Forest Eli Ross Was Born 133 Years Ago on Independence Day (Updated with photo of Forest Vance & J.L. Ross)
Forest Eli & Lelia Sanders Ross My Great-Grandfather Forest Eli Ross was born 133 years ago on Independence Day, in Clarksville, Greene County, Pa. He was born on July 4, 1888, the youngest son of Amy Pryor and Eli Bailey Ross and he had one older brother John Leslie Ross, who was known as J.L. Forest Eli married Lelia Levine Sanders, the daughter of Daniel and Lucy Sanders of Lone Pine, Pa. and they had six children: Lucile, Daniel Guy, Forest Vance, Keith, Donald, and Betty. Forest Vance was my grandfather. Lelia told the story about the day they met at a box social. She and other young ladies had prepared picnic baskets that were auctioned off to eligible young bachelors. Forest Eli made the highest bid on her basket and the two enjoyed a picnic lunch together. She agreed to marry him on October 29, 1908, because he was carrying a Bible on their picnic lunch. She said he tricked her into thinking he was a Godly man. In 1917, he was a rural mail carrier when he r...