Linda J Ellis | Lorain County Community College (original) (raw)

Papers by Linda J Ellis

"Lorain County Researcher" - Pages 5 - 8, 2021

Unexpected, even startling, discoveries about our relatives and ancestors can offer the silver li... more Unexpected, even startling, discoveries about our relatives and ancestors can offer the silver lining of prompting us to seek further documentation and thus gain more knowledge about them – including where incorrect information exists that might even be edited with a correction.

“The Butcher Cemetery of North Lewisburg, Ohio” Known also as “Walnut Grove Cemetery”

The burials at “The Butcher Cemetery” include a cross-section of unnamed infants with no parents ... more The burials at “The Butcher Cemetery” include a cross-section of unnamed infants with no parents resting nearby; as many as seven Civil War Union soldiers, including a tragic suicide for one; young brides dying too young and buried alone; and couples who enjoyed long lives and grew old together. Early settlers rest here who had streets named after them that remain so-named. They were local physicians, farmers, merchants, popular mayors and council members, housekeepers, and young school children. Census records readily reveal many resided as next door neighbors to each other or on the next street in the quiet Village of North Lewisburg tucked away at the northeast corner of Rush Township in mostly rural Champaign County, Ohio.

For me, the experience has been a rewarding one to compare published stone readings and other documents and thus compile transcriptions of the burials at this “Cemetery With Several Names.” The cemetery deed descriptions tell of the property’s history and connections between the land itself and the people who were later buried on it.

Interments at the Butcher Cemetery ended a over a century ago, but insights into the lives of those who found eternal rest there are ever-emerging ones, and our challenge is to persevere in our research and share the results. More fascinating revelations await discovery by someone in our generation or the next.

Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal - Volume XV - Issue 4, 2011

Pausing to Fondly Remember Frank, Ohio’s Famous Civil War Horse By: Linda Jean Limes Ellis July, ... more Pausing to Fondly Remember Frank, Ohio’s Famous Civil War Horse
By: Linda Jean Limes Ellis
July, 2011

"If you have a copy of the Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal, Volume IV, Number 4, year 2000, hang on to it and keep it handy. When you have a few quiet moments, reach over and pick up this issue, and turn to page 177. Then relax and enjoy the Civil War story simply entitled: “Old Frank A War Horse” that was re-printed from the Upper Sandusky Chief Union sometime in the 1930’s. It won’t be your typical Civil War ‘read’, yet it promises you’ll be treated to a heartfelt historic look back at the loyalty of a gallant horse given to his soldier rider who fondly named him “Frank” and later bought him and cared for him on his farm. That soldier was Abe CONGER who served as a saddler in Co. “A” of the 12th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.

Before you even finish your reading, you would be correct if you surmised that Abe could not have survived the perils of the Civil War without Frank and vice versa. Together they bravely participated in some of the war’s fiercest and longest cavalry raids."

Excerpt: Remembering the Sorrows of North Lewisburg’s Society of Friends © By Linda Jean Limes E... more Excerpt:

Remembering the Sorrows of North Lewisburg’s Society of Friends ©
By Linda Jean Limes Ellis

The Ohio Historical Society plaque at the site of the former Friends Church and cemetery in North Lewisburg includes the following sentence: “An epidemic during the winter of 1850-1851 reduced the Friends’ membership and led to several Quaker families relocating to Iowa.” Many local children became gravely ill during this time and did not live to leave their homes that sat serenely in the upper northeast corner of Champaign County, Ohio. Today, the village is tranquil still, and the Friends Cemetery on Winder Street that adjoins the former Friends Church beckons visitors to stop and honor the memory of those little ones and their families. The time-worn fragile and mostly blackened gravestones that remain invite a passerby to pause and reflect on the etched epitaphs yet readable. Many markers have inscriptions chiseled in flowing, almost cursive, writing. Death dates expressed like: “7th mo. 26, 1852” (July 26, 1852) reveal that the deceased was affiliated with the Society of Friends or “Quakers.”

