Ernest Benjamin Gillis Family History
Rev. William McNab Gillis[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

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Name William McNab Gillis [6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14] Prefix Rev. Born 20 May 1845 Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners) [6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14]
Christened 12 Mar 1849 Methodist Church, Leeds, Inverness, Quebec Gender Male Alt. Birth 29 Apr 1849 Arrival 1869 [14] Arrival 1869 [10] FindaGrave Memorial ID 132610711 Name William McNabb Residence 1880 Wardsboro, Windham, Vermont, United States [11]
Residence 1900 Pine Island Village, Goodhue, Minnesota [13]
Residence 1910 Walnut Grove, Redwood, Minnesota [14]
Residence 1920 Windom, Cottonwood, Minnesota [10]
_UID 22D0882A61384206A8DAD36F8D1066E63209 Died 1 Jul 1928 Windom, Cottonwood, Minnesota, USA [6, 7, 12]
- Y
Person ID I34 Ernest Benjamin Gillis Last Modified 17 Dec 2023
Father William Gillis, b. 20 Aug 1803, Glaslough, Monaghan, Ulster, Ireland , d. 20 Dec 1889, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners)
(Age 86 years)
Mother Nancy Robinson, b. 5 Aug 1815, Armagh, Ireland , d. 5 Jul 1887, Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec (Boutelle Cemetary)
(Age 71 years)
Married 4 Mar 1833 Ch. Of England, Leeds, Megantic, Quebec, Can [6, 7, 16, 17]
- It was a very stormy day and the wedding party walked up to their knees in snow from the bride's father's home, Samuel Robinson, on the Dublin Range,
to the same place that another couple were also be married that day. There were no roads there in those days so they had to walk. After the wedding, the party walked back to Samuel Robinson's home.
They were married at the home of Alexander Learmoth, a Church of England minister, on Grays Road, near the present town of Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec.
Note: Repertory of Births, Marriages, and Burials, "The Anglo-Protestants of Megantic County", 1826-1991, from the LDS Family Library, lists William Gillis and Nancy Robinson's marriage date as March 4, 1833; in Church of England, by Leeds, witnesses: Alexander Learmoth and William Stele. [6, 7, 15]
Gillis Clan
Rochester, MN
Front L-R: Rev. Wm. Gillis, Tom Gillis, Rev. Ben Gillis
Back L-R: Rebecca "Rae" (Gillis) Garvin, Catherine (Gillis) BrownGillis Family
L-R: Rebecca "Rae" Gillis (?); Ezra Healy Brown, Catherine McNabb (Gillis) Brown; Mary (Parmalee) Gillis w/o Ben Gillis; Rev. Tom Gillis; Rev. Ben GillisFamily ID F12 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Mary Elizabeth Codville, b. 11 Sep 1849, Quebec, , Qu?bec, Canada , d. 22 Apr 1940, Windom, Cottonwood, Minnesota, USA
(Age 90 years)
Married 24 Apr 1877 Quebec, , Qu?bec, Canada [6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 18]
- The couple married April 24, 1877 at 3pm in the afternoon in the home of her brother, in Quebec City. The service was performed by the Rev. H. E. Blaud.
Their honeymoon consisted of a trip to Rutland, Vermont, where William was ordained as a minister and received his first appointment to the Methodist-Episcopal Church at Landgrove, Vermont. [6, 7]
Children 1. Winnifred Martha Gillis, b. 5 Mar 1878, Landgrove Town Center, Bennington, Vermont, USA , d. 27 Jul 1963, Wisconsin
(Age 85 years)
2. May Gertrude Gillis, b. 20 Sep 1879, Landgrove Town Center, Bennington, Vermont, USA , d. 12 Feb 1980, Windom, Cottonwood, Minnesota, USA
(Age 100 years)
3. William Hilary Gillis, b. 27 Jan 1881, Wardsboro, Windham, Vermont, USA , d. 20 Apr 1973, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, USA
(Age 92 years)
4. Edith Mabel Gillis, b. 2 Jul 1882, Wardsboro, Windham, Vermont, USA , d. 27 Aug 1964, Windom, Cottonwood, Minnesota, USA
(Age 82 years)
5. Ernest Benjamin Gillis, b. 11 Jul 1888, South Royalton, Windsor, Vermont, USA , d. 13 Mar 1976, Redmond, King, Washington, United States Of America
(Age 87 years)
Last Modified 26 May 2014 Family ID F10 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Notes - Ernest's father, the Reverend William McNab Gillis, was born on 20 May 1845, the eighth of fifteen children (some records say May 7, 1843, some say 1846) in Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (at Gillis Corners), the son of John William and Nancy (Robinson) Gillis. He was baptized June 26, 1843 Methodist Church, (Ireland). William's middle name, McNab, is likely in remembrance of the maiden name of his great-grandmother, Olive McNab, who married his great-grandfather Robert Gillis in Ireland in the 1700s.
