Rev. Benjamin Cole Gillis^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

1859 - 1932  (73 years)

• Name	Benjamin Cole Gillis  [6, 7]
  Prefix	Rev.
  Born	19 Mar 1859	Inverness, Megantic County, Quebec, Canada (Gillis Corners)   [6, 7]
  Christened	23 May 1859	Wesleyan Meth.Ch, Leeds, Megantic, Quebec, Can
  Gender	Male
  FindaGrave Memorial ID	133037939
  	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/133037939
  _PPEXCLUDE	D
  _UID	371314C982F249ACBE23AC9A4F409515F068
  Died	2 Nov 1932	Rochester, Olmsted, Minnesota, USA   [6, 7]
  	Y
  Person ID	I57	Ernest Benjamin Gillis
  Last Modified	22 May 2020

  
  

  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, 9, 10]
  	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, 8]
  		Gillis Clan Rochester, MN Front L-R: Rev. Wm. Gillis, Tom Gillis, Rev. Ben Gillis Back L-R: Rebecca "Rae" (Gillis) Garvin, Catherine (Gillis) Brown
  		Gillis 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 Gillis
  Family ID	F12	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Lodema Palmerlee
  Married	17 Nov 1897	Asland Township, Minnesota   [6, 7]
  	The couple was married at the farm residence of the bride's parents, the Hon. and Mrs. W. H. Palmerlee, in Asland Township. The Rev. W. M. Gillis, brother of Benjamin, performed the wedding ceremony. After the wedding, a dinner was served. That evening, the Methodist Episcopal Church at Kasson held a reception for Benjamin and Mary Lodema, with about 250 people present to express congratulations. [6, 7]
  Children	1. Bruce D. Gillis
  Last Modified	23 May 2014
  Family ID	F198	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Benjamin was baptized May 23, 1859 Wesleyan Methodist Church, (Leeds). He was raised on his father's farm and received his early education at Inverness Academy. After leaving home, he studied at Leland and Gray Seminary at Townsend, Vermont, for 2 years; he also took classical music course at Wesley Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1885. He then became a student in the college and theological departments of Boston University, where he remained until 1890. In the spring of 1890, he moved West, and preached at the Presbyterian Church at Canton, Minnesota, during the summer vacation, and in that fall he entered the Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois; he graduated from the school of theology of that institution with a Bachelor's degree from the Boston University. In the fall of 1890, he joined the Minnesota Conference of the Methodist Church, and served his first appointment at Elgin, where he remained for 2 years. He then served 1 year at Oliver Branch Church in Winona, followed by 4-year pastorates at Kasson and Chatfield. During this time, Ben married Mary Lodema Palmerlee (called Lodema) at the farm residence of the bride's parents, Hon. and Mrs. W.H. Palmerlee, in Asland Township. Rev. W. M. Gillis , brother of the groom, performed the ceremony. Following the wedding, dinner was served. That evening the M.E. church at Kasson held a reception for the newlyweds with approximately 250 present to express their congratulations. In 1901, he went to Marshall for a 5-year pastorate, and then served 12 years at First Methodist-Episcopal (during this time bringing in his brother William Mc Nab as an associate) in Windom, MN. In 1910 Benjamin visited his father's birthplace in Northern Ireland and toured Europe and visited the Holy Land. In 1918 Ben moved to Rochester where he remained until his death in 1932. In Rochester, he served as the hospital pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was Rochester's first hospital pastor of Protestant denomination, and during his 13 years of service there he ministered to thousands of patients. Ben suffered a heart attack in 1931 and died at age 73 on November 2, 1932 after a week of illness with pneumonia and complications. He was survived by his wife and their one son, Bruce. Rev. Benjamin Gillis was a prominent figure and four funeral services were held in his memorial. Ben was a member of the Masonic Orders, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Kiwanis Club. [6, 7]

  
  

• 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. [S134] McKay GEDCOM 2009, compiled by Scott McKay. [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=1782920177 [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\,]. [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