This is a blog about my family. If all goes well, I’ll be sharing some of my experiences with genealogy over the years as well as some of the stories that I’ve discovered. I’ve collected a lot of facts over 25 years of doing family history, but I’ll be sharing the stories because I think they’re more powerful. I’ll be introducing some of my ancestors and hopefully telling their stories in ways that are meaningful. So please bear with me…I’m still learning.
If you want to know more about how I got started in genealogy, read my first post: My Grandfather, Genealogy and Me
Arbor Familiae 
Captain L.K. Harris was my great-grandfather. My name is Ross Reller and I am named for L.K.’s son Roswell. I am 56, live in Indianapolis and am the eldest son of George Reller, age 87, who resides in Richmond. He is the youngest son of Will and Nina Harris Reller. (They had four children; Elizabeth Reller Warrick, Gretchen Reller Doolittle, William Harris Reller and my father. Dad’s wife, my mother Janet Jones Reller, passed last week and I have been reviewing family archives. Although we do not have a complete family tree of the Rellers, we did learn last week that 2012 will mark the 100th anniversary of the wedding of Will and Nina Harris Reller. They were married in the home of L.K. Harris on Christmas Day, 1912. We have some newspaper articles about the noonday wedding as well as the original placecards from the wedding meal. I would be pleased to meet with you and share what I have.
Ross, thanks for posting this. I know we emailed a while back, but I don’t know if we actually “shared” our stuff. I’m in Florida now, but I’d love to share what we have digitally. Thanks for getting in touch!
I was told that L.K. Harris is buried in the Ridge Cemetery at Garwood Road and Backmeyer Road in Richmond, Indiana and that is why is granddaughter Elizabeth Reller Warrick (daughter of Will and Nina Harris Reller) chose to be buried there. But neither are listed on the Ridge website. Next time I visit Richmond I will walk it.
Found your site, was interested in Elizabeth Jarvis. Is this the same Elizabeth Jarvis that married Joseph Cottongim? If so, do you have any photos that could possibly have Joe and Elizabeth with some of Joseph’s family-brothers, sisters, parents? The reason I’m interested is Joseph was my G-Grandmothers brother. I do have some records on Joe and Elizabeth that I can share. Anything that you have and can share would be appreciated. Mitch Roberts smroberts@windstream.net
Mitch,
Great to hear from you! Joe and Elizabeth are my great-grandparents. I have pics and info to share. I’ll be in touch soon by email. I’m literally in the middle of moving my family from Ohio to Florida. All my stuff is currently either in a storage unit or a moving truck. Give me a few weeks and i’ll be sure to be in touch!
Lewis Harris was admitted to the Soldiers Home in Dayton, Ohio, 18 May 1918 and he died there the following December. The Soldiers Home record, available from Ancestry.com, states that his body was shipped to Richmond, Indiana. Where was he buried?
Thanks for reading! Lewis K. Harris was buried at Ridge Cemetery in Richmond, in his wife’s family’s plot. His wife, Elizabeth Shaw, was the daughter of Edward and Peninah (Hill) Shaw. Ridge Cemetery is located on land that was originally Peninah’s father’s farm. Her father, Robert Hill, donated the land for Ridge Cemetery. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
You may be interested in the book “The Lancaster Long Rifle at the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum” by Patrick Hornberger & John Kolar (ISBN 978-1-885457-01-1). A good description of the long rifles made in PA and on display at the Landis museum. I am a multi-great grandson of gunsmith Joel Ferree (son of Phillip Ferree and grandson of Marie Ferree). I own a double-barrled flintlock shotgun made by Joel Ferree in Lancaster, PA around 1775. Good luck on your search for a ferree gun.
Carl Worstell
Thanks, Carl. I will look into that book. If you ever see a Ferree gun on the market, let me know!
I live in Fayette County, Indiana, and love cemeteries. I recently visited Poplar Ridge. I’m aware that Israel Wright is buried there. If you are certain that Jonathon Wright and wife are also there, I will add them to my growing list of interments, with your permission. (The DAR evidently didn’t know it existed, so there was no survey done, and there were only eight known graves. I just found evidence for the identity of three more.) This cemetery was neglected for years until the current property owner bought the land and took it upon himself to clean and maintain it. Would also like to know the relationship between Jonathon and Israel.
Thank you for commenting! I believe several members of the Wright family are buried at Poplar Ridge. You can read more about the family at http://altlaw.com/jwright/web79910.htm (if you search by “Poplar” on that page you’ll find a few references to it). I will have to pull together my Wright information and get back to you about Israel Wright. If you have any pictures of the cemetery you’d be willing to share, I’d love to see them. You can email me directly at kevhar72@gmail.com. Thanks!
Will be more than happy to email whatever I can find. This cemetery intrigues me. It had been forgotten and neglected for so many years that it eluded any of the previous surveys done, so we have no lists of burials prior to a few years ago when the property owner took it upon himself to clean it. Some graves were evidently moved to other cemeteries about 70 years ago. It had been part of a pasture, so most of the markers were destroyed. Many of the graves were marked by river rocks. You can find the present list on Find A Grave under Indiana, Fayette County, Poplar Ridge.
My husband’s mother is a “Harris” and according to my research Samuel Harris was her 6X great-grandfather…or my husband’s 7X great grandfather. Her mother was a Hancock. They are from Roanoke. This has been very interesting…thanks for the time you have spent researching this family and the others. I started researching his family and mine a little more than a year ago.
I have two or three photos of the Semler Mill on Great Miami River in Hamilton. One is from 1893 and the other is during the 1898 flood. If you are interested in them, I would be happy to saend digital copies to an address you might give me. You will have to contact me at the email address listed below. I am unable to put it in this blog space.
A great read on Lk Harris and Captan M .M. Lacey. Thank you for posting. I have some questions, I have came upon a dscovery of the Captains pins. Can you email me? I would be happy to share the pictures and the story of robert harris. (i believe that is , LK harris grandson?) I also have linkage to clyde powers and elizabeth lacey. Clyde powers (civil engineer; 7 bridges? mason?) elizabeth lacey (m.m laceys daughter)
bijorrn@yahoo.com I look forward to your response. Have a fantastic day!!