Charles and Adlah (Gale) Annis

Charles removed to Lake Mills, Wisconsin after the war. His brother Benjamin Franklin Annis had been killed by a wild horse there in 1866, but it is not known if Charles was residing there at that time. Charles married at Lake Mills on March 4, 1866 to Adlah C. Gale, daughter of Curtis and Harriet (Meade) Gale. He later move back to Illinois and resided at Volo until 1884. His next move brought him to Osborne County, Kansas and he settled at Kill Creek. In 1900 he removed to Oklahoma with his children Cora, Frank and Hubert. At the age of 61 he built a large two room sod house, with shingle roof, and the family settled in to a life of farming. After applying to the Federal Government for a post office, Adlah became the first postmistress of what became Freedom, Oklahoma. The story goes that she had sent in several names for a town, but the names were already in use. Charles and Adlah's daughter Cora said, "We are out here where it is free. Let's call the town Freedom."Adlah submitted the name, it was accepted, and the town of Freedom, Oklahoma came into existence.
A room was added to sod home for a grocery store and post office and Adlah continued as postmistress until her death in 1909.

Charles worked as a veterinarian, horse breeder (Morgan from Belgium) and photographer. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), Knights and Ladies of Security, and was a Republican in politics. He died on December 4, 1909 at Freedom, Oklahoma and is buried at Freedom Cemetery.
Children:

1. George Franklin Annis, born August 11, 1867

2. Charles Curtis Annis, born July 31, 1870

3. Eleanor R. Annis, born July 31, 1874

4. Tracey Earl Annis, born February 19, 1877

5. Fredrick G. Annis, born March 19, 1880

6. Cora M. Annis, born April 29, 1883

7. Frank B. Annis, born May 31, 1886

8. Hubert L. Annis, born December 5, 1888

Charles' lineage is: Charles Annis 1794-1866, Jacob Annis 1769-1848, Jacob Annis 1741-1812, John Annis 1700-c.1771, Abraham Annis 1668-1738, Cormac Annis 1638-1717.

Left to Right - Back Row: Eleanor, Flora (Rice) Annis {George's wife} Earl, George F., Fred, Charles Jr., Bertha
Front Row: Charles Annis, Hubert, Frank, Cora, Adlah Annis

Photographs and information about Charles' life in Oklahoma courtesy of Iris Barnett and her daughter, Nancy Cottrell

Annis Family Association Members who are descended from Charles and Adlah Annis
Mrs. Iris Barnett Max R. Annis, Nancy Cottrell

WILLIAM HENRY ANNIS
1869-1957

William Henry Annis was born in 1869 at Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, the son of William Edwin and Sarah (Colbury)Annis. At the tender age of 20 years, he was assigned the task of delivering a horse from his father's farm to a businessman in South Dakota, a distance of over 1200 miles. After arriving in South Dakota, he decided to start up a farm, and being very practical he sent to Oshawa and brought Mary Ann Jones out to the Dakotas where he married her the same year. William and Mary had three children born in Bradley, son William Stanley Annis (1890), daughters, Hazel Mable (1892) and Elsie Maud (1899).
At the turn of the century William sold his farm in South Dakota, having decided that it was just to cold to raise a family there. In 1900 he went west to New Westminster, British Columbia (a distance of over 1600 miles) and became acquainted with a man by the name of Alex McKenzie. Mr. McKenzie advised the young family to move to Chilliwack, and in 1901 the family packed up and traveled to that place. Upon arriving there, William bought a 33 acre farm on Banford Road and resided there for five years. He then moved his family once again to a large farm of Bushland near what are now Annis and Prairie Central roads. At that time only a trail through the bush could reach the Annis farm. William cleared, graded, and graveled the first Annis Road while clearing his 160 acre farm and he said:"We cleared and built mostly by main strength and awkwardness, but we got it done in due time." He sold the timbers that he logged while clearing the farm and for some time he worked as a carpenter throughout the district. The farm prospered and by 1906 he had built a barn and added to the house.
As a gauge of his success in farming, in 1912 and 1913, William shipped a complete carload of cabbages, as well as turnips and potatoes to New Westminster. In 1913 he also returned to Oshawa and brought back a carload of purebred Holsteins, some of the first in the Chilliwack area.
From 1915 to 1918, William served as a Municipal Councillor. He was also one of the early supporters of the Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association and very active in the East Chilliwack United (Methodist)Church.
In 1920, his daughter Elsie was training a nurse and contracted tuberculosis. This was quite a shock to the family and Elsie spent some time in the Sanitorium in Tranquille. She passed away in 1926.
It was also during this time that there were many cases of tuberculosis in the Fraser Valley. Many of the farmers lost valuable herds to the disease.
William loved his family and friends and mixed easily with young people. He was instrumental in constructing several toboggans of maple wood for his grandchildren and their friends, so they could slide down the hill behind his home. The bonfires on top attracted many from the area, and word was soon out as far as Chilliwack.
William Annis sold his farm in the early 1940's. In 1947 he started an annual family picnic and this tradition has been carried on every year. William Henry Annis spent his last few years with his daughter Hazel, in Chilliwack, and he passed away in 1957 at the age of 88.
Children:

