Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/674

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES count at Riverside, Northumberland county, being in business there fo r six years when he sold out. He next learned the trade o f plas­ terer, at which he was employed thereafter during his active years, fo r seven years being engaged in that capacity at the State Hos­ pital at Danville. In 19 10 he retired from that position and has since been engaged as janitor at the Montour county courthouse. M r. K n err married Hannah Snyder, who was l>nm in 1846, daughter o f Jacob Snyder, of Northumberland county, and died in 1907. A fam ily o f five children was born to this union, o f whom four su rvive: Jennie, w ife o f J. Thom pson: Sarah ’Ann, w ife o f David u. H aring, o f D anville; Ida, w ife o f Charles M ichael, an engineer; and Montgomery, who is on the old homestead at Riverside, North­ umberland county. .Mr. K nerr is now mak­ ing his home with hts son-in-law. Mr. Haring. H e has never taken any active (>art in poli­ tics. A ll of this fam ily have been brought up in the faith of the I.aitheran Church. JO H N D . EI-I>IS w as during his active y e ars one of the busiest residents o f Lim e­ stone township, his extensive agricultural operations, his official duties and the other interests he ac«|uircd during the course o f a long life kecpii^ him thoroughly occupied. 7 'h ^ g l) now living somewhat retired, he has relinquished none o f his interest in the gen­ e ral w elfare, and he exerts a strong and wholesome influence in local aflfairs. Mr. E llis w as bom in Anthony township, now in Montour county. Ju n e 14. 1836. son o f W il­ liam Ellis and grandson o f Stephen Ellis, l i e is a great-grandson o f Stephen Ellis, the first of the name to settle in this region, one of the early residents o f Anthony township. R ev. Milton Lightner, the first regular pastor o f .St. Jam es’ Episcopal Church at Exchange, made his first visit to this place to preach at the funeral o f Stephen PUlis. When the lat­ ter died he left a verlial will giving $200 toward the erection o f an Episco(>a1 Church at Exchange, “ should there ever be a disposition to erect such a building.” The Church w as commenced in 1848, on land pur­ chased for that purjxisc, the cornerstone was laid that vcar hy Bishop Alonzo Potter, and the compfeted building was dedicated by the Bishop, assisted by Kcv. Milton Lightner and others. Prominent among (he contributors to the work were the estate o f Stephen Ellis. W illiam Ellis. Stephen EIHs (son o f Stephen, deceased). Cath.anne EIHs, Jan e, W illiam, Isa­ bella, Ellen and John C. EIHs. Milton I.ight-

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iier and Am os Heacock. The first officers of the church were William EIHs, Stephen Ellis, lohn C. EIHs and .Amos Heacock, vestrym en; illiam EIHs and .Amos Heacock, wardens. In 1887 the edficers were Charles Kccdcr, William Ellis, John Caldwell. John D. Ellis, Robert Caldwell, Stephen C. Ellis, vestrym en; Charles Kccdcr, senior w arden; Stephen C. Kllis, junior warden. Stephen Ellis, the pioneer of the fam ily, was born in Ireland, and came from lumdonderry, that country, to .America in or about 1770. i l i s father, who was a sea captain, when he retired from the water took up land near Baltimore, Md.. but finally went back to I^ n egal. Ireland, where he died. Stephen Kllis assisted his cousin at Jun iata in Juniata county. Pa., before coming to this section, and then settled |»ermaiicntly near Exchange, in .Anthony township. Here he and his w ife spent the remainder of their long lives in the vicinity in which they first located, he farm ­ ing until his death, which occurred Ju n e 23, 1K45, when he was eighty-two years old. He married Eleanor Cunningham, like himself a native o f Ireland, and she sur‘ived him a few years, dying Oct. 30. 1853. at the age of eighty. They are buried in the Episcopal graveyard at Exchange. T h ey were the par­ ents o f twelve children. W illiam EIHs, second son o f this large fam ily, w as born in Anthony township M ay 7. 1800, and died Feb. 24, 1862. In 18 33 he m arried Sarah M urray, o f I^ w is township, Northumberland county, born A pril 3, 1806. daughter o f John and M ary (W atts) M urray T hey then Irought and cleared up a tract of land in the woods o f M urray H ill, now in M<adison township. Columbia county. Upon this they lived and carried on the pursuit of agriculture, finally becoming possessed o f sevcr.nl other tracts of land in adjoining counties. M r. EIHs was a member o f (he Episcopal O iurch at Exchange, at which place he is buried. H is w'ifc survived him until Jan . 2 t. 1892. T hey were the parents o f three chil­ d ren : .Andrew, Jo h n O. and Stephen M. (bom Ju n e 8, 1839. dicil N ov. 10. 1900). John D. being the only sur'ivor. John D . E llis grew to maturity in his native township, receiving his cilucaiion in the com­ mon schools there. Subsc<|uently he remained at home, working with his father, umil thirtytwo years old. when he marricil and left home, fam iin g for himself near Exchange, at which location he remained fo r almut five years. Then he settled on his present place in Lim e­ stone township, in 1872, first buying fifty-