Excerpt: Joseph, Ann, Esther, Emily, and Lydia Ann Fell Civil War veteran - William Wright Fell,... more Excerpt:
Joseph, Ann, Esther, Emily, and Lydia Ann Fell
Civil War veteran - William Wright Fell, and William W. Townsend and Townsend children

Note: The 1959 D.A.R. transcriptions for Joseph and Ann Fell were incorrectly copied as "Bell".

Per the book, Genealogy of the Fell Family in America - Descendants of Joseph Fell - 1668 – 1748, compiled by Sarah M. Fell – 1891, pages 80, 81, 174, and 175:

“(193) Joseph Fell (4), Thomas (3), born 2, 25, 1793, in Chester CO., PA. Died 5, 10, 1871 in Champaign County, Ohio. Married in 1818 to Ann Lamborn, born 8, 25, 1795 and died 1, 16, 1868, in same, dau. of George Lamborn and Martha Marshall.” “They resided in West Grove, Chester Co., PA., and in 1832 removed to Champaign County, Ohio. Both were buried in North Lewisburg Cemetery, Ohio. They had ten children”:

Thomas, George, Marshall, Elizabeth, Esther Harvey, Emily, Lewis, Samuel Kinsey, Lydia Ann, and Joseph Townsend.

The following Fell sisters are buried at the Friends Cemetery in North Lewisburg: Esther who married Alpheus Hirst; Emily who married William W. Townsend (1) and John W. Cole (2); and Lydia Ann who married Edwin Brown.

William Wright Fell is the only known veteran buried at the Friends Cemetery in North Lewisburg. He was a son of Thomas and Phebe L. Wright Fell. Thomas Fell was a son of Joseph and Ann Lamborn Fell. William Wright Fell was a grandson of Joseph and Ann Lamborn Fell.

Thus, Joseph and Ann Lamborn Fell; their daughters, Esther Harvey Fell Hirst; Emily Fell Townsend Cole; and Lydia Ann Fell Brown; as well as grandson, William Wright Fell; were all buried at the Friends Cemetery in North Lewisburg. Also, all six children of Emily Fell and William W. Townsend are buried at the Friends Cemetery. Four of their children are mentioned in the Hinshaw Quaker records on page 1296 for Townsend deaths:, Esther, Mary Ann, Rozilla and Watson. However, also per Hinshaw, Jane Anna is shown as a daughter born July 23, 1851, but no death recorded for her; and Philena is listed with a birth date of June 28, 1855, but with no death date. Philena shares a birth date with Watson, so possibly they were twins. A stone “M. Townsend” with only 1848 inscribed on it found at the Friends Cemetery may belong to Mary Watson Townsend, mother of William W. Townsend. She is reported to have died in 1848.

Researching the facts and foibles of my great-great grandfather or great-grandmother had never be... more Researching the facts and foibles of my great-great grandfather or great-grandmother had never been a problem for me regardless of the secrets I uncovered about them. However, delving into the life of my dear departed mother proved personally frustrating because she was my closest friend and sweet mother for 47 years of my life. So it was she must have had her reasons why she chose not to share with me the hidden story behind her real birth name.

Archibald M. Willard - Ohio’s Patriot Painter (Written for the Fayette County Genealogical Societ... more Archibald M. Willard - Ohio’s Patriot Painter
(Written for the Fayette County Genealogical Society, a Chapter of O.G.S.) ©
By: Linda Jean Ellis - November, 1999 (updated June 12, 2017 & April 30, 2018)

From all accounts, his artistic beginnings were of a self-taught and solitary nature. His early livelihood came from painting fancy scenes on the sides of horse-drawn farm and circus wagons for the E.S. Tripp Carriage Factory in Wellington, Ohio. Later, he would create a cartoon of sorts featuring his father as a marching militia drummer in a painting he dubbed “Yankee Doodle,” but today Archibald M. Willard is well remembered. We have come to identify the ideals of liberty by his stirring revision of this portrait entitled: “The Spirit of ‘76” - painted by him at age 40. Staunch supporter and partner, Cleveland photographer, J.F. Ryder, was instrumental in the “Spirit of ‘76” (then still called “Yankee Doodle”) being included in the American Centennial Celebration’s art exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876. Here, the call of the portrait was clear as many hearts were touched by this trio of mismatched musicians. Suddenly, the creator, this Ohio born Civil War veteran, was an unknown artist no longer.