1.William Stanley Annis, born 1890; died September 29, 1945

2.Helen Mable Annis, born 1892

3.Elsie Maud Annis, born 1899; died May 5, 1926

4.Hazel Mary Annis, born 1903; died 1966

William's lineage is: William Edwin Annis c.1844-1888, William Annis 1818-1903, William Annis 1776-1840, Charles Annis 1737/38-1804, John Annis 1700-c.1771, Abraham Annis 1668-1738, Cormac Annis 1638-1717.

Photo and history courtesy of Maureen Schaber and Roy Annis, descendants of W.H. Annis

Annis Road - Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada

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EZRA ANNES
1796-1857

Ezra Annes was born January 25, 1796 in Hartland, Vermont, the son of Ezra Annis Jr. and his second wife Silva.
Ezra removed to Whitby Ontario, Canada as a young man in 1819. The area was a wilderness and Ezra soon began to make his presence know through the acquisition of properties and becoming involved with the administrative duties of a young community.
It is interesting to note that Ezra moved to Ontario, Canada independently of his great-uncle Charles Annis (1738-1804). Charles' sons, Levi, William, David and Charles had already established themselves in the Oshawa-Scarborough area, and it is unknown if they knew of Ezra's presence in Whitby.
Ezra married Marie Ann Losie and had a large family of seven daughters and two sons. Currently we only have the name of his son, Henry Warren Annes (1834-1886) and a daughter, Charlotte Losie Annis (1830-1903).
There is an article in the Atlas of Ontario, Canada which told of early settlers in the Whitby, Ontario area.
"James Hall settled on the Lake Shore in 1820. Ezra Annes was earlier, having been a clerk to Losie, who kept a small store, and who becoming embarrassed, the estate was purchased by Mr. Annes. Mr. Annes was long an old and respected citizen and an efficient magistrate of Whitby. Henry W. Annes still represents the name. Mr. John M. Lowes, of the well-known firm of Lowes and Powell, of the Dominion Warerroms, Whitby, married a daughter of Mr. Annes, and his residence is on a part of the old property."
Ezra’s obituary, which appeared in the “Whitby Chronicle”, Aug 25, 1857 offers us a view of a man that rose to power and responsibilty in a community through a just and steadfast hand. In the last year of his life he evidently made an enemy with the press, not because of his actions, but rather because of his association with a indivdual, or individuals, who represented him.

