Ellen Taylor Ballou 1850-1940

BALLOU, TAYLOR, HOLMES, COWLES

Posted By: Geo Clinton (email)
Date: 4/2/2016 at 16:52:09

June 6, 1940 - Lake Pilot Tribune - Tribute to Mrs. Ellen M. Ballou, prominent pioneer woman of Storm Lake was paid at services Wednesday afternoon at the Hughes funeral home.

Mrs. Ballou passed away Monday evening about 5 o'clock at her home 211 Geneseo street. She had been in declining health for some time. Dr. Edward Gibson, pastor of Lakeside Presbyterian church, officiated. Mrs. Morton J. Hughes, accompanied by Mrs. P.W. Rulifson, sang "Lead Kindly Light" and "Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go." Interment was in the Storm Lake cemetery. The many beautiful floral tributes evidenced the high esteem relatives and friends held for Mrs. Ballou.

The following obituary was read during the service by Dr. Gibson. It was in Massachusetts Ellen Myra Taylor was born to Samuel and Olivia K. Taylor Aug. 15, 1850 at Petersham, Mass. Her childhood life with them was short since Samuel Taylor, her father, died when she was only 10 and her mother followed scarcely two years later.

She then made her home with her aunt, Mrs. Jeanette Holmes in West Boylston, Mass. where she attended public school. After graduating she attended Cushlng Academy to take normal training.

Her sister, Ida I. Taylor, who had married E.C. Cowles and moved to Storm Lake urged her to come out west when her schooling was finished. Putting her training into practice, Ellen Taylor taught a country school between Storm Lake and Schaller the very next year.

In her second year of teaching she was married to Loyal E. Ballou, who had arrived in Storm Lake two years previously, on Oct. 1, 1879. This concluded her school teaching.

They started housekeeping at the corner of Geneseo and Sixth streets. This house still stands much the same as it was then. A few years later they moved across the street from the South public school and lived there until 1900 when they moved to a house on the corner of Cayuga and Second streets which is now the Fitzpatrick funeral home.

On March 5, 1918 her husband died and in 19l9 she built her present home on Geneseo street where she resided until her decease June 3, 1940, at the age of 89 years, 9 months, and 18 days.

Four children were born to her and her husband, being Lewis, Ida Mabel, now deceased, and E.S. Ballou and L.E. Ballou, Jr, of Storm Lake, surviving her.

In the earlier years of her total of 62 years of residence in Storm Lake, Mrs. Ellen M. Ballou was very active in civic and religious work, among which numbered Chautauqua, Tuesday club, Westminster Guild, and Sunday school teaching.