"Harmon Limes, Sr. was born on July 14, 1750 and baptized on August 5, 1750 at St. John The Evang... more "Harmon Limes, Sr. was born on July 14, 1750 and baptized on August 5, 1750 at St. John The Evangelist Smith Square, Westminster, London, England. Andrew and Frances (Cornwell) Limes are shown as his parents. A brother, John, was born on October 9, 1752 and baptized on November 5, 1752 at the same parish listing the same parents. These records are taken from the Church of Latter Day Saints microfilm rolls."

"Adding photographs of your ancestors to your family history collection is a rewarding activity, ... more "Adding photographs of your ancestors to your family history collection is a rewarding activity, but don’t stay so focused on “finding their faces” that you fail to look for their writings – namely their signatures.

I had never given much thought about my ancestors’ handwriting or even the importance of their autographs until I was introduced to a document showing my great-great-great grandfather‘s signature affixed to his Oath swearing him in as a Justice of the Peace in Champaign County, Ohio on July 21, 1846. He was almost 55 years old and past middle age. "

"Pvt. John Limes was mustered-in to the 63rd OVI, Co. "E" on September 8, 1861. He was honorably... more "Pvt. John Limes was mustered-in to the 63rd OVI, Co. "E" on September 8, 1861. He was honorably discharged on September 25, 1862 on Surgeon's Certificate of Disability. His discharge papers show his occupation as being a farmer. "

"Everyone loves a love story! Please join me for a glimpse of how this one began a little more t... more "Everyone loves a love story! Please join me for a glimpse of how this one began a little more than a century ago in Lorain, Ohio, and spanned 41 years in the lives of my maternal grandparents.

As a young lad living in the 1880’s and 1890’s, Andrew Zagorsky roamed Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and France as an orphan. Born in a region that later became Czechoslovakia, he learned to speak several languages and, along the way, taught himself to play the button box. After Andrew matured into a young adult, he became a miner by trade to earn a living. In 1904, America beckoned him to its shores, and specifically, Lorain, Ohio, where his brother-in-law was already living. There he met and married a young illegitimate Polish immigrant girl who spoke only her native tongue. Together, they watched their family grow during one of the darkest decades in American history – a time forever defined by its name - “The Great Depression.”

She began her life as Adaline D. Limes and 72 years (and four husbands) later she would see it cl... more She began her life as Adaline D. Limes and 72 years (and four husbands) later she would see it close as Mrs. Henry M. (“Addie” or “Adda”) Dailey - or so her death records and newspaper obituary would read.

Lorain Ohio’s location on the southern shore of Lake Erie proved to be the perfect place for Scot... more Lorain Ohio’s location on the southern shore of Lake Erie proved to be the perfect place for Scott and Harry Limes to hone their lathing skills handed down from a father to his son. Here they realized their dreams and helped to build structures designed by others.

"Ah! There they all were – as many or more faces of ancestors I could ever hope to gaze upon in ... more "Ah! There they all were – as many or more faces of ancestors I could ever hope to gaze upon in one 8” x 10” photograph. Forty-three of them to be exact. A first glance told me all age ranges were well represented. "

Drafts by Linda J Ellis

HENRY AND HANNAH LIMES Compiled by Linda Jean Limes Ellis, 1587 Edgefield Road, Lyndhurst, Ohio 4... more HENRY AND HANNAH LIMES
Compiled by Linda Jean Limes Ellis, 1587 Edgefield Road, Lyndhurst, Ohio 44124 ©

Henry Limes was the second oldest son of Harmon Limes who came to America from England (Per the R.S. Dills book entitled, History of Fayette County (Ohio), page 813) just prior to the American Revolution. Henry's mother was probably Ann Burnett as a record exists for a marriage solemnized between Ann Burnett and Harman Limes at St. Paul’s Parish in Baltimore, Maryland on January 4, 1783.

Page 82 of the Methodist publication: Abstracts of Obituaries in The Western Christian Advocate - 1834 - 1850 shows Henry Limes' birth date as July 15, 1786. The actual publication is located at the Beeghly Library on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.

