Abram Halstead Ellis (May 21, 1847 – September 25, 1902) was a Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from January 15, 1901, to September 25, 1902. He was the first justice of the Kansas Supreme Court to die while still a sitting member.[1]

Abram Halstead Ellis
Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court
In office
January 15, 1901 – September 25, 1902
Appointed byWilliam E. Stanley
Preceded byNewly Created Position
Succeeded byRousseau Angelus Burch
Personal details
Born(1847-05-21)May 21, 1847
Cayuga County, New York
DiedSeptember 25, 1902(1902-09-25) (aged 55)
Topeka, Kansas

Early life

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Ellis was born May 21, 1847, in Cayuga, New York,[1] to Elmer Eugene and Jane Maria (née Halstead) Ellis. He moved with his parents to Eaton County, Michigan, when he was still a child and received his education at the schools in Battle Creek.[1]

Civil War service

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At age 16, Ellis enlisted in the Union Army in 1864.[1] He served as a private in Company C, 7th Michigan Cavalry until being discharged with the regiment in 1865.

Law career

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Ellis was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1872 and practiced there until 1878, when he moved to Beloit, Kansas.[1] He continued to practice law and was active in Mitchell County politics as a Republican, serving as a delegate to the 1892 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, which nominated President Benjamin Harrison for a second term.

When the Kansas Supreme Court was expanded by a state constitutional amendment in 1900, Ellis was appointed a Justice by Governor William E. Stanley.[1]

Personal life

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Ellis married Marian Josephine Prindle on May 30, 1872, in Chester, Michigan. Together they had two children: Ward (b. 1882) and Hale (b. 1890).

Death

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Ellis died in Topeka, Kansas, on September 25, 1902,[1] and is buried Elmwood Cemetery in Beloit.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Franklin George Adams, George Washington Martin, Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society (1915), p. 121-122.