cattle, 4 swine, and 11 horses. It is clear the family got quite a workout since the well was 200 feet downhill from the house.

The family’s farm flourished. In 1919, the family had 130 acres of winter wheat, 25 acres of corn, 10 acres of oats, 20 acres of barley, 60 acres of sorghum, and 20 acres of millet. Additionally, they sold $150 of milk and cream, $150 of poultry and eggs, $1337 of livestock, and 100 pounds of butter during the year. This may or may not include the 100 turkeys that they put on the market.

It was said, that despite the very rural area with few families, that at one PTA meeting the crowd devoured 300 pounds of Joe’s best watermelons. Either they had a big crowd, each person ate a lot of watermelon, or somebody embellished a bit.

The Next Phase of Life

About 1943, Joe and May decided that being in their seventies, it was time to give up life on the prairie. After all, they still didn’t have running water in the house and they were looking forward to having a few conveniences. So, they made one more big move. This time they moved to Garden City. Joe died in 1951 and May followed seven years later.

The Wrap Up

What started as finding a place to settle and raise a family had turned into a hunt for a place that would bring healing to Joe’s namesake son. Sadly, that did not occur. However, the family was able to obtain a sizeable property where they could live for years to come.

Side Story

The notes of Raymond Lee Ellis, grandson of Joe Ellis, mention a time that outlaws visited Joe and May’s home. According to the story, they “dropped in” for dinner. And, then left a sizeable amount of money (for those days) in payment for the meal.

Now, the story as written cannot be true as the names and dates don’t align with history. At the time of the supposed visit, the family lived around 30 miles from Dodge City, which had a reputation for having outlaws and gunfights. Additionally, plenty of outlaws still roamed Kansas at the time the event supposedly occurred.

So, questions remain. Did someone along the way get the names wrong? Did it happen at a different location at an earlier date? Or, was it simply an Old West yarn told by a grandfather to young listening ears?

Credit: The notes and writing of Joseph Andrew Ellis’ grandson Raymond Lee Ellis, who graciously shared them with me prior to his passing in 2015, contributed to this story.

Prompt: Sibling

#52Ancestors52Weeks

Shhhh! Don’t Tell

Posted on February 25, 2025February 25, 2025 by FHadmin

Some years ago, Dad told me a story and then told me not to tell people. Well, now that all of the older generation have passed, I am sharing the story. I think Dad thought it was too risque and might put his mother in a negative light, but I believe shows a side of my Grandma Nellie (Peelle) McCracken that many of my generation may never have seen.

Grandma, Grandpa, O’Ella, Esther, (center) Dewey, Howard, and Grandma must be holding Ruby

The Story

Someone, although I don’t recall who, was questioning Grandma about her second oldest daughter Ester’s looks. Apparently, they thought her coloring and maybe her height did not match Grandma and Grandpa. I guess they thought Ester was too blonde and too tall. Anyway, Grandma, in a rarely seen moment expressing humor, calmly stated, “Well, we lived across the road from a family of Swedes back then.”

The Assessment

It was true that Ester was very light in color when she was young and she was taller than her older sister O’Ella. However, anyone that knew Grandma McCracken would know that there was absolutely no chance that her implication was true. First of all, if it had been true, she would never, ever have made the statement. She was far too proper and she would never have stated that if she had even given the Swede a glance. Secondly, unlike some people that married just to be married, letters between Grandma and Grandpa show that they were quite smitten with each other.

Nellie (Peelle) McCracken & Lydia Peelle

In addition, they clearly didn’t notice Grandma’s very light colored skin. It isn’t as if she had dark hair and olive skin like her sister. Nor did they realize that many children, including several of Grandma and Grandpa’s children, have light colored hair that darkens as they grow older.

Anyone that is still questioning if there is a chance that the implication could be true, Aunt Ester’s great-grandchildren’s DNA proves that they are indeed descendants of Grandpa McCracken.

The Humor

Her statement reminded me so much of the humor of her son, Dewey – dry, calm, and simple. It was funny if you caught it, but sometimes it came out so smooth that some of the people missed it. Her style was very different than her son Don who would be chuckling and making exaggerated gestures with his hands as he made statements that were meant to be humorous.

Don’s gestures reminded me a bit of stereotypical Italian gestures. But, before you get any ideas, I can attest that a German family – not Italian – lived across the road when Don was born.

A Pellett Journey

Posted on February 19, 2025 by FHadmin

Having joined the Society of Friends, Francis Pellett, like many other Quakers, decided to go to America where religious freedom was said to exist. When he left Ireland, he knew where he has headed, but he had no idea that he would live in multiple states and create a huge family that would spread out over the country.

