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Descendants of Mister Francis


27. JOHN PERIL5 MORRIS (JANE L.4 FRANCIS, JOHN3, HENRY2, MISTER1)146 was born May 06, 1838 in Missouri, and died September 29, 1894 in San Diego, California. He married PERNENCY S. LAMB September 05, 1861 in Sonoma County, California. She was born February 19, 1845, and died August 23, 1871 in California.

Notes for P
ERNENCY S. LAMB:
      Penny died just 20 days after giving birth to her son, John Downing Morris.
     
Children of J
OHN MORRIS and PERNENCY LAMB are:
  i.   LEAH ISABELLE6 MORRIS, b. August 09, 1862, Geyserville, Sonoma, California; d. September 22, 1938; m. MR. MURRAY.
  ii.   PRISCILLA MORRIS, b. October 27, 1864.
  iii.   EDMUND LEE MORRIS, b. December 27, 1866.
  iv.   THOMAS JEFFERSON MORRIS, b. April 14, 1869.
  v.   JOHN DOWNING MORRIS, b. August 03, 1871, Sonoma County, California; d. September 17, 1871, Sonoma County, California.
  More About JOHN DOWNING MORRIS:
Burial: Hall's Cemetery, near Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California147



28. ELIZABETH ANN5 MORRIS (JANE L.4 FRANCIS, JOHN3, HENRY2, MISTER1)148 was born December 05, 1839 in Missouri149, and died in probably Woodland, Yolo County, California. She married BALAAM C. LAWSON150 1856 in Woodland, Yolo County, California, son of JOSHUA LAWSON and MARY CHAFFIN. He was born September 16, 1830 in Jackson County, Tennessee150, and died September 20, 1882 in Woodland, Yolo County, California150.

Notes for B
ALAAM C. LAWSON:
from Peggy Chadsey, April, 2000:

      Balaam came to California in the early 1850's with his parents and siblings, during the Gold Rush era. They "pecked around" in the hills for a while before settling in the Woodland area. Balaam was active in The Christian Church of Woodland (Disciples of Christ), as was his preacher father. Balaam lectured about the Bible all over California.
     
Children of E
LIZABETH MORRIS and BALAAM LAWSON are:
  i.   MARTINEZ "TINA"6 LAWSON150, b. Abt. 1858, Woodland, Yolo County, California150; d. March 11, 1889, Woodland, Yolo County, California150; m. JOHN B. HOLLINGSWORTH150, December 26, 1883, Woodland, California150.
  More About MARTINEZ "TINA" LAWSON:
Burial: Woodland Cemetery151

  ii.   JOSHUA LAWSON152, b. January 14, 1861, Woodland, California152; d. April 11, 1928, Fresno, California; m. MARTHA?.
  iii.   JENNETTE LAWSON152, b. Abt. 1863152.
  iv.   LUCY A. LAWSON152, b. September 1865, Woodland, California152; m. MISTER DANIELS?.
  v.   FLORENCE E. LAWSON152, b. Abt. 1868152.
  vi.   J.E. "JENNIE" LAWSON152, b. December 1871, Woodland, California; m. ARTHUR HINING, Abt. 1892.


29. REBECCA HAZELTINE5 MORRIS (JANE L.4 FRANCIS, JOHN3, HENRY2, MISTER1)153 was born September 01, 1841 in Missouri153, and died June 23, 1907 in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California153. She married EDWARD GRANVILLE HALL April 16, 1857 in Woodland, Sonoma County, California, son of RICHARD HALL and MARGARET WILKINSON. He was born February 27, 1832 in Kentucky154, and died April 06, 1906 in Sonoma County, California.

Notes for E
DWARD GRANVILLE HALL:
     
     
Children of R
EBECCA MORRIS and EDWARD HALL are:
  i.   JOHN ASHLOCK6 HALL155, b. May 02, 1858.
  ii.   MARGARET JANE HALL156, b. January 10, 1860.
  iii.   MILLIARD FILLMORE HALL156, b. December 23, 1861.
  iv.   RICHARD EDWARD HALL157, b. October 14, 1864.
  v.   MATHILDA ANN HALL158, b. July 23, 1870.
  vi.   MARY ESTAH HALL158, b. April 1873.
  vii.   STEPHEN SYLVESTER HALL158, b. November 07, 1875.
  viii.   MARTHA JEANETTE HALL158, b. September 04, 1877.
  ix.   ALMA VESTA HALL158, b. September 08, 1879, Sonoma County, California; m. (1) FRANCIS MADEIRA, Abt. 1898; m. (2) THOMAS FLINT TAYLOR, Bef. 1911159.
  x.   GRANVILLE MORRIS HALL160, b. April 05, 1881.


