Elmwood Cemetery, Mexico, Audrain Co., MO
Eller graves, submitted by Rod Green
William Eller, Capt. April 7, 1833 October 23, 1914 (CW)
Abram S. Eller March 22, 1835 1883
Mary Ellen Burt Eller September 5, 1840 - December 13, 1916
William S. Eller April 16, 1865 March 11, 1958
Sallie B. Ragsdale Eller abt 1875 May 16, 1951
Franklin Elias Eller 1867 January 10, 1940
FRANKLIN ELIAS ELLER. I thought I had found the motherlode when I saw that name in conjunction with other Ellers, thought I could finally identify his Eller grandfather--with enough digging. Unfortunately, all I've been able to do is add it to the pile of Eller confusion that extends over, at least, three states.
The problem boils down to two federal census records for Missouri in 1880.
One is in Salt River, Audrain, MO. It lists, starting with head of household:
Abraham S. Eller age 45
Mary A. Eller (wife) 40
William (s) 15
Franklin P. (s) 13 (The P. is clearly written, but perhaps it was misheard?)
Lilian (d) 11
Van Delia 9
Elias Eller (farmer) 79
(No relationship to head of household indicated, but based on numerous, earlier census records, Elias is clearly Abraham's father.)
The other Missouri, 1880 record is for Scott, Taney, MO. It lists the following Eller family:
William Eller age 50
Mary A. Eller (wife) 41
Franklin E. (s) 19
Nicholas F. (s) 15
Eliza A. (d) 14
The question is which of these two young men named Franklin is buried in the Elmwood Cemetery. Date of birth (1867) favors Franklin P., son of Abraham. Census records are notoriously inaccurate, and the boy's name might actually be Franklin Elias, named after his grandfather, Elias Eller.
On the other hand, Franklin, son of William, insists on using his middle initial, E, throughout his life, often referring to himself as E. F. Eller or, more directly, as Elias F. Eller on records and never completely dropping the E. On census records he can be found living as a single man in Kansas. His mother, Mary A. Ritter, is found with him, which allows me (along with his consistently earlier birthdate of 1860) to differentiate him from Franklin P., son of Abraham.
Possibly, there were two young men named, not just Franklin, but Franklin Elias Eller, living in Missouri in 1880. One, the son of Abraham, is definitely Elias Eller's grandson. The other, son of William, is likely to also be related.
The obvious solution is that Abraham and William of Scott, MO are brothers. Do the census records support that relationship?
Census records for Audrain, MO, 1850, 1860 and 1870 are available for Elias Eller's family and all three list both a William (b.1833) and an Abraham (b.1835) as sons. In 1870, William is 35 years old. His younger brother, Abraham, is 33, and appears to have added a wife and three children to the extended household, (although family relationships aren't listed on this particular census).
It is tempting to say that William, brother of Abraham, is the same William who appears on the 1880 census in Scott, MO. The problem is that when we first see that William (married to Mary A.), his sons are already 19 and 15, and his daughter 14 years old. They should have appeared (along with William) on the 1870 census.
I've used Ancestry.com to search all over for 1870 census records, looking for William and his sons, but I can't find him, regardless of which of their names I use to look.
I have to conclude that the gravesite in Elm Cemetery belongs to William Eller, son of Elias, and his brother and their family of Salt River, but not to the Ellers of Scott, MO. I still believe the families are related in some way, but I have yet to find a connection.
IF YOU KNOW, I'd love to receive a comment from you.
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