William McNabb Gillis spent his early life on his parent's farm. His parents were of sturdy Scots Irish stock, pioneers in the new country, and were sincere, devout Christians. These traits made a deep impression on William.
William became a teacher in his home village school. He later went to an academy in Montpelier, Vermont, where with hard work and perseverance he was able to work his way through academy and then college. He graduated in 1876 from Wesleyan University in Middleton, Connecticut.
William married Mary Elizabeth Codville on April 24, 1877 at 3pm in the afternoon in the home of
Mary's brother, John James Codville, in Quebec City. The service was performed by the Reverend H. E. Blaud. Their honeymoon consisted of a trip to Rutland, Vermont at which time William was accepted into the Vermont Conference of the Methodist-Episcopal Church.
Mary Elizabeth Codville was born on 11 September 1849 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, the daughter of Hilary Codville and Mary Ann Robinson. The details of how the couple met are unclear but Mary's mother, Mary Ann, had a brother who lived in Inverness and it is possible that William's mother, Nancy (Robinson) Gillis may also be related to Mary Ann. In addition, William's father worked for a Quebec merchant when he and Nancy first arrived in Canada, who may well have been Hilary Codville.
William's first appointment was to the Methodist-Episcopal Church at Landgrove, Vermont and there the couple's first child, Winifred, was born in 1878. The next year, daughter May joined the family.The1879 Springfield District of the Vermont Annual Conference reported that William was assigned to Landgrove and Peru, VT. In 1880 he was listed as on probation (which means not yet ordained) and serving in Wardsboro, VT. It was in Wardsboro that the couple welcomed their first son, William Hilary in 1881 which also was the year that William was admitted to full connection ad Deacon (first stage of ordination) at the Vermont Annual conference. In July of 1882, daughter Edith was born in Wardsboro.
Also that year (1882), William was assigned to Mechanicsville and Cuttingsville, VT to develop a church community and in 1883 it was reported that special revival services were held at the new Mechanicsville church under the direction of pastor Bro. Gillis, resulting in the conversion and addition to the church (on probation) twelve promising members. At the annual conference in 1883, William was designated as Elder.
The 1885 report states: " Mechanicsville and Cuttingsville, VT By reading the early history of Methodism in preparing a centennial sermon, Bro. Gillis of Mechanicsville charge, received a feverish inspiration for soul-saving and in the Autumn, inviting his church to join him, he began meetings in a neighborhood where a revival of religion was greatly needed, and continued these meetings thirteen weeks. A glorious revival was the resumed; adding fifty or more probationers to the church, most of them adults, and heads of families." And the annual report of 1886: "The work on the Mechanicsville and Cuttingsville charge has been strengthened and enlarged by the earnest labors of the pastor, W.M. Gillis, the Cuttingsville appointment and vicinity in Shrewsbury, sharing more largely in a revival interest than during the previous year."
William was assigned to West Fairlee, Post Mills, and Ely, VT in 1887, then transferred to a small church in South Royalton, Vermont where William and Mary welcomed their last child, Ernest Benjamin, in 1888. According to the book, "History of Royalton, Vermont," the Methodists had a building in South Royalton in 1851 which they shared at first with the Universalists. It was later completely rebuilt in 1890. As of 2002, the building was closed, but the church parsonage still stood where the Gillis family lived during William's assignment.
T he 1890 Vermont Conference annual report states: "In June last the church at South Royalton, which had been entirely remodeled under the management of Pastor Gillis, was reopened with appropriate services. Rev. W.I Haven accepted an invitation to preach on the occasion."
William served as pastor in South Royalton until early summer in 1891 when he transferred to the Minnesota Conference of the Church, where he held pastorates at Plainview (5 years), then Pine Island. During William's service at Pine Island, the Methodist church was rebuilt. The festivities in April of 1900 celebrated the efforts of William, the building committee, and the congregation.