30. NANCY ELEANOR5 MORRIS (JANE L.4 FRANCIS, JOHN3, HENRY2, MISTER1)161 was born October 24, 1845 in Barton County, Missouri162, and died March 28, 1918 in Sparks, Washoe County, Nevada (near Reno)162. She married LEANDER GRIFFITH ELLIS163 November 30, 1862 in Geyserville, California164, son of LEANDER ELLIS and HARRIET HUMBER. He was born August 26, 1836 in Kentucky164, and died 1909.

Notes for N
ANCY ELEANOR MORRIS:
                                    Nancy Eleanor Morris Ellis
                                          By
                                    Katheryn Yvonne Murray Lindsey
                                    A Great Granddaughter
                              (used as written, with permission)

An excerpt from an original document I composed from memories of two of Nancy Eleanor's granddaughters - Helen Ellis Murray, my mother and daughter of Nancy Eleanor's first born, Judge John A. Ellis Sr., and Gertrude Fay Hoffman, a daughter of Nancy Eleanor's daughter Leona Gertrude Ellis Fay.
                        ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nancy Eleanor Morris was born October 27, 1845, Barton County. Missouri. She was a small child of a quiet, gentle nature.

In 1849, at the age of 4 years, Nancy Eleanor left Missouri accompanied by her father John Morris, her mother Jane l. Francis, and several brothers and sisters, on a wagon train headed for California. She crossed the plains of the American west in an oxen driven wagon. Upon arriving in California, the Morris family made their home in Cache Creek, present day Woodland, Yolo County, settling there for five or six years. Cache Creek, however, was not destined to be the permanent home of the Morris family. In 1856, the family relocated to Sonoma County. John secured land along the east side of the Russian River adjacent to Washington Township, now called Geyserville, by way of a squatter's title. The Morris family eventually owned several hundred acres in this locality extending into Alexander Valley.

Nancy Eleanor was a devout Christian and deeply spiritual individual. She daily spent a great amount of time searching the Holy Scripture for wisdom, guidance and understanding. She was obedient to her Lord's exhortation of prayer in Matthew 7;7, "Ask, it shall be given you, Seek and ye shall find, Knock and it shall be opened unto you." Nancy's thirst to learn of her God, His will for her and His ways of love and grace was to remain with her throughout her life. It would be the constant seeking that her grandchildren would remember and recall for future generations.

At seventeen years of age, Nancy Eleanor married Leander Griffith Ellis, aged twenty-six years. They were united in marriage by Rev. R. A. Leard on November 30, 1862. (Rev. Leard was the father-in-law of Leander's brother William Campbell Ellis.) Leander's father was a frequent occupant of the pulpit as a lay preacher of the Christian Church in Nodaway County, Missouri. This factor contributed to Leander's exemplary life of Christian service and worship and it was these virtues that attracted Nancy Eleanor to him.

Nancy's and Leander's first child, a son they named John Arthur (for his grandfather, John Morris) was born October 6, 1863 on that part of the Morris property in Alexander Valley. Successive children were born every two to three years until 1884 for a total of ten children; 3 boys and 7 girls, including one set of twins. These children, in addition to John Arthur, were:

Alice Rosetta "Rosie" - Feb. 19, 1865 - Apr. 24 1945
Harriet Jane "Hattie" - Jan. 8, 1867 - 1870 ( Hattie was named Harriet for Leander's mother and Jane for Nancy's mother. )
Laura Francis - Aug. 17, 1869 - July 10, 1947 ( Laura's middle name Francis is for her grandmother Jane L. Francis Morris)
Leander Gilbert "Gilbert" Sept. 14, 1872 - Aug 13, 1944
Leona Gertrude " Lonie" - Sept. 14, 1872 - 1932 (Gilbert's twin sister)
Alva Annis " Annie" - Feb. 8, 1875 - 1890
Carroll Edward " Cadd" - April 11, 1878 - Nov 10. 1942
(Cadd was named for one of Leander's maternal cousins, Carroll C. Humber, and Edward for Leander's maternal uncle, Edward Pleasants)
Margaret Ethel "Ethel" - Aug. 23, 1880 - ?
Clora Edna " Dot" - Aug. 20, 1884 - ? ("Dot" officially changed her name to Dorothy after her parents died.)

On November 10, 1868, Leander purchased homestead property from the Tzabaco Rancho, a Mexican land grant. for one thousand dollars in gold coin. This was to be Nancy Eleanor's home for the rest of her life. Seven of her children were born here, as well as several grandchildren. Trees from the land were cut and hewn to build the house and wooden pegs were fashioned to secure the logs. This house stood to serve succeeding generations until circa 1950 - 1960.

As was the fate of most women of the era in which Nancy Eleanor lived, she became a very resourceful wife and mother. Gardening, sewing, and cooking were necessary skills, but they were also comforting pastimes to Nancy Eleanor. Her family was always well dressed and her skills as a proficient cook brought her fame throughout the area.

