Descendants of William and Mariah J. RITTER ELLER

Descendants of William and Mariah J.

RITTER ELLER

William ELLER (b. 1831 NC, d. c.1893, OK or KS), parents unknown, m. Mariah J. RITTER (b.14 Feb 1831, KY, d. 28 Feb 1908, KS), parents unknown. 

+2 ??? (hypothetical between 1850 and 1860)

+2 Franklin Elias (b. Oct 1860, MO, d. 2 Sep 1937, KS) m. c.1918 Margaret Lavilla ONEAL-GATES (b. Mar 1873, MO, d. 27 Oct 1948, KS), parents Alpheus John and Lucetta Jane MILLER ONEAL

++3 Evelyn Grace (b. c.1919, KS, d. 11 May 1953, KS) m. unknown.

+2 Nick Frelow (b. Aug 1862, IL, d. 15 Jan 1932, OK) m. 1^st c.1886 Marggret Jane WARRICK (b. c.1859, IL, d. c.1896, OK), parents Lazarus W. and Catherine BROWN-WARRICK

++3 Capatola Viola (b. 11 Jan 1888, O.T., d. 4 Mar 1956, CO) m. 1^st 4 Mar 1906 Wesley Jacob DITZENBERGER (b. 14 Jul 1879, IN, d. 17 Apr 1909), parents Henry Linguen and Elizabeth DAVIS-DITZENBERGER

+++4 Ruby (b. c.1907, OK, d. 13 Apr 1908, OK)

+++4 Myrtle Edith (b. 8 Nov 1908, OK, d. 8 May 1992, KS) m. 20 Jun 1926 Odie McBride SMITH (b. 15 Jun 1903, MO, d. 6 Sep 1988, KS), parents Elbert Columbus and Etta Gertrude GROVES-SMITH

++++5 living

++++5 Darlene Odean (b.1 Feb 1929, OK, d. 9 Apr 2006, KS) m.1^st bef, 1948 Kenneth E. WHETSTINE (b. 15 Jun 1927, d. 3 Mar 2005, KS), parents unknown

+++++6 living

+++++6 Penny Dawn (b. 27 Jan 1949, d. 25 Feb 2007, KS) married.

---Darlene m. 2^nd bef. 1953 Bejamin Robert CALVERT (b. 1929, KS, d. 9 Jan 1997, KS), parents Benjamin Roy and Eva Mae TETER-CALVERT

+++++6 Ricky Dee (b. 25 Oct 1953, KS, d. 6 Mar 2001, KS) married.

+++++6 Rocky Dale (b. 25 oct 1953, KS, d. 17 Jan 1984, IA) married.

+++++6 Bobby Dean (b. 9 Oct 1957, d. 27 May 2005, KS)

+++++6 living

++++5 living 

++++5 living

++++5 living

++++5 living

---Capatola m. 2^nd c.1909 Wilbur L. DAVIS(b. c.1885, IL, d. ?), parents unknown

---Capatola m. 3^rd c.1916 Salem Jackson HARDIN (b. 15 Jul 1882, TX, d. ?), parents William H. and Mary A. HARDIN

---Capatola m. 4^th aft. 1930 Paul Roy MENEFEE (b. 31 Mar 1890, MO, d. 13 Jan 1961, CO), parents John M. and Charlotte YATES-MENEFEE 

++3 William Lazareth (b.16 Oct 1889, KS, d. 14 Dec 1970, OK), m. 14 Oct 1924 Anna Margaret SHANAHAN (17 Aug 1894, O.T., d. 12 Feb 1977, OK), parents Edward and Mary SHEEHAN-SHANAHAN

+++4 Mary Olive (b. 13 Nov 1925, OK, d. 11 May 2010, OK) m. 22 Aug 1953 Frank CROMWELL (b.23 Jul 1920, OK, d. 11 Aug 2008, OK), parents Guy and Emma R. WOOD-CROMWELL

