Son of Robert Skillings and Caroline Ryerson.

He married Ellen Dunn in 1855. They had 3 children:

. Cora Skillings (1859 - 1935)

+ sp: George A. Briggs

. Kate Skillings (1863 - 1920)

+ sp: Louis A. Linder

. Roy Dunn Skillings (1874 - 1874)

At the 1860 census of Paris, Maine, he is described as an artist. At the 1870 census of Paris, he is an agent for a milling company. At the 1880 census he, with wife and younger daughter, live in Hyde Park, Illinois, where he is called a "collector". At the 1900 census of Paris, he is an agent for a grain mill.

_____________________________________

Sun-Journal; Wed, Dec 18, 1901 ·Page 3

The funeral of Francis Henry Skillings, who died very suddenly on Thursday evening, was held Sunday afternoon, Rev. C. E. Angell of Norway conducted the services, after which Paris Lodge, F. & A. M., under past Master A.D. Park, performed the Masonic burial service. Mr. Skillings died from neuralgia around the heart. He had retired for the night, and apparently did not awaken from his sleep at the approach of death. He was the son of John and Caroline Ryerson Skillings. he was born in South Paris on May 2, 1834. When he was seventeen years of age he was mailing clerk for the Portland Advertiser for 18 months. Returning to South Paris, he was in mercantile business with C. P. Knight. From 1861 to 1865 he was in California, engaged in mining and in carriage painting. For five years following his retirement in 1865 he was agent for the Paris Flouring Mill, and for the next six years a member of the firm, at the time when that mill was doing its largest business.

In 1876 Mr. Skillings engaged in the manufacture of gas at Chippewa Falls, Wis., but after one year there became a general agent for William Deering & Co., manufacturers of agricultural machinery, of Chicago, and for fifteen years he traveled in their interests in North and South America and Europe.

He returned to South Paris in 1892, and was agent for the South Paris Grain Co. until the business was sold to A.E. Shurtleff a few months ago. Since that time he has been bookkeeper for A.W. Walker & Son.

Mr. Skillings has been a member of Paris Lodge of Masons since 1866, and had also taken the degrees in chapter and commandery. he was of a social nature, and being much interested in Masonry, had in the course of his business travels visited many lodges in North and South America.

Mr. Skillings leaves a widow, who was Ellen, daughter of the late David Dunn of Poland; also two daughters, Mrs. George A. Briggs of South Paris, and Mrs. Kate Linder of Mankato, Minn. Two sisters survive him, Mrs. Sarah Clark and Mrs. Rodney Hall of South Paris.