The Ellis Ranch was more than self-sufficient. The barnyard was abundantly filled with sheep, pigs, cows, beef stock, chickens and turkeys. The orchards abounded with prunes, apples, and citrus fruits. There were nut trees and twenty-five acres planted in grapes. This ready reserve displayed itself most profusely on Sundays as well as holidays and family gatherings or celebrations. Rev. Wilkinson of the Christian Church in town and his family were guests at the Ellis Ranch nearly every Sunday. Nancy Eleanor's "groaning table" was laden with turkeys, chickens, hams, chicken pies, fruit pies, preserves and jellies, a large assortment of cooked and fresh vegetables in season, cakes, and all varieties of dairy products.

Nancy Eleanor's quiet manner and gentle spirit was an obvious contrast to the temperament of Leander. He was very civic-minded and received community residents into his home daily. Many of Nancy's and Leander's children were of the same nature as their father, but Nancy's quietness and gentleness was also reflected in some of the children. The constant agitation within her household contributed to her nervous nature. Her sense of deeply spiritual and peaceful quietude was disturbed by this never ending activity.

Nancy worried tremendously about the unrest within some of her children. Those who had inherited Leander's adventuresome spirit did not always choose desirable avenues or creditable endeavors for their paths in life. The growth and progress of California had brought many new opportunities to the youthful generations of the 1870s and after. Her son John Arthur was a much-needed tranquilizer in Nancy Eleanor's life. As is the characteristic of first born children, John Arthur was inbred with dedication to his parents and honorable respect for his elders. His temperament was a pleasant mix of both Leander and Nancy. His mother's inherited quiet and gentle nature became his and he became the stabilizer in his parents lives until their deaths.

Nancy Eleanor's physical characteristic was very petite. She had dark hair, questioning hazel eyes and very fair skin. She stood barely five feet tall at her extreme height and seldom weighed more than one hundred pounds. She dressed in the uniform of the day most of the time, and dress was always suited to the occasion. Her farm dresses were of chintz prints or tartans with a high collar, long sleeves, and a six- yard gathered skirt. High-buttoned shoes shod her petite feet. After her husband's death, she was seen mostly in very dark clothing out of respect, although her mourning was not an extended and trying time.

Nancy Eleanor was adventuresome in her own manner. She was seldom without a song on her lips, generally a hymn of strength or salvation. She was known to her grandchildren as Gramma Ellis and taught them the principles of righteousness and grace from the Holy Scriptures. Children were always a priority in her life. The custom of the day was to allow adults to eat first from the prepared feast and then the children were fed. Not at Nancy Eleanor's! There were always too many people present for the children and adults to sit at one table, so Nancy Eleanor would set a special table for the children, identical in every way to the adult table, and as beautifully arranged.

Nancy Eleanor enjoyed the companionship of the few of her children that remained in the Geyserville area. John Arthur eventually lived in his parental home, building a smaller house on the property for Nancy. Her daughter Leona, with whom she shared her spirituality, lived on a portion of the old homestead now owned by Leona's husband John Fay. Her son Gilbert lived in Geyserville for awhile, then left to be a laborer and mule team driver in Modoc County, where he lived near his paternal aunt and uncle, the Martin Hendersons. The remainder of her children settled in Sparks, Nevada, and in San Francisco and the San Bernardino Valley in California.

After Leander's death of tuberculosis in 1909, Nancy traveled to visit with her children. She died of a heart attack 28 March 1918 while visiting her daughter Rosie who lived in Sparks, near Reno, Washoe County, Nevada. Once again, John became the dutiful son and traveled via train across the Sierra Nevada Mountains to accompany his mother's body back to Geyserville for burial. Nancy rests next to her husband and two daughters, "Hattie and Annie" in the Oakmound Cemetery, Healdsburg, Sonoma Co., California.

4 June 2004



                             

More About N
ANCY ELEANOR MORRIS:
Burial: Oakmound Cemetery, Healdsburg, California

Notes for L
EANDER GRIFFITH ELLIS:
From "History of Sonoma County, 1936 Honoria Tuomey," sent to Kathy Beaudry by Katheryn Lindsey, June, 2004
(presented as written, used with permission)

