REV. ROBERT SELLERS, pastor of the East Main Street Christian Church, at Elwood, Indiana, was born near Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana, February 10, 1857, and is a son of Nelson and Sarah T. (Pritchard) Sellers, His paternal grandfather, Samuel Sellers, was a soldier during the War of 1812, and subsequently became a pioneer of Johnson County, Indiana, where he was for many years engaged in farming, and where his death occurred in advanced years, burial being made near Nineveh. He and his wife were the parents of six children: Martin, Cynthia, Pollie, Sallie, Betsey and Nelson, On the maternal side, the grandparents of Rev. Sellers were Lewis and Susan (Martin) Pritchard, natives of Kentucky, and early settlers and farmers of Johnson County, where both passed away, Their children were: Curtis, James, John, Robert, Nancy, Sarah T. and Jane.
Nelson Sellers was born in Indiana, and was reared in Scott County, but subsequently went to Johnson County, where he secured a farm and spent the rest of his life in making a home for his family. A faithful member of the Christian Church, and a loyal and public-spirited citizen, he was widely known, and well merited the esteem in which he was universally held, Born July 8, 1825, his death occurred January 6, 1901, while his wife, also a native of Indiana, was born February 16, 1830, and passed to her final rest November 1, 1905, They were the parents of eight sons and three daughters, as follows: William T., a resident of Indianapolis; Mary Elizabeth, who became the wife of H. A. Green, of Jacksonville, Florida; John, who is now deceased; Martin, residing at Franklin, Indiana; Rev, Robert, of this review; Lewis N., living at Franklin; Susan Jane, who became the wife of S. H. Broughton, of Indianapolis; Rev. Elmer, who lives in Logansport, Indiana; Emma, who is the wife of William Pangburn, of Franklin; Dr. Blaine H., a dentist of Indianapolis; and Dr. Samuel N., engaged in the practice of dentistry at Clinton, Indiana.
Robert Sellers was reared on his father’s farm in Johnson County, and there received his early education in the district schools, Subsequently he attended Franklin College, and Butler College, at Irvington, Indiana, and graduated from the latter institution in 1884, Following this he read medicine for a short time, but in 1885 began preaching, being first an Evangelist in Johnson County. Tipton became his first pastorate, but two years later he returned to Johnson County, and from there went to South Bend, where he was pastor of the Christian Church for eight years, He subsequently spent two years at Ashtabula, Ohio, and then returned to Irvington, where he became field secretary for Butler College, Rev. Sellers’ next charge was Greencastle, Indiana, where he continued for three years, and in 1904 he came to Elwood, where he is now serving his ninth year as pastor of the East Main Street Christian Church, the congregation of which now numbers over a thousand souls, Rev, Sellers is still in the prime of life, is active and alert, and never tires of doing good for his beloved flock, He has endeared himself to all classes, regardless of denomination or nationality, and his influence, always for good, is found in every walk of city life.
On February 24, 1886, Rev, Sellers was married to Miss Lauretta E. Morgan, who was born in Johnson County, Indiana, daughter of Madison and Mary Ann. (McCaslin) Morgan, natives of the Hoosier State who are both now deceased. Three children have been born to Rev, and Mrs. Sellers: Paul, of Elwood, who married Lola Enders, and has three children–Dorothy, Richard and Donald; Lucille, who married J. I. Spingler, and lives in Franklin, and Robert, who is a student in the Elwood High School.