Francis in Ireland

Francis Pellett is said to have been born in 1765 in Galway, Ireland. His parents may be George Pellett and his wife Eleanor. However, I have not found proof in Ireland of his early years.

The first records that can be confirmed as the same man are when he was nearly 30 years of age. At that time, Francis joined the Society of Friends. No mention of his family is included in the records.

Coming to America

Only a couple of years after joining the Friends, Francis requested a certificate to move to America. His reasons for making the journey are unknown. However, if the story of religious persecution of his ancestors is true, Francis very well may have chosen to leave Ireland for religious reasons. Read his ancestors’ story of religious persecution: Out Of Religious Persecution Rises A Family.

The certificate he received was to the meeting at York Town, Pennsylvania, North America. Although Philadelphia includes an area called York Town, it seems that this likely refers to York, Pennsylvania. The small town, according to the city’s website, is where the phrase “the United States of America” was coined when the Continental Congress met there during the Revolutionary War.

By the time Francis arrived, the town’s population had reached close to 2,500. The York Meetinghouse, which had been built in 1766, had already undergone an expansion.

Creating A Family

It was four more years before Francis would marry at the Menallen Monthly Meeting, which was about 30 miles west of York. He was 34 at the time of his marriage. Meanwhile, his bride Mary John, daughter of Abel John and Mary Fisher, was approximately 10 years his junior. Mary was a birthright Quaker, as her parents were both Quakers prior to their marriage.

They went through the Friends’ marriage process, which included having Friends appointed to meet with them to make sure that they approved of the marriage. These meetings were not just a formality. The Friends wanted to make sure the couple had a good foundation of friendship and companionship before approving of the marriage.

In the case of Francis and Mary, they had the additional complication of not being members of the same meeting. Thus, Francis had to request a certificate from the York Monthly Meeting to the Menallen Monthly Meeting in order to marry Mary. After stating their intention (sometimes multiple times) and satisfying the Friends who investigated their marriage, Francis and Mary were allowed to marry.

The following year, Francis, Mary, and their first child Eleanor were in Pike Run Township in Washington County, Pennsylvania. While living in that area, the family joined with the Friends at the Westland Monthly Meeting.

In 1807, the family got a certificate to the Middletown Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County, Ohio. By this time, the family had grown to also include Able John, Mary, and Elizabeth. They lived for a time in Springfield Township, which is now part of Mahoning County. Later they moved to Elk Run Township and joined with the Carmel Monthly Meeting.

It was in Columbiana County that the remainder of their children were born.

A Time of Change

The 1820s brought a time of change. Francis and Mary’s children were becoming adults, marrying, and making their own decisions about their beliefs.

It wasn’t simply a question of keeping the Quaker faith or leaving it. The Friends were going through a time of change, as well, with the “great separation” occurring at the 1827-1828 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Even before this date, however, Quakers started separating into two factions: Hicksite and Orthodox. Hicksites “emphasized the role of the Inward Light in guiding individual faith and conscience” while Orthodox “espoused a more Protestant emphasis on Biblical authority and the atonement.” Source: https://quakerinfo.org/quakerism/branches/history.

Movement Between Meetings

A considerable movement between meetings occurred. In 1824, Elizabeth and Mary left the Carmel Monthly Meeting (Columbiana County, Ohio) where the family belonged and changed to the Sandy Springs Monthly Meeting for unknown reasons. Then in 1831 Joseph changed to the Marlborough Monthly Meeting to get married after which his wife was received back into the Carmel Monthly Meeting. In 1835, Joseph and his family got a certificate to the New Garden Monthly Meeting. Joseph would eventually move his family to Marshall County, Indiana.

Marrying Out of Unity

The first significant change was in 1823 when their oldest daughter Eleanor was disowned for marrying out of unity as she married Martin Kennedy, a non-Quaker. Mary would later be disowned for marrying George Kennedy. Both couples quickly moved across the state line and lived for a time in Pennsylvania. A few years later they settled in Parke County, Indiana.

Joining the Hicksites and Other Societies

Rachel joined another society (e.g. not Quaker of either type). However, she must have returned as she, like Eleanor and Mary, was later condemned for marrying contrary to discipline.

Abel John got a certificate in 1825 to the Short Creek Monthly Meeting to marry Unity (Eunity) Harrison. Three years later Unity transferred to the Carmel Monthly Meeting, but soon Abel would join the Hicksites, leaving them a family split with regards to beliefs. Unity raised the children according to her beliefs obtaining a certificate to the Marlborough Monthly Meeting in 1830 and then returning in 1841. Three years later Unity and the children got a certificate to the Alum Creek MM, which meant that the family was making a major move to central Ohio. After four years in that location Unity got a certificate for her and most of the children to the Goshen Monthly Meeting in Logan County, Ohio, which meant packing up the family for another significant move. Abel and Unity’s oldest son George would follow the next year.