Death of Ezra Annes, Late Mayor of Whitby

“The demise of this much lamented gentleman took place at his residence in the town of Whitby on Tuesday last. Mr. Annes had been ailing for a considerable time. Before his election to the office of mayor eight months ago, his health was impaired. Since that time his decline, although gradual, was visibly sure, and day by day one could almost see him sinking into the grave. During the last three weeks his frame had become more enfeebled so that he was unable to leave his room once during the time. On Monday night his physical powers appeared to be prostrated, although he retained full possession of his mental faculties to the last. Dr. Gun__, the medical attendant, considered it necessary to remain all night, and the members of the deceased’s family also watched in anxious attendance. Shortly after five o’clock in the morning the vital spark fled and poor Mr. Annes was a corpse. Mr. Annes’s age was sixty one years and seven months. He scarcely looked quite so old, even in his last illness.
Mr. Annes was a resident of the town of Whitby for nearly forty years, having come here in 1819. He was born in Vermont in the United States in the year 1796; hence he came to Canada in early youth and settled down in Whitby, married in 1822, Maria Losie, whose father was one of the first if not the very first settler in the town of Whitby. At the time old Mr. Losie owned nearly half the land within the limits of the town, the present Worden property, the Perry property and the farm owned by Mr. Annes at his death, all formed part of the Losie estate. Mr. Annes in settling down had to encounter all the hardships and inconveniences which await the settler in a new country. With a powerful will and persevering industry he overcame the obstacles in his path, from the depths of the forest he secured a home to his family - a pretty large one by the way, which grew yearly around him - and in the performance of the duties of a parent, a good citizen, a just magistrate and an honest man, the years of Ezra Annes were devotedly spent – in all which relations there are we will venture to say but few gone before him who can render a more just account of the discharge of the same important trusts.
Mr. Annes was always amongst the foremost in all matters which concerned the interest of the town of Whitby. At the time of settling off of the County of Ontario his efforts to effect that object and have Whitby made the County Town were indefatigable. He was first elected Reeve of the Township under the Upper Canada Municipality Act. Last January he was returned as councilman for the Centre Ward and was subsequently elected to the Mayoralty of the town. Mr. Annes held the Commission of the peace for many years and was well known to the litigants and disputants of the town and county. The exercise of this magisterial authority was called upon almost on every occasion – and so well regarded were the soundness and justness of his decisions that nearly half the magisterial business of the county was brought up and settled before him. In the town few other magistrates were resorted to until his illness. Mr. Annes was active and vigorous in the discharge of his duties – he knew friendship or affection when administering the law. His position in this respect did not render him a popular favorite. And it was strange to remark that while the free and independent electors trusted their properties and liberties into the hands of Mr. Annes and sought for the benefit of his good counsel – they voted and shouted at the hustings for his more easy mannered and popular rivals.
In politics Mr. Annes was a Reformer – standard and true to his principles and honest and consistent in the support of them. He voted and worked for the return of W. L. Mackenzie at an election a quarter of a century ago; he was also one of the furors who persisted in finding a verdict for Mackenzie at the time of the destruction of his press and type. Old Mac never forgot Mr. Annes’s conduct on those occasions and he appeared frequently to take pleasure in referring to them in his message.
Mr. Annes had a family of ten children to whom he was greatly attached, and of these one, the eldest daughter is dead – three daughters are married and four unmarried daughters and two sons are living with their mother. All of whom are arrived at an age to take care of themselves. Although Mr. Annes might have speculated and made wealth as others did who came into the township wanting the same opportunities, he preferred living on his farm and bringing up his family in security and independence. Mr. Annes was a member of the Church of England. Up to the last moment he was attended by the Rev. Mr. Pentland. He died fully reconciled to death and full of hope and confidence in the enjoyment of a blessed future.
A short time since we felt called upon to comment strongly on little injustices which we considered to have received unmeritedly at Mr. Annes’s hands. We now more willingly obey the unbidden duty in endeavoring to do justice to his memory. It was not Mr. Annes’s self that could do one and intentional wrong. We never doubted him. But illness and the false representations of an individual with whom he stood connected, and whose misconduct embittered, if not hastened the good old gentleman’s approaching dissolution, was the cause to which we ascribe his feelings towards us. We should mention that during Mr. Annes’s illness his colleagues in the Town Council passed a resolution conveying a vote of sympathy and condolence with himself and family.
The funeral takes place this day, Thursday, with the remains of the deceased who was a Royal Arch Mason, will be interred with Masonic honors. May his ashes rest in peace.
We do not have the names of all of Ezra’s children, but there are records of one of his sons, Henry Warren Annes, who was a man that made his own mark on Whitby, Ontario.

Lineage: Ezra Annis (1754-?), Ezra Annis (1726-1818), John Annis (1700-c.1771), Abraham Annis (1668-1738), Cormac Annis (1638-1717)

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ANDREW ANNIS
1825-1912

Andrew Annis was born September 23, 1823 at Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, the 12th of 13 children of Levi and Rhoda (Conant) Annis. He married Sarah Taylor on March 30, 1852. Sarah was born June 1829 and died November 1918.
Andrew purchased 100 acres of land from Tom Adams in Port Union at the corner of Lawrence and Port Union Road in 1852 and proceeded to build the beautiful stone house that was to become the family social center for years to come. The home was affectinately called "The Manor".

The Andrew Annis Manor

Andrew's was a family of "quietly achieved church and public endeavors". He was a powerful man with a long flowing beard, and was an outstanding pioneer, as well as a driving spirit in the church, on political campaigns, and on the farm.
He died March 31, 1912, one day after his 60th wedding anniversary. He is buried in the Annis Family section at the Washington Church cemetery, Scarborough.

Lineage: Levi Annis (1781-1855), Charles Annis (1738-1812), John Annis (1700-c.1771), Abraham Annis (1668-1738), Cormac Annis (1638-1717)

The Annis Clan gathers to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Andrew and Sarah Annis

Copyright 2020
The Annis Family Association

Links

Annis Pioneers - Part 1

Annis Pioneers - Part 2

Annis Family in the US and Canada Directory

Annis Family Association