"Lorain County Researcher" - Pages 5 - 8, 2021

Unexpected, even startling, discoveries about our relatives and ancestors can offer the silver li... more Unexpected, even startling, discoveries about our relatives and ancestors can offer the silver lining of prompting us to seek further documentation and thus gain more knowledge about them – including where incorrect information exists that might even be edited with a correction.

“The Butcher Cemetery of North Lewisburg, Ohio” Known also as “Walnut Grove Cemetery”

The burials at “The Butcher Cemetery” include a cross-section of unnamed infants with no parents ... more The burials at “The Butcher Cemetery” include a cross-section of unnamed infants with no parents resting nearby; as many as seven Civil War Union soldiers, including a tragic suicide for one; young brides dying too young and buried alone; and couples who enjoyed long lives and grew old together. Early settlers rest here who had streets named after them that remain so-named. They were local physicians, farmers, merchants, popular mayors and council members, housekeepers, and young school children. Census records readily reveal many resided as next door neighbors to each other or on the next street in the quiet Village of North Lewisburg tucked away at the northeast corner of Rush Township in mostly rural Champaign County, Ohio.

For me, the experience has been a rewarding one to compare published stone readings and other documents and thus compile transcriptions of the burials at this “Cemetery With Several Names.” The cemetery deed descriptions tell of the property’s history and connections between the land itself and the people who were later buried on it.

Interments at the Butcher Cemetery ended a over a century ago, but insights into the lives of those who found eternal rest there are ever-emerging ones, and our challenge is to persevere in our research and share the results. More fascinating revelations await discovery by someone in our generation or the next.

Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal - Volume XV - Issue 4, 2011

Pausing to Fondly Remember Frank, Ohio’s Famous Civil War Horse By: Linda Jean Limes Ellis July, ... more Pausing to Fondly Remember Frank, Ohio’s Famous Civil War Horse
By: Linda Jean Limes Ellis
July, 2011

"If you have a copy of the Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal, Volume IV, Number 4, year 2000, hang on to it and keep it handy. When you have a few quiet moments, reach over and pick up this issue, and turn to page 177. Then relax and enjoy the Civil War story simply entitled: “Old Frank A War Horse” that was re-printed from the Upper Sandusky Chief Union sometime in the 1930’s. It won’t be your typical Civil War ‘read’, yet it promises you’ll be treated to a heartfelt historic look back at the loyalty of a gallant horse given to his soldier rider who fondly named him “Frank” and later bought him and cared for him on his farm. That soldier was Abe CONGER who served as a saddler in Co. “A” of the 12th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.

Before you even finish your reading, you would be correct if you surmised that Abe could not have survived the perils of the Civil War without Frank and vice versa. Together they bravely participated in some of the war’s fiercest and longest cavalry raids."

Excerpt: Remembering the Sorrows of North Lewisburg’s Society of Friends © By Linda Jean Limes E... more Excerpt:

Remembering the Sorrows of North Lewisburg’s Society of Friends ©
By Linda Jean Limes Ellis

The Ohio Historical Society plaque at the site of the former Friends Church and cemetery in North Lewisburg includes the following sentence: “An epidemic during the winter of 1850-1851 reduced the Friends’ membership and led to several Quaker families relocating to Iowa.” Many local children became gravely ill during this time and did not live to leave their homes that sat serenely in the upper northeast corner of Champaign County, Ohio. Today, the village is tranquil still, and the Friends Cemetery on Winder Street that adjoins the former Friends Church beckons visitors to stop and honor the memory of those little ones and their families. The time-worn fragile and mostly blackened gravestones that remain invite a passerby to pause and reflect on the etched epitaphs yet readable. Many markers have inscriptions chiseled in flowing, almost cursive, writing. Death dates expressed like: “7th mo. 26, 1852” (July 26, 1852) reveal that the deceased was affiliated with the Society of Friends or “Quakers.”