Lorenzo’s story was really interesting as he was disowned because he joined the Hicksites. Then is wife, who belonged to the Carmel Monthly Meeting, was disowned for marrying out of unity despite the fact that Lorenzo was still a Quaker, just one with a different perspective and had belonged to the same meeting. They left the area and moved to Richland County, Wisconsin, where they would raise their family.

Joseph, Mary, Nancy (Ann), and Elizabeth all joined the Hicksites for periods of time. Elizabeth also joined another society. So, it is clear that the family was testing their own beliefs and moving between organizations with different belief systems.

In and Out

During this time, even Francis had trouble with the meeting. In 1826, no longer belonged to the Carmel Monthly Meeting with the rest of the family as he had said or acted in a way that was contrary to the beliefs of the Quakers and had been disowned. However, three years later, likely after he sufficiently denounced what he had said or done, he was allowed back into the meeting. In 1846, Francis, Mary, and Matilda, who had joined the Hicksites, but apparently returned, got a certificate to the Honey Creek Monthly Meeting in Indiana in Vigo County, Indiana, which was adjacent to Parke County, where they made their new home. Francis made a will and died later that year. It is said that he died in Marshall County where his son Joseph and family lived. It is possible that he traveled to that area or that family records were simply in error.

Spreading Across The Country

The family continued to grow and expand, spreading across the country. By the time the third generation of the family was beginning to start their families, there were three main areas of concentration of Francis and Mary’s descendants.

Lorenzo’s family and others in the family created a major presence in Richland County, Wisconsin.
Parke County, Indiana also had a large number of descendants with other descendants scattered across the state.
My family line was in Logan County, Ohio as the first of Abel and Unity’s children began to strike out on their own. However, all their living children, but the oldest two would move with them to Bourbon County, Kansas, where they would have a large presence for many years.

My third great grandparents Abel and Unity (Harrison) Pellett left their oldest son George behind in Logan County, Ohio where he and his family continued their association with the Friends. Their daughter Sarah married and moved with her husband to other locations in Ohio, Indiana, and eventually Illinois.

Meanwhile, Abel, Unity, and the other children settled in Bourbon County, Kansas about 1869. The family expanded a great deal and many are buried in Clarksburg Cemetery near Garland, Kansas. I claim to be related to half the people buried there (maybe a slight exaggeration) since many people related to my maternal family line are buried in the cemetery.

The Data

Francis came to America as a single man. With Mary John they created a large family. They had 10 children with the possibility of an 11^th child. The next generation brought them at least 48 grandchildren. And, I say at least as I know more about some of their children than others. In the next generation are at least 180 great-grandchildren. Summing up the number of descendants from this couple through my generation, gives a total exceeding 1275.

With each generation the family’s footprint across the country expanded. The map shows states where the family lived through the first four generations with turquoise indicating that Francis lived in those states. Green indicates that one of their children lived in the state, but that Francis and Mary did not. Pink indicates similarly for their grandchildren and yellow for their great-grandchildren.

The Side Story

The Pellett, Peelle, and McCracken families all lived in Columbiana County, Ohio at the same time. The Pellett and Peelle families even associated with the same Quaker meeting in Columbiana County, although they may not have been members at the same time. However, later Abel John’s granddaughter Frances Evaline “Eva” Pellett married John Henry Peelle in Logan County, Ohio. Eva was more closely related to my family line as Abel is my third-great grandfather and John was a descendant of my sixth-great grandparents Robert and Judith (Edwards) Peelle.

These families were not the only ancestor families to be located in the same vicinity. Lorenzo Dow Pellett and his descendants were in Richland County, Wisconsin at the same time as my husband’s ancestors Hans (Magnus) and Mary Inga (Anderson) Hanson.

A War Years Letter

Posted on February 11, 2025 by FHadmin

I try to salvage every letter and diary from family as you never know what family history may be in them. So, when the topic of letters and diaries came up, I went to a container of letters that I had, looked for old paper, and pulled out a few until I found one of interest. The letter I chose was written January 2, 1942, less than one month after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Inez Linda Pellett holding me when I was a baby. I inherited the corner stand in the background and I still have it today.

The Author and Recipient

The letter was between two teenage girls. Nola Marie Ashby (pictured above) wrote the letter to my aunt Inez Linda Pellett (Yes, I was named after her). Nola was the daughter of Inez’s grandmother Sarah Ellen Ashby’s youngest brother Lester “Pete” Ashby. However, Nola was only a year and a half older than Inez. And, Pete was actually younger than Inez’s mother Dessie May (Thomas) Pellett, who was his niece.

