Mrs. C.W. Ellis – Mary Jane Ellis

“The camping season at Higgins Lake has opened, and many Saginaw people are prepairing [sic] to leave for that popular resort. Mrs. C.W. Ellis again has charge of the dining hall at Lake side [sic] camp. Mrs. James Hay and family, Mrs. M.N. Brady and daughter, and G Geo. F. Williams were among the first arrivals. Maj.  N.S. Wood and family will leave in a few days for the Lake.” 

-The Evening News, July 13, 1892.

While the spelling of “prepairing” in this 1892 article may be unique and distracting, this short announcement in The Evening News provides insight into the life of Mrs. C.W. Ellis - Mary Jane Ellis, the wife of  Charles W. Ellis  Sr.,* pioneer Saginaw businessman, and mother of  Dr. Charles W. Ellis Jr., Saginaw’s first black physician. Details of Mary Jane Ellis’  life are elusive.  Census and death records vary on her place of birth – either Ohio or Pennsylvania. However, records agree on her date of birth, December 1830.  Although much more research is needed to explore her childhood and the lives of her parents. An article published at the time of her passing provides a glimpse into her life in Saginaw and her temperament.

“Death of Mrs. Mary J. Ellis; Passed Away at the Home of Her Son, Dr. C.W. Ellis, This Morning

This morning at the home of her son, Dr. C.W. Ellis, 522 South Jefferson avenue occurred the death of Mrs. Mary J. Ellis. The deceased was 73 years old last December, and had lived in this city for the greater part of her life. She was confined to her home only for about three weeks, her death coming at the end of a brief period of illness, due to her advanced age.

Besides her son, with whom she lived, she leaves a daughter, Mrs. Burton, in Lyons, S.D., and a brother, Harry Pointer, at Zanesville, O.

Postcard showing South Jefferson Avenue.

The deceased was an earnest Christian worker, being an active member of the First Baptist church for many years. The funeral announcement will be made later.” (The Saginaw Evening News, September 3, 1903.)

While there were other people named Mrs. C.W. Ellis in  late nineteenth century Saginaw, there can be little doubt that articles documenting Mrs. C. W. Ellis cooking for residents summering at Higgins Lake refer to Mary Jane Ellis. As early as 1884, she and her husband’s names started to appear in announcements about catering arrangements for the summer camps at Higgins Lake. The other Saginaw Mrs. C.W. Ellises were not connected with catering or restaurants. 

Views of Lakeside and Higgins Lake.

A few years ago, when we looked at the life of her C.W. Ellis, Sr., we included this quote from John Jezierski’s Enterprising Images The Goodridge Brothers, African American Photographers, 1847 -1922:

“Charles W. Ellis was born a free man in Canada in approximately 1828, but during the Civil War he and his wife, Mary, crossed the border into Michigan and lived for a time at Adrian. By 1868, however, Ellis was working as the headwaiter in Saginaw City’s Taylor House hotel [where they resided] and in 1870 reported owning personal property worth $1,000. During the decade he invested in his own restaurant with some success, for by 1880 the Ellises lived in their own home on Granger Street in Saginaw City, employed a cook, had room for a boarder, and had taken responsibility for an orphaned niece in addition to their own children.”

When they first moved to Saginaw, the Ellis family lived in the Taylor House on the corner Court and South Hamilton (later it became the Fordney Hotel).

By 1897, Mary Jane and Charles W. Ellis would reside with their son at 522 South Jefferson. Although we have much more to learn about Mary Jane Ellis and other members of her family, we will leave with a description of her funeral and the promise of further exploration:

“A large number of friends attended the funeral service for the late Mrs. Mary J. Ellis, held at the home of her son, Dr. C.W. Ellis, 522 South Jefferson avenue, Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Rev. B. Frank Taber of the First Baptist church, of which the deceased had long been a member, officiated and spoke of the deep Christian spirit of the deceased and her earnest and energetic work in the ranks of the church. The music was by the Baptist choir. There floral offerings were numerous. There interment took place at Forest Lawn cemetery, the pallbearers being E.G. Satterlee, A.T. Ward, Set Davis, William Lyons, D.D. Mclean and W.H. Durham.” (The Saginaw Evening News, September 7, 1903.)

The Recipe – Lakeside Sandwich Filling

As we have not been able to locate a recipe created by Mary J.  Ellis, we are utilizing a recipe from Back to the Kitchen with Lakeside Cooks. This early twentieth century publication features recipes contributed by Saginaw residents who summered at Higgins Lake in the Lakeside Camp, many of  whom may well have remembered having a meal prepared by Mrs. Ellis in the dining hall.

Although we have no doubt that Mary Jane Ellis’ would have prepared something much more complex and elaborate, we selected a simple sandwich filling - perfect for an early spring luncheon – or even a picnic.

Sandwich Filling

Hard Boil 6 eggs, then run through a fine sieve, add 1 teaspoon French mustard, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons melted butter. Spread on bread with lettuce leaf.

---

CTK Adaptation and Notes:

We followed the instructions as closely as possible. We used a food mill in place of a sieve. The CTK used the lettuce leaf as garnish and utilized a knife to spread the filling. 

Using melted butter in place of mayonnaise results in an interesting if not sublime sandwich. We found the overall texture nice; however, the filling was not particularly moist – one of our testing team said it was dry.  We might try adding additional butter. 

Caution: As this recipe calls for adding hot butter to cold eggs, it seems like a perfect place to grow bacteria. We would recommend using the filling soon after it is made. 

*We encourage you to revisit our exploration of the life of Charles W. Ellis

**https://saginawcountyhalloffame4.org/charles-ellis