Bolivar, son of Henry Ellis, was born at Victor, New York, February 25, 1833. He attended school in the old stone school house in his native town, and in early life was a farmer, surveyor and conveyancer. Much of his education he obtained through reading and private study. He retired from active farming in 1883. Much of his time has been given to public service and he has held many offices of trust and responsibility and he has continued in business as a conveyancer to the present time. In 1882 he was elected county clerk of Ontario county and served three years, he being a Democrat in politics and the county is Republican. The office came to him unsolicited and his majority was two hundred and ninety. He was urged to accept a renomination for another term but declined. He was local surveyor for a period of thirty years, and has been a conveyancer for fifty years. He has been justice of the peace and member of the town board twenty-four years. He was justice of sessions two years and loan commissioner three years. He served his town as supervisor for three years. In the course of business Mr. Ellis has settled and assisted in settling nearly forty estates. He was made a Mason in 1860 and for fifteen years acted as master of Milnor Lodge, No. 139. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Excelsior Chapter, No. 164. Canandaigua, in 1863, and is a member of Monroe Commandery, No. 12, Knights Templar, Rochester, since 1867, and has kept unbroken his membership in each of those bodies. He was district deputy grand master two years. He married, June 30, 1874, Frances M. Lobdell, born in Victor, June 25, 1844, died March 27, 1897, daughter of Jacob L. Lobdell. Her grandfather, Jacob Lobdell, was the first white man who wintered at Victor, New York, coming thither from Stockbridge, Berkshire county, Massachusetts. He and others came with a drove of cattle, and he remained alone through the winter of 1789 to care for the stock while all others of the party returned to Massachusetts to spend the winter. He was first supervisor of Victor.
Mr. and Mrs. Ellis have one daughter, Isabel, born June 16, 1875, married, July 15, 1902, George F. Wilder, and resides in Queens county, New York. They had Ellis Wilder, born December 10, 1904, died in infancy, and Ellis Wareham Wilder, born May 19, 1906.