Have you ever thought about what people will say of you when you are no longer here? Do you remotely care what people say about you while you are still living? These questions come to mind after several years of studying the life of Ellen Webster. Ellen was what today some might call an “over-achiever.” She did well in school, helped out at home, and always had her mind on birds, wildflowers and the words of the Bible with their promise of a sweet bye and bye. Like the strong women in her family: her mother, aunt, grandmother, etc., Ellen was well-informed and had a mind of her own.
During her lifetime, Ellen was acknowledged in a number of ways. She became a teacher, a respected position at that time. She was the wife of a dentist and, in that role, a socially sought-after member of the community. Moreover, she was bright, inquisitive, a scientist at heart and in practice, a lover of color and design and thus quilting, learned at her mother’s knee. She was generous to a fault. She exhibited fortitude when her husband of only about twenty five years passed away, leaving her to make her way in life from 1918 until her death in 1950, on her own, and while supporting the needs of family members who lived with her, and some who did not, during the years of the Great Depression and World War II.
Yet, for all of her writings and teaching, her personal belongings were, for the most part, scattered to the four winds when she died. Her beloved books, gathered up by “pickers” have shown up at auctions and, in one instance, I acquired her rank book from 1900-1901 which lists the subjects she taught, lucky me. That record book can be authenticated by comparing the signature in it to her signatures that appear on letters she wrote. She often signed herself, “Ellen E. Webster.” That was also her “pen name” when writing.
So, this physically-attractive woman, mountain climber, nurturer of the children of other people, dusted herself off, after her loss, and continued to make a difference in the lives of others. Since then she has been either maligned or misrepresented, long after her death. Today, I felt like sharing what I know about the situation. To that end, I have written a new essay that is accessible on my main website: Quilter’s Muse Publications. If you visit the home page, the article is but a click away: “The Life of Ellen E. Webster…”
To return to my original questions and to answer them for myself, I’d have to reveal that I seek the truth at all times. I don’t really give a hoot what people say about me now or opinions they will state in the future when I am gone. I won’t be here to hear their lies. I’m glad Ellen wasn’t here either.
Patricia Cummings