Excerpt: Joseph, Ann, Esther, Emily, and Lydia Ann Fell Civil War veteran - William Wright Fell,... more Excerpt:
Joseph, Ann, Esther, Emily, and Lydia Ann Fell
Civil War veteran - William Wright Fell, and William W. Townsend and Townsend children

Note: The 1959 D.A.R. transcriptions for Joseph and Ann Fell were incorrectly copied as "Bell".

Per the book, Genealogy of the Fell Family in America - Descendants of Joseph Fell - 1668 – 1748, compiled by Sarah M. Fell – 1891, pages 80, 81, 174, and 175:

“(193) Joseph Fell (4), Thomas (3), born 2, 25, 1793, in Chester CO., PA. Died 5, 10, 1871 in Champaign County, Ohio. Married in 1818 to Ann Lamborn, born 8, 25, 1795 and died 1, 16, 1868, in same, dau. of George Lamborn and Martha Marshall.” “They resided in West Grove, Chester Co., PA., and in 1832 removed to Champaign County, Ohio. Both were buried in North Lewisburg Cemetery, Ohio. They had ten children”:

Thomas, George, Marshall, Elizabeth, Esther Harvey, Emily, Lewis, Samuel Kinsey, Lydia Ann, and Joseph Townsend.

The following Fell sisters are buried at the Friends Cemetery in North Lewisburg: Esther who married Alpheus Hirst; Emily who married William W. Townsend (1) and John W. Cole (2); and Lydia Ann who married Edwin Brown.

William Wright Fell is the only known veteran buried at the Friends Cemetery in North Lewisburg. He was a son of Thomas and Phebe L. Wright Fell. Thomas Fell was a son of Joseph and Ann Lamborn Fell. William Wright Fell was a grandson of Joseph and Ann Lamborn Fell.

Thus, Joseph and Ann Lamborn Fell; their daughters, Esther Harvey Fell Hirst; Emily Fell Townsend Cole; and Lydia Ann Fell Brown; as well as grandson, William Wright Fell; were all buried at the Friends Cemetery in North Lewisburg. Also, all six children of Emily Fell and William W. Townsend are buried at the Friends Cemetery. Four of their children are mentioned in the Hinshaw Quaker records on page 1296 for Townsend deaths:, Esther, Mary Ann, Rozilla and Watson. However, also per Hinshaw, Jane Anna is shown as a daughter born July 23, 1851, but no death recorded for her; and Philena is listed with a birth date of June 28, 1855, but with no death date. Philena shares a birth date with Watson, so possibly they were twins. A stone “M. Townsend” with only 1848 inscribed on it found at the Friends Cemetery may belong to Mary Watson Townsend, mother of William W. Townsend. She is reported to have died in 1848.

Researching the facts and foibles of my great-great grandfather or great-grandmother had never be... more Researching the facts and foibles of my great-great grandfather or great-grandmother had never been a problem for me regardless of the secrets I uncovered about them. However, delving into the life of my dear departed mother proved personally frustrating because she was my closest friend and sweet mother for 47 years of my life. So it was she must have had her reasons why she chose not to share with me the hidden story behind her real birth name.

Archibald M. Willard - Ohio’s Patriot Painter (Written for the Fayette County Genealogical Societ... more Archibald M. Willard - Ohio’s Patriot Painter
(Written for the Fayette County Genealogical Society, a Chapter of O.G.S.) ©
By: Linda Jean Ellis - November, 1999 (updated June 12, 2017 & April 30, 2018)

From all accounts, his artistic beginnings were of a self-taught and solitary nature. His early livelihood came from painting fancy scenes on the sides of horse-drawn farm and circus wagons for the E.S. Tripp Carriage Factory in Wellington, Ohio. Later, he would create a cartoon of sorts featuring his father as a marching militia drummer in a painting he dubbed “Yankee Doodle,” but today Archibald M. Willard is well remembered. We have come to identify the ideals of liberty by his stirring revision of this portrait entitled: “The Spirit of ‘76” - painted by him at age 40. Staunch supporter and partner, Cleveland photographer, J.F. Ryder, was instrumental in the “Spirit of ‘76” (then still called “Yankee Doodle”) being included in the American Centennial Celebration’s art exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876. Here, the call of the portrait was clear as many hearts were touched by this trio of mismatched musicians. Suddenly, the creator, this Ohio born Civil War veteran, was an unknown artist no longer.

