After contracting tuberculosis, she died at age forty on January 10, The following is a selected list of books, articles, and manuscripts about Ella Ewing in the research centers of The State Historical Society of Missouri. The Society is not responsible for the content of the following websites:. Skip to content. Ella Ewing. Text and research by Kimberly Harper. January 13, February 23, September 19, December 19, January 16, September 13, Books and Articles Buford, Joseph L.
They then prepared the room for visitation. A weary Fred Gerth, showered with praise and gratitude for the job he had performed, promised to return the next day for her ride to her funeral.
Before he could rest though, Gerth had another problem to deal with. The regular horse-driven hearse was not long enough to hold the large casket. But he did have a second hearse that had a seat high in the front. Thus, the rear doors could be closed and prevent the casket from falling out on the bumpy and muddy roads. This switching from the regular hearse to the second hearse, has over the years, led to many false claims as to whom actually has the real hearse used in the Ella Ewing funeral.
So on the sunny morning of January 13, , Fred Gerth arrived at the Ewing home to take Miss Ella to her final resting place. It required ten men to move the casket to the hearse. They stopped and placed the casket on a new church truck for just one minute so a photographer from the Gorin Argus newspaper could snap a picture.
When they went to the cemetery and placed the casket in the vault, they poured cement on the vault before they covered it up so that no one could remove the body. Ella Ewing is still remembered even today. George Baskett, while serving in the Missouri House of Representatives many years later, had a statue of her placed in the capital at Jefferson City.
Around Northeast Missouri, there are still several reminders of her, including the lake that bears her name near Gorin. The Downing House used to be a hotel, which Ms. By 18, she was close to seven feet. Her ultimate height, which she reached at age 22, is believed to have been eight feet, four inches. Round about the time she reached that mark, the world began to take notice of Ella.
Unfortunately for the world, Ella preferred to be left alone. The idea of celebrity clashed with her extremely pious Christian beliefs. What made her change her mind? Fame and fortune meant absolutely nothing to Ella.
Her daydreams were filled with custom-made oversized beds and rocking chairs, on which she could finally rest comfortably. She also realized how much the money could change the hardscrabble lives of her aging parents. The money rolled in, and soon Ella could afford all the massive furniture she wanted. Life in the limelight changed Ella very little. Ella enjoyed more money, more adventures, and more independence than most 19 th century women could ever imagine, but there remained a sadness about her.
The life she really wanted was beyond her grasp. By , Ella began to feel the weight of her frame. She retired from show business, and spent her last few years peacefully at home.
She died in , of tuberculosis. Ella had requested to be cremated, fearing her bones would be put on exhibit after she was gone.
This Rural Missouri article about Ella. View all posts by Dakota. I would like to know more about your comment.
I am related to Ella and can only find bits and pieces of information about her. I believe i am related to her too.
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