Phebe May Stewart

 Phebe May Stewart is the daughter of our 3rd great grandmother Amanda Smith Stewart. This is our gg grandmother Maria Stewart McNamer sister.  And Phebe is a twin with her sister Anna L Stewart who marries Benjamin Smith,son of Fredrick Smith, our 5th great uncle. In 1835, when our 3rd great grandfather Ira Stewart dies, Amanda moves most of  her 11 children and spouses to the Carroll/Ogle County area between 1845-1846. Anna L Stewart and Benjamin Smith remain in Jefferson, Schoharie,NY. Prior to the move, the family was living in Rome, Genesee County, NY.  The city of Rome doesn't seem to exist now and I have no idea where Ira Stewart might have been buried. This bothers me because I would like to find his final resting place.

Phebe May marries Thomas C (Clark) Ellis in 1834 probably in Genesee County, NY. Their children are Amanda, Hannah, Albacinda, Hammon, Cornelia, Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth and Emily. If you look at our tree on Ancestry, you can see their children and spouses.  Thomas Ellis dies in 1860 while living in Ogle County,IL and Phebe then moves the family with the exception of Amanda to Appanoose County, IA.  Sometime after the 1870 Census, Phebe moves again to York County,NB.  Phebe is mentioned in the York County Genealogy Site as being one of the pioneers of the county.  Phebe dies in 1878 and is buried in Lushton Cemetery, York County, NB.  I thought I needed to give you some background so you can follow the next part of my story..... 

Phebe purchased property through the Homested Act, 80 acres in York County,NB Section 34 Township 9, Range 3 West. Certificate 7032.  The witness was Joseph Ellis (son) and years later her grandson James Bellows (Amanda Ellis Bellows son) home.  There is an X on the homestead records for Phebe's signature.  Some people speculate that Phebe could not write. *  

Phebe and her children also carry the Stewart names into the next generations.  Phebe names her first daughter Amanda Ellis in honor of her mother Amanda Smith Stewart. She has has a grandson Ira Flock names for Ira Stewart and Marilla Larkin named for Marilla Stewart.

*There is a footnote in the Stewart Clan Magazine that addresses this very situation.  "The X was originally used as a symbol that the signer pledged himself by the Christian faith to the truth of the matter to which he affixed it." page 53

But the story doesn't end here.... Now we move on to two of her children.  Amanda Ellis marries Charles Wesley Bellows in Polo in 1852.  One of their children is Laura Bellows. Two months ago, another Ancestry member contacted me asking if I would be be interested in a photo of Laura Bellows Glandon that she found in an Oregon State antique store.  She had contacted two other members who would be cousins. Laura never had any children, so cousin would be the closest relationship. I thought I might lose the chance to retrieve the family photo when the woman mentioned that in the same group were some Sweet family photos. I told her that my aunt Jessie McNamer married William Sweet and that sealed the deal. The photos are also on our site.  Laura is living in Dixon in the 1900 Census and Denver in the 1920 Census.  Laura died in Denver in 1952. 

The Sweet family helps me segway into the next Ellis child, Albacinda.  I located an 1860 Appanoose County Census  record for Albacinda Sweet with her husband Dayton and Dayton's either brother or cousin Valentine Sweet.  BTW, Valentine, is a male :) In the 1870 Census the family is living in Jordan,Whiteside County, IL.  In the 1880 Census they are living in York County along with Joseph Ellis, Miles Bellows, Miles Osterhoudt(another Dayton Sweet, yes there are two in the Sweet family marries an Osterhoudt), James & Luther Bellows, Hammon Ellis and Milton Ellis. 

I located this obituary for Nelson Sweet in the Ogle County site that will help explain the family:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilogle/nelsonsweetbio.htm

The last discovery happened last night when I was looking on Find A Grave for the Ellis family in Nebraska.  I started with David Ward Ellis and then was able to hopscotch back several generations and states to my "Oh My" moment.  So follow the links with me:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23021707

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=21795356

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=26908547&

The parents of Margery Hubbard ( Daniel Hubbard & Eunice Clark) was the connection I was looking for.  Amanda Smith Stewart's father is Hubbard Smith.  His mother is Mary Hubbard.  Daniel Hubbard is our 1st cousin!  So the Ellis family is not only related to us through the Stewart family but the Smith family too.

1. Homestead Act for Nebraska can be located on Fold3

Amanda Ellis Bellows

Charles Wesley Bellows

Laura Bellows