William and Mary celebrated their silver 25th wedding anniversary at Pine Island, MN. The Church there held a surprise reception for them. They knew nothing of the preparations until entering the church for what they had supposed was a weekly prayer meeting service. They found waiting for them not only a large audience of their own townspeople, but friends and relatives from a distance. The church was decorated with flowers, and short addresses were given by visiting ministers. Afterwards, friends gathered around to congratulate the couple and extend good wishes. Among many beautiful presents were a silver gold lined water set, fruit basket, cake basket, two sets of spoons, and 25 silver dollars. After the greeting, the company retired to the church parlors where light refreshments were served.
William later served in Fairmont, MN, then Rushmore, MN, and was assigned to Walnut Grove (Redwood County, MN) in 1907. The English-speaking Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in Walnut Grove in the summer of 1873. They built their first church in 1881-1882, dedicated in 1903. The Methodist Episcopal Church in Walnut Grove continues today as the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church. William served at Walnut Grove until 1915 when he retired from the ministry.
After his retirement, William and Mary moved to Windom, Minnesota, to be near William's brother, Rev. B. C. Gillis, who was then pastor of the Windom Methodist-Episcopal Church. In that church, William served as superintendent of the Sunday School, and as an efficient friend and advisor for his brother. He was also active in all of the local and civic affairs of the community.
William was loved and honored in every pastoral charge he served, and under his guidance four churches were built or remodeled. During the 38 years of his effective ministry, he never missed an appointment through sickness and not until he was over 81 years old was his natural strength abated.
The couple celebrated their golden 50th wedding anniversary in a quiet way in their home on Sunday, April 24, 1927, leaving the large celebration over until Monday, to not hinder in any way the Sunday worship. That Sunday morning, it was William's privilege to baptize three of his own grandchildren, including Winnifred May (6 weeks old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Thompson), and Robert and Phyllis, children of his own son Ernest Benjamin, of Balaton, Minnesota. The church pastor, on behalf of the congregation, presented William and Mary with a bouquet of 50 red rose buds, thus in a small way showing the love and esteem in which the couple were held. On Monday at 1:00pm, at the Gillis home, an anniversary dinner was attended by all of their children. That evening, their daughter Edith (Mrs. J. O. Thompson) held a reception, attended by many friends. Most of the evening's entertainment was furnished by the talented family members, and included musical numbers with solos, duets, and a quartet composed of the four children with Edith at the piano. The Rev. Dr. Runkle, the district superintendent, gave several amusing readings. The guests presented a purse of gold to the honored guests as a token of their friendship; many letters and telegrams of congratulations were received.
William attributed his success in the ministry and the happiness if life in large part to his helpmeet, Mary. She was a quiet person but the best of wives and mothers, her circle chiefly being her family and her church. She was devoted to her home and to her loved ones. One of her greatest joys in life was in contributing to missions.
William was the type of man that his daily life preached the gospel more powerfully than it could have ever been preached from the pulpit. One of his favorite verses of Scripture was "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee", from the book of Psalms. Having served the Methodist Church as both beloved pastor and a friend of many people, he was always deeply respected in his local community.
William died at home on Sunday, July 1, 1928. He had been confined to his bed for over 2 weeks, due to an attack of heart trouble and followed a spell of the grippe. He was 83.
Mary passed away at age 90 on April 22, 1940. After William's death, and despite her advancing age, she kept up her own home, living there in summers and spending winters with her daughters also living in Windom. She died at her daughter Edith's home, after a 2-week illness.
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!BIRTH-CHRISTENING: Paul Vachon, THE ANGLO-PROTESTANTS OF MEGANTIC COUNTY,
Repertory of Births, Marriages, and Burials; 1826-1991; Societe Genealogigue
de la region de l'Amiante, Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada, 1992, Pub. No. 5;
Births p101;US/CAN 971.4575 K2r,Fiche 6125775,LDS FHL Salt Lake City UT; NOTE:
"(bapt) 12/03/1849 GILLIS, William Nab.
(born) 29/04/1846 William (fa) & Nancy ROBINSON Inv.
bapt.: Methodist Church (Ireland)"
M210-2-000765 back of Twelfth leaf
"William Nab son of William Gillis
of the Township of Inverness Farmer
and of Nancy Robinson his wife
was born on the Twenty Ninth day of
April in the year of our Lord one Thou
sand Eight Hundred and Forty Six and
was baptized on this Twelfth day of
March in the year one thousand Eight
Hundred and Forty three in the presence
of the subscribing witnesses by me
R A Handry
Clerk
William Gillis
Samuel Robinson" [6, 7]
- Ernest's father, the Reverend William McNab Gillis, was born on 20 May 1845, the eighth of fifteen children (some records say May 7, 1843, some say 1846) in Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (at Gillis Corners), the son of John William and Nancy (Robinson) Gillis. He was baptized June 26, 1843 Methodist Church, (Ireland). William's middle name, McNab, is likely in remembrance of the maiden name of his great-grandmother, Olive McNab, who married his great-grandfather Robert Gillis in Ireland in the 1700s.