Inez and Nola knew each other mostly through letters as Inez lived in Fort Scott, Bourbon, Kansas and Nola lived Compton, Los Angeles, California.

The Letter

Much of the four-page letter was what you would expect between two teenage girls in 1942. Nola asked questions about school, 4-H, and the weather. She told about being excited to finally have a bedroom to herself now that her older sister was married. And, like almost every letter of that era that I have read, multiple reminders to write back.

War News

What was a bit different than most letters between girl cousins is that Nola wrote about the effects of the war on her life. She wrote: “What did you do on New Year’s Eve? I went to the midnight show. They didn’t want people on the pike.” I assume by pike she meant turnpike or a major road. This is consistent with newspaper reports where they encouraged people to celebrate in small groups in people’s homes.

Nola continued, “The Japs sure are getting close to us. We are right on the coast, surrounded by munition and airplane factories. I am getting the hot seat. I think I’ll come back there where it’s safe. Ha ha. I have been in bed during every air raid signal we’ve had so far. Or if I’m not in bed, I get there darn quick(sic).”

However, she observed that “[a]t first the war changed all our lives(sic) and they would hardly let us on the street, but now everything is going on pretty much as usual.”

So, within a month, the rules had already relaxed. However, the rules, air raid practices, and blackout practices would continue throughout the war.

Snow

The other very interesting thing that Nola mentioned in her letter was that it had snowed in Los Angeles on New Year’s Day for the first time in many years. Compton was a bit south and it didn’t seem that they had gotten snow. However, some areas of the city had. From my own cousins that live about half-way between San Francisco and Los Angeles, I know what excitement snow brings in Southern California.

So, remember to write! Your letter might someday tell history as it is happening.

Featured Image: Nola Ashby

Prompt: Letters and Diaries

#52ancestors52weeks

Astonished!

Posted on February 4, 2025February 4, 2025 by FHadmin

I was astonished when I saw a newspaper article from the early 1800s about Rod’s 5^th great grandmother, Ann (McGinley) Stetler, having breast cancer. The surprise wasn’t that she had breast cancer, but that it was mentioned in the newspaper.

Source: Newsbank – Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser, April 21, 1820

Why the Surprise?

My surprise came from the fact that my Grandma McCracken would never talk about breast cancer in any group. She might quietly talk about it with a friend or sibling. However, she would never speak of it in mixed company or when younger folks were around. And, neither of my grandmothers would have included it in an obituary. If they mentioned the cause of death, they would have simply said that the person died of cancer. Saying “breast” was considered too risqué or too personal.

The Situation

Ann McGinley was born in 1784 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of John and Margaret (Hurrie) McGinley. Ann grew up in Philadelphia, where her father was a blacksmith. Her maternal grandfather, who had died before her birth, was the famous ringer of the Liberty Bell. During her childhood, her mother’s sister’s husband Joseph Fry worked at the State House (Independence Hall), taking over after her grandfather died. Since the Fry family lived in the State House, Ann would have gone to the famous building to visit her Aunt Martha’s family.

Ann married Christian Stetler and they lived near Trappe, Montgomery, Pennsylvania. Ann and Christian became the parents to at least eight children over a span of about fifteen years before their life took a turn.

Cancer

Ann developed breast cancer and went to Philadelphia for treatment. It is unknown exactly what all treatments were sought, but she ultimately underwent a double mastectomy. This also surprised me as I was unaware that they could do that surgery in the early 1800s. I found that they had been removing tumors for a very long time and had even attempted mastectomies for multiple centuries. However, the process prior to the 1800s was very painful with a very high mortality rate.

In the first half of the 1800s, the mortality rate from the surgery dropped to 10%. The cancer generally reoccurred, but in some cases could buy the patient more years of life. Unfortunately, Ann did not get several years. She was still healing from the surgery when the cancer came back.

Fortunately, the detection, treatment, and surgical techniques for breast cancer has improved greatly over the past 200 years. If Ann were living today and developed the same disease, she would have had a much greater chance of a positive outcome.

It was said that she had suffered greatly for the last six months of her life. She died in Philadelphia April 13, 1820. Despite being admitted in December 1819 to what is now called Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church, which her maternal grandfather had been an early member and sexton, Ann was buried in the Augustus Lutheran Church Graveyard in Trappe, Montgomery, Pennsylvania.

Sadly, only eleven months later Christian joined Ann in the hereafter, leaving eight orphan children. The family’s property was apparently sold and the children were dispersed. This led their son John McGinley Stetler, who was only four when his mother died to write the book (booklet) “A Poor Orphan Boy.”