Frederick J. Bullis Biography

	This biography appears on pages 729-730 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	FREDERICK J. BULLIS  The late Frederick J. Bullis was one of the 
sterling pioneers and honored citizens of Brookings county, which was 
his home and the scene of his earnest and successful endeavors for more 
than a score of years, while he so ordered his life as to retain the 
unqualified confidence and regard of those with whom he came in 
contact. Mr. Bullis, whose death occurred on the 20th of April, 1903, 
was a native of the Empire state of the Union, having been born in 
Schuyler's Falls, Clinton county, New York, on the 22d of July, 1841, 
and being a son of Alfred and Anna Bullis, who were representatives of 
pioneer families of that commonwealth, where both died, the father 
having been a prosperous farmer and lumberman. Of his children we are 
enabled to enter the following brief record: Jennette is the wife of 
Eli Kimberly and resides in Niagara, New York; Helen died in early 
womanhood; Lucy is the wife of James Burroughs, of East Beakmantown, 
New York; Frederick J. is the subject of this memoir; Addie is the 
widow of a Mr. Daily and resides in Plattsburg, New York; Charles and 
Fannie are deceased; and Emma is the wife of James Stratton, of 
Plattsburg, New York.  

	Frederick J. Bullis was reared to the sturdy discipline of the 
farm and secured his educational discipline in the common schools of 
his native county. He there continued to be identified with 
agricultural pursuits until he had attained the age of twenty-five 
years, when he set forth to seek his fortunes in the west, proceeding 
to Owatonna, Minnesota, in the vicinity of which place he purchased one 
hundred and sixty acres of land, this being in the year 1866. He was 
one of the early settlers in that section and after locating on his 
pioneer farm he there maintained "bachelor's hall" about five years. On 
the 12th of October, 1870, he was there united in marriage to Miss Mary 
A. Morton, who was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, on the 27th of 
February, 1851, a daughter of Reuben H. and Lois (Cowley) Morton, both 
of whom were likewise native of the Empire state, being of staunch 
Irish lineage. Mr. Morton was engaged in farming in New York until 
1863, when he emigrated with his family to Minnesota and purchased one 
hundred and sixty acres of land in Steele county, later disposing of 
this property and removing to Chippewa county, that state, where he 
passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1877, while 
his-widow there continued to reside until she too was summoned into 
eternal rest, in November, 1902. Of their fifteen children only six are 
now living. Charity, who became the wife of William Towne, of Leone, 
New York, is now deceased; Susan, who became the wife of Benjamin 
Sires, of Milbank, South Dakota, is now deceased; Melissa is the wife 
of Sturat McKann and they reside in the state of Washington; Leonard is 
a resident of Milbank, South Dakota; Homer is deceased; Mary A. is the 
widow of the subject of this sketch; Charles resides in Milbank. this 
state; Flora is the wife of Harry Miller, of that place; Lois and Lela 
and Nellie are deceased; Kate is the wife of Lee Amsden, of Milbank; 
Edna is deceased; the fourteenth child died, unnamed, in infancy; and 
Reuben is a resident of Chippewa county, Minnesota.  

	After his marriage Mr. Bullis continued to reside on his 
homestead in Minnesota until 1882, when he disposed of the property and 
came as a pioneer to Brookings county, South Dakota, this being prior 
to the admission of the state to the Union. Here he entered claim to 
the homestead farm upon which his widow now resides, the only 
improvement made on the farm at the time he came into possession being 
a broken tract of about twelve acres. He erected a modest house, 
eighteen by twenty-four feet in dimensions, the same being one of the 
best to be found in the locality at the time, while its equipment was 
far above the average, since he had brought with him a good supply of 
furniture and other household goods from the old home in Minnesota. 
Later he erected a substantial and attractive residence of twelve rooms 
and this constitutes the family home at the present time, while the 
other improvements of permanent order are of corresponding excellence. 
Mr. Bullis added to the area of his landed estate from time to time, 
becoming the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of as productive 
land as is to be found in this section, while he brought the farm under 
a high state of cultivation and also raised live stock of the best 
grade, having brought considerable stock with him from Minnesota. His 
life was one of signal usefulness and honor and his name ever stood as 
a synonym of integrity, so that he commanded the respect of all who 
knew him, being known as an honest, sincere and public-spirited 
citizen. His political allegiance was given to the Republican party, of 
whose principles and policies he was a staunch advocate, and his 
religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which 
his widow and children are likewise members. Of the children we record 
that A. Leroy is individually mentioned on another page of this work, 
he having charge of the homestead farm: Fred who was born on the 27th 
of February, 1876, is a farmer of this county; he married Miss Nora 
Peters and they have one child, Henry S.; Ira, who was born on the 6th 
of May, 1879, is associated in the management of the home farm; Nellie, 
who was born on the 31st of May, 1881, is the wife of Morris Sylvester 
and they reside in Brookings county and Bessie, Lucy and Grace still 
remain beneath the home roof, being aged respectively nineteen. fifteen 
and thirteen years (1903.)