George B. McClellan SAWYER

George and Ella were married 10 Aug 1887 at Port Jervis, NY. Ella wasn't quite 17 at the time. George was Superintendent of Pike County Schools from 1892-1900. He had been a stone cutter and school teacher before that. Ella was b. 27 Oct 1870 in Delaware Township, Pike Co., PA to Edward Halcomb and Hannah Jane (VAN HORN) EARL. The marriage ceremony was performed by Baptist minister Rev. Calvin HARE. Ella was 92 1/2 years old when she d. 26 Apr 1963 at Port Jervis. Daughter Rena was b. 11 Dec 1890 (probably at Mill Rift, PA) and d. Mar 1965 at Port Jervis.

Ella and Rena attended the Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis and their faith was a major part of their lives. They were very proper, but not used to dealing with children. Rena would save all the greeting cards people sent her each year, paste them in a scrapbook and give it as a thoughtful gift to Elaine. Rena worked at City Hall in Port Jervis, NY for many years until retirement. She also played the piano and would entertain at different functions around the Tri-State area now and then. Both Ella and Rena did beautiful needlework. From photos, it appears that Ella, Rena and their circle were very sociable; going to dances, on picnics, celebrating the 4th of July with a large group, traveling by auto or train to their destination. In the summer, they would take trips to Ocean Grove, NJ with friends, which at that time was a quiet, religious community. Rena had a few boyfriends, but Ella kept a close eye on her and seemed to distrust men. Rena was about the same age as her two Aunts, Jennie (Elaine's grandmother) and Maude, and the three were close companions in their youth.

This SAWYER line ended with this family, since daughter Rena was an only child and never married. Although George and Ella had lived in Mill Rift, after George left, Ella and Rena lived in Port Jervis, NJ where both died in the 1960s. It is unclear where or when George died. Elaine assumes it was somewhere out west, maybe CA or OR. A newspaper article at the time said he left for health reasons and was going to one of the Dakotas to teach.

The SAWYERs owned the Mill Rift Cemetery property and people would buy plots from them. Elaine has a deed to the EARL plot that her great-grandfather Edward EARL purchased for $10 from George SAWYER. Ella deeded the land over to the village of Mill Rift in 1911. Ella and George had a nice large plot in the front of the cemetery to the right of the entrance and the EARLs (Ella's parents) had their large piece to the left of the entrance. Only Ella and Rena are buried in their plot.

Below are pictures of Rena (age 15?), Rena (age 20?) and, later, Ella and Rena sitting on the running board of their car (ca. 1930s? their cars were always black):

Below, a picture of Ella and Rena taking a boatride on the Delaware? River (ca. 1930s?) and a color shot of them (ca. 1960) where they lived at 182 E. Main St. in Port Jervis (Elaine's father made the 3-panel divider):

Sources:

Elaine MASON provided most of the information on this line. Ella EARL was her father's maternal Aunt.