| Notes |
- 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. He later graduated in 1876 from Wesleyan University in Middleton, Connecticut. In the spring of 1877, William entered the Vermont Conference of the Methodist-Episcopal Church.
(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 completely rebuilt in 1890.) (Prov. by the Librarian of South Royalton, Elaina Griffith in April 2000).
In early summer of 1891, William transferred to the Minnesota Conference of the Church, where he held pastorates at Plainview (5 years), Pine Island, Fairmont, Rushmore, and Walnut Grove (8 years). Upon retiring in 1915, William and Mary moved to Windom, Minnesota, to be near William's brother, Rev. B. C. Gillis, who was then pastor of the Methodist-Episcopal Church there. In the Windom 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.
William and Mary celebrated their silver 25th wedding anniversary at Pine Island. 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.
The couple celebrated their golden 50th wedding anniversary in a quite 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 evenings 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.
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.
The Reverend William McNab Gillis, one of 15 children, was
born on 20 May 1845 (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 died on 1 July 1928 in Windom, Minnesota, after many
wonderful years serving the Methodist Church as both beloved
pastor and a friend of many people, always deeply respected in
his local communities.
William's middle name, McNab, probably must have been given
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 McNab was the son of John William Gillis and Nancy
Robinson , both immigrants to Canada from Ireland. On 24 April
1877, he married Mary Elizabeth Codville in Quebec City,
Quebec, Canada, the city at which William's father first landed
when immigrating to Canada from Ireland in the 1820s.
Mary Elizabeth Codville was born on 11 September 1849 in
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, and she died 22 April 1940, also
at home in Windom, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Hilary
Codville and Mary Ann Robinson . Hilary was a successful
merchant of a wholesale
grocery distribution in
western Canada.
The couple married 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, where
William was first
ordained as a minister.
How she met William is
unclear, but during all
their married life over
many years, it was clear
they were very devoted
towards one another.
Reports about William McNabb Gillis come from several
sources. He spent his early life on his parent's farm in Inverness, been pioneers in the new country, and they 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
college. He graduated in 1876 from Wesleyan University in
Middleton, Connecticut. In the spring of 1877, William entered
the Vermont Conference of the Methodist-Episcopal Church.
William was first ordained as a minister in Rutland, Vermont, where he and Mary had honeymooned. He received his first appointment to the Methodist-Episcopal Church at
Landgrove, Vermont. This was reportedly all taking place when he married Mary Elizabeth Codville in 1877. William then
became pastor in a small Methodist church in South Royalton,
Vermont, a college town not far from the Vermont-New
Hampshire border, and not far off of Interstate 93. There, he
served as pastor until he transferred to Minnesota in 1891.
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 William and Mary had their
five children including their last one, Ernest Benjamin (born in
1888).
In early summer of 1891, William transferred to the Minnesota
Conference of the Church, where he held pastorates at Plainview (5 years), Pine Island, Fairmont, Rushmore, and Walnut Grove (8
years).
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. 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 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.
William retired when he was a minister at Walnut Grove, MN.
Upon retiring from his pastoral duties in 1915, William and Mary
moved to Windom, Minnesota to be near William's brother, the
Reverent Benjamin Cole Gillis, who was then (also) pastor of the
Methodist-Episcopal Church. In the Windom church, William
served as superintendent of the Sunday School, and he was both
"an efficient friend and advisor for his brother. He was also active
in all of the local and civic affairs of the community."
The couple also celebrated their golden 50th wedding anniversary
in a special quiet way at 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 Winifred May (the 6-week old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. J. O. and Edith Thompson) (Edith was William's daughter);
and, Robert (Bob) and Phyllis, two of the 11 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 was
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 entertainment was
furnished by talented family members, and it included musical
numbers with solos, duets, and a quartet composed of the four
children with Edith at the piano. The Rev. Dr. Runkle, the
Methodist 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 considered 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.
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 later
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 who
also lived in Windom.
!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 Benjamin Gillis Family History
1845 - 1928 (83 years)
[6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14]