Kittie May Ellis
From RoyalWeb
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Their mother had died in 1908, from stomach cancer,<sup>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/3.17.1957#Page_56]</sup> but not before arranging that Kitty was to receive the land and house provided she care for her father and brother until they died. | Their mother had died in 1908, from stomach cancer,<sup>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/3.17.1957#Page_56]</sup> but not before arranging that Kitty was to receive the land and house provided she care for her father and brother until they died. | ||
| − | In 1909, Perry married and he and his new wife and children lived with Kitty and their father. Without the mediation of their mother, this caused conflict which eventually resulted in Andrew permanently leaving the house. Kitty variously describes her father as treacherous, a fiend, a robber, and cruel and she states this is why she never married: "... for I didn't want to run the risk of bringing Children into the world to maybe be fiends like my Father."<sup>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/6.16.1958#Page_22]</sup> | + | In 1909, Perry married Josephine R Laws (the record is reported on the "Oregon Historical Records Index" [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=449457 here]), and he and his new wife and children lived with Kitty and their father. Without the mediation of their mother, this caused conflict which eventually resulted in Andrew permanently leaving the house. Kitty variously describes her father as treacherous, a fiend, a robber, and cruel and she states this is why she never married: "... for I didn't want to run the risk of bringing Children into the world to maybe be fiends like my Father."<sup>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/6.16.1958#Page_22]</sup> |
In 1915, from Washington County, both she and her brother Perry were committed to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_State_Hospital Oregon State Insane Asylum], where Kitty stayed for three years. It is unclear whether it was Perry's wife Josephina or their father Andrew who signed the commitment papers. | In 1915, from Washington County, both she and her brother Perry were committed to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_State_Hospital Oregon State Insane Asylum], where Kitty stayed for three years. It is unclear whether it was Perry's wife Josephina or their father Andrew who signed the commitment papers. | ||
| − | Searching the [http://genealogy.state.or.us/ Oregon Historical Records Index], the record is apparently [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=542269 here for Kittie], and [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=542268 here for Perry]. | + | Searching the [http://genealogy.state.or.us/ Oregon Historical Records Index], the guardianship record is apparently [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=542269 here for Kittie], and [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=542268 here for Perry]. The commitment record for Kittie is [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=489213 here], and for Perry [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=489212 here]. |
==Later life== | ==Later life== | ||
| − | Their father Andrew, after his first wife died, got married two more times, both wives divorcing him on grounds of cruelty. | + | Their father Andrew, after his first wife died, got married two more times, both wives divorcing him on grounds of cruelty. It would seem his second wife must be [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=453299 this Mary Adelaide Gilman]. If so, they were married in Multnomah County, Oregon on [[Nov 1]], 1909; and [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=44653 divorced here] in 1911 in Clackamas County, Oregon. |
| − | Sometime after Kitty got out, she began the study of nursing, becoming a practical nurse in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon Portland, Oregon]. Perry however was to die in the Insane Asylum twenty years later in 1932. | + | Andrew died in 1922 from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uremia Uremic Acid poisoning] after an operation.<sup>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/3.17.1957#Page_56]</sup> |
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| + | Sometime after Kitty got out, she began the study of nursing, becoming a practical nurse in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon Portland, Oregon]. Perry however was to die in the Insane Asylum twenty years later in 1932. His death is reported [http://genealogy.state.or.us/detail.php?id=510561 here]. | ||
In 1933 she moved to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearview,_Washington Clearview, Washington] where the final part of her life played out and where her claim-to-fame comes from. When she moved to Clearview, she bought a one-acre piece of land, with a home which she shingled herself even though she was already past 70 years old. Starting about the time of her last move, Kitty began writing. And writing. And writing. By the time she died, it's estimated she had filled at least 400 ledgers with her "diary", consisting, in the main, of quotes from the newspaper and her reactions to them. But also interspersed with homey gossip about Clearview citizens, and reminescenses of her life. | In 1933 she moved to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearview,_Washington Clearview, Washington] where the final part of her life played out and where her claim-to-fame comes from. When she moved to Clearview, she bought a one-acre piece of land, with a home which she shingled herself even though she was already past 70 years old. Starting about the time of her last move, Kitty began writing. And writing. And writing. By the time she died, it's estimated she had filled at least 400 ledgers with her "diary", consisting, in the main, of quotes from the newspaper and her reactions to them. But also interspersed with homey gossip about Clearview citizens, and reminescenses of her life. | ||
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Wikisource has original works written by or about [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Kitty_May_Ellis Kitty May Ellis] | Wikisource has original works written by or about [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Kitty_May_Ellis Kitty May Ellis] | ||
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| + | ==Footnotes== | ||
| + | # [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/6.16.1958#Page_1 "Diary of Miss Kitty May Ellis", 6.16.1958, Page 1] | ||
| + | # [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/6.16.1958#Page_59 "Diary of Miss Kitty May Ellis", 6.16.1958, Page 59] | ||
| + | # [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/6.16.1958#Page_48 "Diary of Miss Kitty May Ellis", 6.16.1958, Page 48] | ||
| + | # [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/6.16.1958#Page_59 "Diary of Miss Kitty May Ellis", 6.16.1958, Page 59] | ||
| + | # [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/6.16.1958#Page_60 "Diary of Miss Kitty May Ellis", 6.16.1958, Page 60] | ||
| + | # [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Diary_of_Miss_Kitty_May_Ellis/3.17.1957#Page_72 "Diary of Miss Kitty May Ellis", 3.17.1957, Page 72] | ||
[[Category:Biographies]] | [[Category:Biographies]] | ||