"John A. Ellis

      "The history of the family of which John, A. Ellis is a worth representative has become an essential part of the history of this section of Sonoma County and for years the name has been synonymous her for all that constitutes honorable and upright manhood.
      "Mr. Ellis is a native of the county new honored by his citizenship, having been born her in 1863, a son of Leander G. and Nancy E. (Morris) Ellis. The father was a native of Kentucky, born August 26, 1836, son of Leander T. Ellis, who was a teacher by vocation and who moved to Missouri in 1842. There he became a prominent and influential citizen and served as judge of the court of Nodaway county. He married Miss Harriet Humber, a native of South Carolina, who died after their removal to Missouri. To their union were born twelve children. Leander G. Ellis was to California, via the Isthmus of Panama, in 1860 and here became a prominent and successful rancher and one of the early fruit growers of this section. He was married after his arrival in this state. He bought the land from the grant and resided there up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1909. He had taken a deep interest in the public affairs of his community and was a member of the county board of supervisors for two terms, 1882-6. Fraternally he was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, and he was held in the highest regard by all who knew him. He was survived a number of years by his widow, who passed away in 1918. Our subject's mother was a daughter of John Morris, who crossed the plains in 1849, settling first at Woodland. In 1856 he came to Geyserville and bought the land on which Mr. Ellis now lives, securing a squatter's title to it. The Morris family at one time owned several hundred acres of land in the locality.
      "John A. Ellis received the benefit of a public school education and then took a course in the San Francisco Business College, from which he was graduated. At the age of twenty-four years he began clerking in stores, a vocation which he followed until he was about forty years of age, when he moved back to the home ranch, to the operation of which he has since devoted himself. He is the owner of three hundred thirteen and sixty-two hundredths acres of land. An indefatigable worker, he exercises sound judgment in his management of his property and has met with a very gratifying measure of success. He has made many substantial improvements on his property and has a fine bearing orchard. He carries on a diversified system of agriculture and is numbered among the successful ranchers of his section of the county.
      " Mr. Ellis is a member of the Woodmen of the World and of the Grange, in which he has passed all the chairs and is now master of the local organization. He held office for eight consecutive years in the County Grange, during two of which he served as master. He likewise is a member and director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Mr. Ellis has been a lifelong supporter of the democratic party and has taken a deep interest in public affairs, having served for thirteen years as clerk of the school board, and since February,
1925, he has been serving as justice of the peace. He was a director and president of the Rural Telephone Company for several years, and he was postmaster at Geyserville for a little more than two years.
      " In 1893 occurred the marriage of Mr. Ellis to Miss Isabel Stites, a daughter of A.H. and Martha (Kilgore) Stites, pioneer residents of Sonoma County. To Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have been born the following children: Clarice, the wife of H. C. Sullivan, of Geyserville; Helen, the wife of F. A. Murray, of Geyserville, and they have two children; Margaret, a teacher; Louise, a student in the junior college; and Arthur a student in high school. A.H. Stites was born in Tennessee, August 3, 1837, and at the age of three years went with the family on their removal to Missouri. In 1856 he came to California, locating in Santa Rosa, where he remained a few years and then moved to Geyserville, where he bought land and became a successful farmer, which vocation he followed up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1903. He was prominent in the public affairs of his locality, having served as deputy assessor, and was a stockholder and director of the Healdsburg Bank. He was a democrat in his political affiliations, and he was a prominent member of the Free and Accepted Masons, having been a past master of the Healdsburg lodge. His wife was a daughter of Allan C. Kilgore, of Keokuk, Iowa, who came to California in 1850, making the overland trip by ox team. Later he moved to Santa Clara county, where he was in the dairy business for several years, and he then moved to Russian River, where his marriage occurred. He is survived by his widow, who is living in Geyserville, and the advanced age of eighty-three years. Mr. Stites at one time bought a herd of cattle and in 1858 drove them to Humboldt County, but the entire herd was stolen by Indians. He then returned to Healdsburg and ran a livery stable for a short time prior to the purchase of his land at Geyserville." (end of History of Sonoma County)


More About L
EANDER GRIFFITH ELLIS:
Burial: Oakmound Cemetery, Healdsburg, California
     
Children of N
ANCY MORRIS and LEANDER ELLIS are:
  i.   JOHN ARTHUR6 ELLIS164, b. October 06, 1863, At home, in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California164; d. Aft. 1909.
  ii.   ALICE ROSETTE "ROSIE" ELLIS164, b. February 19, 1865164.
  iii.   LAURA FRANCIS ELLIS164, b. August 17, 1869164.
  iv.   HARRIET JANE "HATTIE" ELLIS164, b. January 08, 1867164.
  More About HARRIET JANE "HATTIE" ELLIS:
Burial: Oakmound Cemetery, Healdsburg, California

  v.   LEANDER GILBERT ELLIS164, b. September 14, 1872164.
  vi.   LEONA GERTRUDE "LONIE" ELLIS164, b. September 14, 1872164.
  vii.   ALVA ANNIS "ANNIE" ELLIS164, b. February 08, 1875164.
  More About ALVA ANNIS "ANNIE" ELLIS:
Burial: Oakmound Cemetery, Healdsburg, California

  viii.   CARROLL EDWARD "CADD" ELLIS164, b. April 11, 1878164.
  ix.   MARGARET ETHEL ELLIS164, b. August 23, 1880164.
  x.   CLORA EDNA "DOT" ELLIS164, b. August 20, 1884164.


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