"Harmon Limes, Sr. was born on July 14, 1750 and baptized on August 5, 1750 at St. John The Evang... more "Harmon Limes, Sr. was born on July 14, 1750 and baptized on August 5, 1750 at St. John The Evangelist Smith Square, Westminster, London, England. Andrew and Frances (Cornwell) Limes are shown as his parents. A brother, John, was born on October 9, 1752 and baptized on November 5, 1752 at the same parish listing the same parents. These records are taken from the Church of Latter Day Saints microfilm rolls."

"Adding photographs of your ancestors to your family history collection is a rewarding activity, ... more "Adding photographs of your ancestors to your family history collection is a rewarding activity, but don’t stay so focused on “finding their faces” that you fail to look for their writings – namely their signatures.

I had never given much thought about my ancestors’ handwriting or even the importance of their autographs until I was introduced to a document showing my great-great-great grandfather‘s signature affixed to his Oath swearing him in as a Justice of the Peace in Champaign County, Ohio on July 21, 1846. He was almost 55 years old and past middle age. "

"Pvt. John Limes was mustered-in to the 63rd OVI, Co. "E" on September 8, 1861. He was honorably... more "Pvt. John Limes was mustered-in to the 63rd OVI, Co. "E" on September 8, 1861. He was honorably discharged on September 25, 1862 on Surgeon's Certificate of Disability. His discharge papers show his occupation as being a farmer. "

"Everyone loves a love story! Please join me for a glimpse of how this one began a little more t... more "Everyone loves a love story! Please join me for a glimpse of how this one began a little more than a century ago in Lorain, Ohio, and spanned 41 years in the lives of my maternal grandparents.

As a young lad living in the 1880’s and 1890’s, Andrew Zagorsky roamed Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and France as an orphan. Born in a region that later became Czechoslovakia, he learned to speak several languages and, along the way, taught himself to play the button box. After Andrew matured into a young adult, he became a miner by trade to earn a living. In 1904, America beckoned him to its shores, and specifically, Lorain, Ohio, where his brother-in-law was already living. There he met and married a young illegitimate Polish immigrant girl who spoke only her native tongue. Together, they watched their family grow during one of the darkest decades in American history – a time forever defined by its name - “The Great Depression.”

She began her life as Adaline D. Limes and 72 years (and four husbands) later she would see it cl... more She began her life as Adaline D. Limes and 72 years (and four husbands) later she would see it close as Mrs. Henry M. (“Addie” or “Adda”) Dailey - or so her death records and newspaper obituary would read.

Lorain Ohio’s location on the southern shore of Lake Erie proved to be the perfect place for Scot... more Lorain Ohio’s location on the southern shore of Lake Erie proved to be the perfect place for Scott and Harry Limes to hone their lathing skills handed down from a father to his son. Here they realized their dreams and helped to build structures designed by others.

"Ah! There they all were – as many or more faces of ancestors I could ever hope to gaze upon in ... more "Ah! There they all were – as many or more faces of ancestors I could ever hope to gaze upon in one 8” x 10” photograph. Forty-three of them to be exact. A first glance told me all age ranges were well represented. "

HENRY AND HANNAH LIMES Compiled by Linda Jean Limes Ellis, 1587 Edgefield Road, Lyndhurst, Ohio 4... more HENRY AND HANNAH LIMES
Compiled by Linda Jean Limes Ellis, 1587 Edgefield Road, Lyndhurst, Ohio 44124 ©

Henry Limes was the second oldest son of Harmon Limes who came to America from England (Per the R.S. Dills book entitled, History of Fayette County (Ohio), page 813) just prior to the American Revolution. Henry's mother was probably Ann Burnett as a record exists for a marriage solemnized between Ann Burnett and Harman Limes at St. Paul’s Parish in Baltimore, Maryland on January 4, 1783.

Page 82 of the Methodist publication: Abstracts of Obituaries in The Western Christian Advocate - 1834 - 1850 shows Henry Limes' birth date as July 15, 1786. The actual publication is located at the Beeghly Library on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio.