| By Bill Umstead 1968
One of the pioneer families in the Mr. Zion community was the Elliott family. I do not have a complete history of Henry and Jabes Elliott, but I was told they were brothers. Henry Elliott settled on the waters of Pine Creek and Phillips Run many years ago. I do not know who his wife was. He came into this section from Ritchie county before West Virginia was a state. His children, as given to me, were: Wesley, Anderson, Brick, and two girls; Ellen married Henry Roberts, and one married Em Ball.
When I was a small boy, Anderson Elliott had a shoe and harness shop in the old Odd fellows building at Mr. Zion. I used to watch him make shoes. He was a good cobbler, as they were called. I knew two of his children, Nellie and Wade. Nellie married Lewis Little, and Wade married Mat Boyers. He was the father of Jeff, Hans, Joe, and Ritz. Mrs. Little was the mother of several children: Gertrude Propst, she lives at the old home place; Clarence, Willie, Odd, Delbert and others.
Wesley Elliott, I believe, was the father of Paul, Lottie, Laura and Minnie. Minnie married Fred Pell and I believe is the only one living. The old Pell home is now the Stump funeral home. I do not know much more about Henry Elliott other than he was a very early pioneer of this section.
Jabes Elliott
As I stated, I was told that Jabes and Henry were brothers. I have had three different versions as to the name of Jabes' wife. Harold and Walter, grandsons, said she was a Johnson. Some said she was a Hardman, and some a Weaver, so I do not know. Walter said he had a completed history of the family but it was burned up.
Jabes was the father of John, Lyn, Lum, Charles, Jasper, and two girls that I knew about. One married Will Sickles; she was called Zet, I believe. The other girl married Fred Barr.
John Elliott lived on Sycamore and he was the father of Watt, Alvy, Oley, Bernard, Florence, Millie, and Verna. Lum was the father of Cecil, who married Oral Smith.
Charles and his wife, Ocie Little, had one son, Henry. Lyn, I believe, married a Stump and they were the parents of Finley and Brooks, of whom I recall. Florence and Mallie Sturm, here husband, were the parents of Mrs. Bob Morgan, Mrs., Bernard Hawkey, Mrs. Emmanuel Hersman, Mrs. Densmore Boyles, Otho and Bernard. Millie and Watt are living at the old home place.
Jasper married Rose Stevens and they were parents of Walter, Harold, and Edna. Walter and Harold live at my old home place at Mr. Zion and Edna married Roscoe Parsons, and they live at Mr. Zion.
Members of the John Elliott family were good musicians and good singers. Oley, Alva and Bernard belonged to the old Sycamore band, and as a small boy I used to stand and watch.
Oley beat the drums.
Bernard died not long ago in Grantsville, and his widow, Minnie, lives at that place. Verna married Clella Haught and they are the parents of Mrs. Warder Stump, Jr., of whom I recall.
A half century or more ago, John Elliott, who was a church-going man, together with his children, would walk from their home on Sycamore to Mr. Zion to attend the protracted meetings. They would come through the mud or the snow and always took great part, especially in the singing.
In those days, the preacher would ask all those desirous of being Christians to come forward and sit on the mourners bench. Some would be converted in a few minutes and the emotional kind would shout all over the church. Others would simply shake hands with those in the church.
I recall that Charles Elliott, then an old-like man, who would come forward at the beginning of the meetings and usually sit on the bench throughout the meeting. He was a good man and probably had nothing to repent of.
His death came rather suddenly and in a peculiar way. He was a carpenter, and ran a splinter into his finger. Blood poison set in and he lived only a short time.
Jasper Elliott
Jasper Elliott was a good friend of mine, and many years ago he lived in Akron. When I was a young boy I went to Akron to work. I stayed at Mr. Elliott's home. Across from their place was an old garage building, a long square-shaped building with a large hall on the second floor.
Some denomination of church people were holding a meeting in this building. We could hear them singing, shouting, and having a wonderful time. One night Mr. Elliott suggested that we go over and attend a meeting. We went in and took seats in the back next to the wall. After a short sermon by the minister, the Christian people went through the crowd asking people to come forward and be saved.
Mr. Elliott whispered to me, "Let's tell them we are Christians when they come to us so we won't have to go up front."
I was on the aisle side of the bench, and it wasn't long before an elderly lady came, took me by the hand and asked me if I was a Christian. I couldn't get it out that I was, and so said, "No."
She talked very nicely to me and I noticed that she kept eyeing Mr. Elliott. She took his hand and asked the same question. Mr. Elliott politely replied, "Yes, ma'am."
The lady let out a big yell and swung her arms around his neck, and began to pull, saying "Come on up front, we need you up there."
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