++++5 living

++++5 Guy William (b. 30 Nov 1960, OK, d. 22 Dec 2008, OK)

++++5 Laura Jane (b. 1962, OK, d. 24 Jul 1973, OK)

+++4 living

++3 Harrison E. (b. 4 Jun 1891, O.T., D. aft 1930)

++3 Jasper Joseph (b. 16 Oct 1893, KS, d. Jul 1967, IL) m. bef. 1917 Marybelle (b. c.1890, OH), parents unknown

---Nick m. 2^nd c. 1897 Mary Ettie WARRICK (b. Sep 1872, IL, d. 28 Mar 1931, OK), parents Lazarus W. and Catherine BROWN-WARRICK

++3 Hellen Ellen (b. 15 Jan 1898, O.T., d. 22 Dec 1974, CA), m. 10 Jul 1916 James Matthew GAUZE (b. 19 Sep 1892, WV, d. 9 May 1963, CA), parents GAUZE and SANCHEZ

+++4 Catherine Pauline (b. 14 Feb 1917, OK, d. 27 Jun 1993, CA) m. 11 Feb 1936 Woodrow Erdman BAY (b. 21 Apr 1913, KS, d. 1 Sep 1987, CA), parents Hugh and Ruby Barbara ERDMAN BAY

++++5 Billy Joyce (b. 4 Jul 1940, AZ, d. 3 Nov 1940, TX)

++++5 living

++++5 living

++++5 living

++++5 living

+++4 Agnes (b. 1922 d. ?)

+++4 Virginia Maxine (b. 8 Aug 1923, OK, d. 3 May 1997, CA) m. 11 Jan 1961 Loren E. JOHNSTON (b. 27 Mar 1922, KS, d. 9 Dec 1987, CA), parents Howard R. and Lola M. FOSTER-JOHNSTON

+++4 Jane (b. 1925, d. 1925)

+++4 Helen Naomi (b. 17 Dec 1926, KS, d. 30 Apr 1993, CA)

+++4 Delores Jeanine (b. 7 Dec 1928, KS, d. Apr 1992, CA) married.

+++4 James Matthew Jr. (b. 14 Jan 1931, KS, d. 1 Feb 2001, CA) married.

++3 Raymond R. (b.17 Dec 1899, O.T., d. 13 Aug 1947), m. bef. 1928 Mattie A. BECK (b. 12 Jan 1905, O.T., d. 1 Jan 1969, OK), parents James Gibney and Mary Elizabeth McGINLEY-BECK

+++4 Wanda May (b. 1 Jan 1928, OK, d. 8 Feb 2009, TX) m. 5 Jun 1946 Gene Raymond HAWKINS (b. 20 Mar 1926, OK, d. 12 Dec 2000, GA), parents Henry L. and Hazel HAWKINS

++++5 living

+++4 Leroy (b. 5 May 1931, OK, d. 24 Jan 2010, WI)

+++4 Roseann

+++4 ?

++3 Christopher (b. 1900, O.T., d. ?, O.T.)

++3 Charley (b. 1902, O.T., d. 20 Jan 1915, OK)

++3 Ida Bell (b. c.1904, O.T., d. 6 June 1968, MO) m. 1943 Roy G. WILLIAMS (b. 3 Apr 1892, MO, d. 11 Jul 1966, MO), parents Christopher Columbus and Teresa M. LUMPEE-WILLIAMS

++3 ??? 

+2 Eliza A. (b. c.1866, IN, d.?)

O.T. = Oklahoma Territory

Gravestone Photo: Mariah J. Ritter (1831-1908), McPherson Cemetery, McPherson, KS

Inscription: "Mariah J. Ritter Born Feb. 14 1831, Died Feb. 28 1908"  Mariah was the wife of William Eller (1831- 1895), and they had (at least) three children, Nick Frelow, Elias Franklin 'Frank' and Eliza Eller.

Eller, Missouri, 1880, records and gravestones

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.