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Sources - [S92] Marchand GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Frederick J Marchand.
- [S91] Wark GEDCOM file, compiled by Marcella Wark [(E-ADDRESS) FOR PRIVATE USE\,].
- [S112] Rogers: 2009 Gillis GEDCOM, compiled by Peter Rogers.
- [S162] Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Trees (Reliability: 3).
http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=26120745&pid=1782402342 - [S134] McKay GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Scott McKay.
- [S2] Jim Marchand Gillis GEDCOM, compiled by F. J. Marchand [(E-ADDRESS) FOR PRIVATE USE\,].
- [S68] P. Rogers GEDCOM, compiled by Peter Rogers [(E-ADDRESS) FOR PRIVATE USE\,].
- [S202] Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data - Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut G?n?alogique Drouin.Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec,), 1,1091::0. (Reliability: 3).
Marriage date: 1877Marriage place: Qu?bec (Methodist) (Qu?bec (Wesleyan Methodist Church)), Qu?bec
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=drouinvitals&h=11888242&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S202] Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data - Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut G?n?alogique Drouin.Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec,), 1,1091::0. (Reliability: 3).
Marriage date: 1877Marriage place: Qu?bec (Methodist) (Qu?bec (Wesleyan Methodist Church)), Qu?bec
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=drouinvitals&h=14458511&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S163] 1920 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data - Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Reco), 1,6061::0., Year: 1920; Census Place: Windom, Cottonwood, Minnesota; Roll: T625_828; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 69; Image: . (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: abt 1846Birth place: CanadaResidence date: 1920Residence place: Windom, Cottonwood, MinnesotaArrival date: 1869Arrival place:
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1920usfedcen&h=26648701&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S160] 1880 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited), 1,6742::0., Year: 1880; Census Place: Wardsboro, Windham, Vermont; Roll: 1349; Family History Film: 1255349; Page: 530C; Enumeration District: 241; Image: . (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: abt 1845Birth place: CanadaResidence date: 1880Residence place: Wardsboro, Windham, Vermont, United States
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1880usfedcen&h=44582719&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S201] Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001.Original data - State of Minnesota. Minnesota Death Index, 1908-1002. Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Department of Health.Original data: State of Minnesota. Minnesota Death Index, 1908), 1,7316::0. (Reliability: 3).
Death date: 1 Jul 1928Death place: Cottonwood, Minnesota
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=mndeaths&h=839830&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S161] 1900 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 18), 1,7602::0., Year: 1900; Census Place: Pine Island, Goodhue, Minnesota; Roll: T623_764; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 49. (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: May 1845Birth place: CanadaMarriage date: 1877Marriage place: Residence date: 1900Residence place: Pine Island Village, Goodhue, MinnesotaArrival date: UnknArrival place:
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1900usfedcen&h=75969051&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S165] 1910 United States Federal Census, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Was), 1,7884::0., Year: 1910; Census Place: Walnut Grove, Redwood, Minnesota; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: ; Image: . (Reliability: 3).
Birth date: 1846Birth place: Canada EnglishResidence date: 1910Residence place: Walnut Grove, Redwood, MinnesotaArrival date: 1869Arrival place:
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1910uscenindex&h=13237276&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S89] Ernest Benjamin Gillis Family, Fred Marchand, (http://www.ernestbenjamingillis.com/index.html).
- [S202] Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data - Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut G?n?alogique Drouin.Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec,), 1,1091::0. (Reliability: 3).
Marriage date: 1833Marriage place: Leeds M?gantic (Church of England), Qu?bec
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=drouinvitals&h=13855866&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S202] Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967, Ancestry.com, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data - Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec, Canada: Institut G?n?alogique Drouin.Original data: Gabriel Drouin, comp. Drouin Collection. Montreal, Quebec,), 1,1091::0. (Reliability: 3).
Marriage date: 1833Marriage place: Leeds M?gantic (Church of England), Qu?bec
http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=drouinvitals&h=6641265&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt - [S87] Peter Rogers, Peter Rogers.
- [S92] Marchand GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Frederick J Marchand.