Reeve Family Tree

William Riley Ellis was the son of Benjamin Ellis and Sally Lurena Shrum.  William was born on 21 May 1829 in Montgomery County, Missouri and died on 4 June 1890 in Wright County, Missouri.  He is buried in the Doc Ellis Cemetery in Wright County, Missouri.  William married Nancy Ann Elizabeth Sharp Ellis (1831 - 1897) on 22 April 1847 in Sumner County, Tennessee. They had at least 14 children.

Children of William and Nancy were:
 
  Sarah Caroline Ellis Atnip (1849 - 1926)*
  Helen Rebeca Ellis Simpson (1852 - 1923)*
  Jasper McDonald DeKalb Ellis (1856 - 1948)*
  Nancy Ann I Ellis Turner (1858 - 1920)*
  Martha Lucinda Ellis Hutsell (1859 - 1940)*
  William Steuben Ellis (1864 - 1880)*
  Olivia Josephine Ellis Griffith (1870 - 1960)*
  Rosetta E Ellis Barnett (1873 - 1959)*

William R. Ellis moved to Beaver Creek before 1855 and moved to Texas county before the Civil War. The original papers about the farm were lost when the courthouse burned. William Riley homesteaded adjoining farms with his brother Benjamin "Buck" Ellis.

William Riley Ellis was called Doc because he was the one and only doctor in Wright county, or so it is said now. Doc rode an old gray horse day and night, attending to the area's sick. He died after a tiring fishing expedition. He was also known to be a herb doctor.
William Riley 'Doc' Ellis died at the age of 61 years and 14 days. He and his wife, daughter Toolie and son William Stuben Ellis are buried on the home farm on Beaver Creek, N.E. of Dawson where they were all raised. It is believed that seven generations of the family owned the farm which is about two miles east of Dawson. It has been in the Ellis family for over 150 years.

Published in a Mountain Grove, Wright county, Missouri newspaper: June 6, 1890.

GONE HOME
Dr. W. R. Ellis presiding judge of the county court and an old and prominent citizen of Wright county, died of paralysis of the heart June 4, aged 63 (sic really 61) years. He has been for several years a county judge, and was widely known and highly respected citizen.
Dr. Ellis was one of the pioneer settlers of this county, having moved here from Tennessee. He raised a large family of children, who, with the aged widow, mourn his departure, but not as those who mourn without hope."
July 1890: Ex-Judge James Forrest was appointed by Governor Francis to replace Presiding Judge W. R. Ellis, who dropped dead July 5, 1890 while walking across a field. Ellis had been ill for several months.

The family photo above shows the children of William Riley and Nancy A.E. Sharp. First lady on left is Hazel (Hopkins) Atnip, wife of Fred Atnip. Second lady from left is Sarah Ellis Athip and 5th from left is Helen Rebecca. The young men in front are on left Sarah's son Ben Riley Atnip and the man on right is her son Fred W. Atnip. Photo was taken in 1909 at J.J. Atnip's home at an Ellis Family Reunion.

Source:

(1) Find a Grave

(2) Family Picture

(3) Headstone