Pleasant Hill History Center

Ellie Wampler

Ella Wampler was born December 15, 1859.  Her parents were Samuel and Melinda Oakes.  She married Jacob Beitman on October 9, 1878.   She taught in Newton Township Schools.  She married David Wampler on January 6, 1908.  She donated money to start the Oakes-Beitman Memorial library.  She died on June 29, 1952.

More about Ellie from the Cemetery Walk.

I was born in Darke County December 15, 1859.  My parents were Samuel and Malinda Jane (Bewley) Oakes.  (They both are buried here in the same plot as I am.)  We moved around a lot, but finally ended in Pleasant Hill.

My parents had 6 children Charles, Hiram Harvey, me, the twins, Arthur and Kifer, and Samuel Franklin (Frank).

Charles died when he was 4 in 1860.

On September 29, 1862, tragedy struck our family.   Hiram Harvey, Kifer and Arthur all died. 

They are all buried in Sugar Grove Cemetery.

It was a very sad day in our lives.

Only Frank and I lived to adulthood.  Frank lived across the street at 7 North Main Street.

I attended Newton Township schools.  In 1879, I was in the first class that graduated from the New High School.  (The New School that was built in 1875.)

In the fall of 1879, when I was 17, I started teaching in District #4, located at Pattytown.  I taught in various district buildings in Newton Township until 1888. 

On October 9, 1878, I married Jacob Anson Beitman.  He was born in 1851.  His parents were Jacob and Susan (Thompson) Beitman.  (They are buried in Indiana.)

My husband, Jacob Beitman, taught in Newton Township schools from 1875 until 1898.

We had a wonderful marriage until Jacob died in 1904.

My church was the First Brethren Church located on Church Street.  Everyone called it the Little White Church, because it was little and white.  I wanted the church to be bricked since many of the other churches in town were brick.  I provided the brick for the church.  It was no longer little nor white. 

I met David Wampler who was born in 1848.  He was 11 years older than I.  We were married January 6, 1908 in Carol County, Indiana. 

We bought a house in Pleasant Hill at 12 North Main Street.

We did a lot of traveling together.  We had a cottage in Florida.  I loved going there in the winter months.

David died in 1932.  He is buried with his first wife in West Alexandria, Ohio.

I loved children, I had renters in the house beside mine by the name of Crabtree.  They had a 2 year old son who I took under my wing.   I walked with him everywhere I went.

I often had children of the town run errands for me.  I would have them clean for a few cents.   

I was considered eccentric because of my frugality.   During my time, crackers were sold in barrels.  I would buy 10 cents worth…that was my limit.  I would also have the store cut a small portion of meat so it wouldn’t cost me much.

During the depression the movies and other activities brought many people to town.  I was concerned because there was no public rest room in Pleasant Hill, I wanted to leave money for the village to create one.  I wanted it in a library.  In my will I left my house and some farm land that was to be used to create the Oakes-Beitman Memorial Library in honor of my parents and my husband, Jacob Beitman.

I died on June 29, 1952 of kidney disease.  I was 92 years old.

The library was opened in 1957.  My legacy continues today with the Oakes-Beitman Memorial Library.

 Ella's home - Now the Oakes-Beitman Library