Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Ellis, George W. 1909 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net January 16, 2010, 1:13 pm Belding Banner News, 11 Nov 1909 Lays Down Life’s Burdens George W. Ellis Passed Away Thursday Night At 11:30 At Hotel Belding Excellent Man Gone Successful Business Career and Activities of a Quiet, Gentle Life Cut Off By the Grim Reaper. The death of George W. Ellis occurred at 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4, in his rooms at Hotel Belding, where he had been stopping for a few weeks. The news of his serious illness resulting in his death so quickly from the activities of a successful business life and the seeming bright prospects of a well rounded “four score years and ten” yet before him, was a distinct shock to his relatives and very many friends and the cause of much deep and sincere sorrow over his untimely removal. Mr. Ellis came here less than four weeks ago to attend the annual business meeting of Belding Bros. & Co., with whom he has been associated for more than thirty years and took an active part in their deliberations and business interviews, remaining a few days after its close to look over the old homestead and farm, which has always been a source of pride and much pleasure to him, having been his birth place, the home of his youth, and in later years the old home where he could pay a visit to his parents, the late honored and respected Lewis and Louisa Ellis. He was confined to his room about three weeks, but the most careful nursing and the best medical attention could not stay the cold hand of death. The deceased was born Sept. 26, 1851?, in a log house on the old homestead in this city, where his parents settled in 1842. He was the last of seven brothers, six having died before he was born, a sister, Mary, being born after him. After attending school in Chicago for a time, he entered the employ of Belding Bros. & Co. at the age of 21 years and has continued with them ever since, becoming one of their most trusted and competent officials. His judgment and business sagacity was much sought after and he was consulted by his superiors on many intricate business problems. He has resided in Philadelphia over thirty years, has had charge of the branch house there, and his death will be a severe loss to the company. On June 28, 1877, he was married in Chicago to Miss Sophia Sheridan, adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram H. Belding, who survives him, no children being born to them. At the death of his father he acquired the old homestead and has added to it by purchase the C. Dimick Ellis farm and other adjoining property, until it covers about 800 acres of land, which together with the improvements, represents an outlay of about $30,000. Mr. Ellis was always ready to extend the hand of charity and the gifts from his hand and the advice and counsel from his heart and soul came in a quiet, gentle, sincere and unostentatious way. The funeral was held from the old home on Sunday afternoon and was largely attended by relatives, friends and business associates, coming a long distance to pay their last respects to one whom all loved. The large and expensive collection of floral offerings covering the casket and filling the room with their fragrance, was a silent and beautiful testimonial to his memory from his business associates in different parts of the country. Rev. J. Frank Jackson, the Episcopal clergyman, officiated and Miss Patten sang very impressively two hymns, the last being “Lead Kindly Light.” Henry J. Leonard, E.E. Fales, W.P. Hetherington, Fred A. Washburn, F.W. Howard and Chas. M. Wise were the pallbearers and escorted the remains to the Otisco cemetery, where they rest in the family lot. The following were present from abroad: M.M. Belding, Jr., John R. Emery, New York; Chas. E. Adams, Boston; A.N. Belding, Rockville, Conn.; E.F. Crooks, Northampton, Mass.; Dr. E.R. Ellis, Edward D. Ellis and wife, Jessie R. Ellis, Detroit; Gen. E.C. Young and wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Belding, W.A. Leonard, Jake Meyer, W.S. Cutler, J.B. Andrews and wife, Chicago; Miss Marion T. Robertson, Miss Ethel Robertson, J.W. Long, L.L. Belding, J.H. Supplee, C.W. Robertson, Philadelphia; G.S. Abraham, Pittsburg; W.S. Belding, Baltimore; G.C. Bristol and wife of Almont. Rev. Jackson spoke this fitting eulogy in his remarks: Some men are born, live so many years and then die, and that is about all that can be said of them. Others live a life that cannot be measured by years, neither can it be fully and adequately described by the choicest and weightiest words. Much might be said of our deceased brother but that would altogether fail to tell the kind of man he was. Solomon wrote, “Seest thou a man diligent in business, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mere men.” Mr. Ellis was diligent in all the business of his life. He won a place among the Kings, yet he did not take the place rightly and properly his. He preferred the quiet ways of life. He did things, but did not talk of his deeds. To do, for him, was evidently sufficient. To talk, he left to others. But his diligence and wisdom and earnestness gave him a place in the estimation of men in spite of himself. They unconsciously looked to him for counsel. They learned to have confidence in him. He was a man to be trusted. They were certain that he would not change from day to day. They were never disappointed. When he had given his word he had given his pledge which was sure to be redeemed in due season. In one respect he differed from many men, for there are some who are diligent and wise and just, but are hard and do not attract others to themselves. They are forbidding in demeanor. Mr. Ellis won even more than the respect, he won the affection of men. He met them in the business world. They gave him the affection which the business world did not call for. The feeling did not pass away; it was intensified by time and more intimate acquaintance. If ever there was man, who by his deeds fulfilled the injunction of the Scripture, “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.” It was Mr. Ellis. His good deeds are without number, yet they became known only by chance. It was against his will that they were attributed to him. His joy was in doing good. The remembrance of it was more satisfaction to him than any publicity could give. He did not even care for thanks expressed by the recipients of his goodness. His life may be traced by the acts of kindness shown along the way. His life was more than a creed, it was a perpetual beneficent activity. A letter has been received from the Rev. Dr. Wilson, professor of church history in the Reformed Episcopal college in Philadelphia, a man of three score and ten, in which occurs these words: “The last time I conversed with Mr. Ellis I saw more of the inner life than I had ever seen before. I saw that he was true, sincere and just. I would have been glad to add my tribute to such a life. The words “inner life” contain the secret. The uniformity of his outer life was the result of that steadfast truth, sincerity and justice of the inner life. God gives us love, something to love her finds us. We all love, we continue to love. The power does not usually leave us, but the object we love is frequently taken from us when God sees fit and proper. It is hard that such should be the case, especially when the object is so worthy to be loved. To know this earnest, wise and sincere man was to love him. The affection was not misplaced. It was due to him, because of his being the man he was. For those who are left there is one duty quite plainly seen. Remembering all things and acknowledging that God in his infinite wisdom has called our brother to himself to say, “even so Lord, for so it seemed good in thy sight.” File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/e/ellis2594nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 8.3 Kb