BIOGRAPHY: Ellis Glenalvine KERR, Cambria County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lynne Canterbury and Diann Olsen. Portions of this book were transcribed by Clark Creery, Martha Humenik, Betty Mirovich and Sharon Ringler. USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ ____________________________________________________________ From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 349-50 ____________________________________________________________ ELLIS GLENALVINE KERR, an attorney of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and a son of Boyd Mercer and Anna (Morris) Kerr, was born February 1, 1849, in the Ninth ward, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The original emigrant of the family to America was Walter Ker (name was formerly written with one r), who was born in Scotland in 1657, and settled in Freehold, New Jersey, in 1686. Two of his sons were Samuel and William. One of whom, Samuel Ker, was the father of Joseph Kerr, who was the father of Samuel, Lewis, William, Aaron and Jacob Kerr. Samuel, who was born in 1757, and died in 1829, resided at Pigeon Creek, Washington county, Pennsylvania, and was the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He married Rhoda Bescher the first time, and the second time Isabella McClure. His last wife had no children, but his first marriage resulted in the birth of ten children. The names and dates of birth and death are as follows: Joseph, grandfather of our subject, born 1781, died 1860; John, born 1782, died 1848; Robert, born 1784; Samuel, born 1786, died 1844; Abraham, born 1780; Garthrile, born 1789; Jacob, born 1792; Lewis, born 1794, and died young; Aaron, born 1796, died 1846; Walter, the only namesake of the original Walter, born 1798, died 1879. Joseph Kerr was a wheelwright and chair-maker by trade, and a general mechanic of skill. He lived in Cadiz, Ohio, where he followed his trade. He married Mary Henry and had eight children: Elsie M., wife of John Cameron; Samuel, died in infancy; Rhoda B., who never married; Eliza B., who married Wm. Crooks; Mary C., widow of George Calose, born in 1814, and still living; Gertrude S., married John Scott, and Phoebe P., who married John Stoner. The father of Ellis Glenalvine Kerr was born in Cadiz, Ohio, 1822, and died 1892. He was superintendent of the public schools of Allegheny county one term, extending from 1850 to 1853, and for about the same time was city superintendent of the Pittsburg schools. He taught a select school of high order at Oakland, near Pittsburg. Later he studied for the Presbyterian ministry, graduating from the Pittsburg Theological seminary in 1860. His first charge was at West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, where he preached for two years. This was followed by two years' preaching service at East Elizabeth, and two years' principalship of the East Elizabeth seminary. Of his succeeding labors the following is a summary: Four years in Monongahela City, Pennsylvania; in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland county, from 1868 to 1872; four years in Ebensburg; four years in New Castle, Lawrence county; two or three years in Mercer county; two years in Olean, New York, and in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where he preached until death ended his labors in 1892. He was, as the records indicate, a man of good education. He was married the first time to the mother of our subject, and had three children: Edward M., who lives in Chicago; Willis M. and Ellis G. He was married the second time to Margaret McKaig, who was the mother of Joseph H., cashier of the People's Bank of Fayette county; Anna, widow of Wm. A. Acker, and now a resident of Umorta; Boyd M. and Robert A., both living in Chicago; Margaret M., wife of Andrew Ledworth, cashier of the First National Bank of Verona, Pennsylvania, and Thomas, assistant cashier of the People's Bank of Uniontown. Ellis G. Kerr married on 22d of April, 1868, Minnie L. Hutchison, of Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. To this union have been born: Clara, wife of Abel Lloyd, of Ebensburg, Pa.; Boyd Mercer, who lives at home; Fannie M. and Sidney A. Clara Kerr Lloyd has one child, a son, Bruce Lloyd. The subject of our sketch was educated at the high schools until sixteen years of age, and finished his education at the Academia academy in Tuscarora valley, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, under Professor Shoemaker, a teacher of merit. He made his own way through school. He accepted a position as clerk in the Pennsylvania Railroad office at Cresson, Pennsylvania, and afterwards studied law under the preceptorship of George M. Reade, now deceased, of Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, being admitted to the bar December 2, 1872, under an examining committee composed of Judge John Dean, then judge of the court of common pleas of Cambria county, now one of the supreme court judges of Pennsylvania; R. L. Johnson, afterward judge of Cambria county; John P. Linton and F. A. Shoemaker. Judges Lloyd and Flanagan, associate judges of Cambria county, were present when the examination took place. After his admission he practiced law in Ebensburg for twenty years, and in 1890 came to Johnstown, where he has practiced ever since.