By Joyce Cooper
The rules of life back in the early 1900's were quite different than they are today. These are the facts that I learned about a grandfather who I never met.
My maternal, birth grandfather was Emerson Ellis of Bradford County, Pennsylvania. By documentation, Emerson was born January 22, 1858 in Athens, Bradford County, Pennsylvania son of Solon and Marilla Kellogg Ellis. The 1870 Athens Census lists him with his parents, age ten years old, making his birth in 1860. In the 1880 Sheshequin, Bradford, Pennsylvania Census, he is listed as nineteen years old, making his date of birth in 1861.
Emerson married Maud Len Northroop, daughter of William Northroop and Alice McDuffy, September 16, 1885 in Waverly, New York. Maud (a first cousin by adoption), had been adopted by Reamer Ellis (Emerson's uncle) and Laura J. Strobes Ellis, as evidenced by an article in the 28 March 1896 "Waverly Express" newspaper. The headline says, "Maud Ellis visits her dying, adoptive mother in South Waverly, NY. Her mother is identified as Laura J. Ellis." Marriage and divorce information also verify her age, and names of her birth parents, Her 1898 divorce records name a Susan Mills, of living in adultry with her husband, Emerson Ellis, at the time of their divorce. Maud and Emerson, had three children (two died prior to the divorce). They were separated for three years, before the divorce. Emerson was ordered by the court, not to marry during Maud's lifetime. At the time of their marriage, Emerson claimed to be twenty seven years old. That agrees with the date on the cemetery records (1858) though later reports, list him with various years of birth. Either he had a bad memory, or deliberately falsified records later on.
In the 1900 Bradford County Census, Emerson is living in Rome Twp., Bradford County, Pennsylvania with a Susan McIntire, who is listed as a servant, white and female, widowed, age forty eight, born 1852. He was also residing with a Francis Varnholt, age 18, born 1881, Mary Jennie Varnholt born about 1869 was also living there. No doubt Susan was a housekeeper, and took care of the children. Susan Varnholdt/Varnholt/McIntire/Mclinter, apparently continued to live with Emerson, for many years. If Susan was more than just a servant; perhaps the divorce order when he divorced Maud, prevented their marriage. Perhaps Maud and/or Susan were deceased, when he married Susan's daughter Mary Jennie Varnholt. I have been unable to find death dates for Maud, or Susan.
Newspaper reports and the marriage license prove that Emerson married Mary Jennie Varnholt age 19, in 1904. He claimed to be thirty nine years old. (That would make his year of birth 1865.) March 9, 1908, Mary Jennie gave birth to my mother, Flossie Marie. Emerson Ellis was listed as age 47 (making his birthdate 1861), on my mother's birth certificate. Mary Jennie was listed as 21 years old. She died March 25,1908, and was buried in Wysox Presbyterian Cemetery in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, as evidenced by her Funeral Notice.
In 1910, Emerson Ellis, age 50 (making his year of birth 1860) was listed in the Wysox, Bradford County, Pennsylvania Census with daughters Lizzie May (Elizabeth), age four and Flossie Marie age two. Susan McClinter was with him, listed as sixty years old, and ML (Mother-in-law). There is no sign of Mary Jennie Varnholt Ellis in the 1910 Census, because she died shortly after giving birth to my mother, Flossie Marie (Florence) Ellis.
Cemetery documentation states that Emerson Ellis died December 30, 1917, and was buried at Wysox Presbyterian Cemetery, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. (The Bradford County, Historical Society lists his death as 31 December 1916.) He had quite a colorful life. Census information lists him as a farm laborer. After Emerson's death, the Shiners who owned land in Wysox, and who were quite wealthy, took my nine year old mother Florence/Flossie Ellis in,though they never adopted her. (My mother Florence Ellis Shiner Bruns went on to graduate from Mansfield State Teachers College in 1928, and besides raising my brother and me, also taught school in Southampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania for many years. She died in 1970 in Pennsylvania. Another wealthy family adopted my mother's sister Elizabeth.) I have often wondered if Emerson Ellis may have worked for Mr. Shiner; but that is conjecture, and not really germane to the discussion of whether Emerson was a black sheep.
Blacksheep,or no, you decide.
All parties mentioned are deceased, except for the author-Joyce Cooper
