Ellen Ziegler’s cremated remains were not initially taken after her death and were available at the Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In 2018 her family requested and received Ellen's ashes. More information about unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/osh/Pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a short documentary film by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.

According to her death certificate Ellen was born in Ohio between 1861 and 1866. However credible documents indicate she was probably born in December 1853 in Ohio. Although her death certificate refers to her as ELLAN, in other documents her first name has been found spelled in a variety of ways: Ellin, Ellan, and Ellen. Most often the common spelling, ELLEN, was found and is being used here.

Her parents, Michael L. Zigler and Mary Maderson, were both born in Pennsylvania about 1916. Among their children were: Sophia (born about 1839), William (about 1841), Mary A. (about 1843), Susanna (about 1845), Angeline (about 1847), Sabra (about 1849), Eli (about 1850), Lunetta “Netta" A. (about 1852), Ellen (in 1853), and Franklin (about 1858). All the children were born in Ohio except Franklin who was born in Missouri. Michael and Mary had 12 children with 6 being alive in 1900 (Sophia, Mary, William, Eli, Franklin, and Ellen).

During the 1840 census (long before Ellen’s birth) her parents and sister Sophia were living in Greene, Columbiana County, Ohio. In the 1850 census (still before Ellen was born) her parents and siblings were living in Rootstwon, Portage County, Ohio and Michael Ziegler was farming.

In the mid-1850s, the Zigler family moved from Ohio to Iowa. At the time of the 1856 Iowa census, Ellen was 2 years old, living with her parents and siblings in Sugar Creek, Poweshiek County, Iowa where her father was farming. During the 1860 census Ellen was 6 years old, living with her parents and siblings in Cass, Texas County, Missouri. Ellen’s father was a “collier,” meaning he was in the coal industry. In the census of 1870 census Ellen was listed as 17, living with her parents in Lincoln, Lincoln County, Kansas where her father was farming. In the census it was reported Ellen could read, but she could not write. Also in the home were 2 brothers (Franklin and Eli) and Ellen’s 6 year old nephew, Willis Daily, who was born in Kansas in October 1864.

Willis was the son of Ellen’s sister Susanna Ziegler Daily Alderdice. His father, James Alfred Daily, died of typhoid in November 1964 while serving in the Union Army. Willis’ siblings were killed by Cheyenne Dog Soldiers during raids on homesteads near current-day Lincoln, Kansas in May 1869. Willis (age 4) was left for dead with 5 arrows in his back. He was found a day later and recovered from his wounds. His mother had been taken captive and was killed by the Cheyenne on 7/11/1869 during a rescue attempt at Summit Springs, Colorado Territory. Willis was raised by his maternal grandparents, Michael and Mary Zigler.

In 1880 Ellen (25) and her parents were still living in Lincoln, Kansas with her brother Franklin, and his wife Alice, as well as nephews Willis Daily (15) and Clarence Zigler (2). Again it was reported Ellen could read, but not write. At 29 Ellen was still listed with her parents in Lincoln County, Kansas during the 1885 Kansas census. Her siblings Mary and Franklin were also at home. In May 1886 a terrible storm came through Nebraska and totally destroyed Ellen’s father’s orchard and barn. this may have been the motivation for them to move to Oregon.

At least by 1892 Ellen and her parents had moved to Oregon’s Willamette Valley, well suited for orchards and farming. Before 1895 Ellen’s sister Sophia Zigler Norton had moved to Harney County in eastern Oregon. By the time of the 1900 census, Ellen was living in Waterloo, Linn County, Oregon with her parents and nephew Clarence (son of Ellen’s brother William). Nephew Willis stayed in Kansas where he married in 1886 and raised a family. Sister Sophia died in Harney County, Oregon in 1905.

While in their mid-80s, Ellen’s parents were still farming. Her father died in Waterloo, Oregon on 10/10/1904 and her mother died 2/20/1906 in Fruitland, Marion County, Oregon at the home of Ellen’s brother Eli who owned the Capital City Fruit Farm. At the time of her mother’s death Ellen was living in Fruitland with her brother, but moved to Tacoma, Washington where her sister Mary was living. Mary died in 1908. During the 1910 census Ellen was living in Tacoma in the home of Mary’s daughter, Mary (Alverson) King. Mary King and the wife of Ellen’s brother Eli both died in early 1914. If they had lingering illnesses, caring for Ellen may have become difficult. That may explain why she was institutionalized when she was.

On 8/28/1913 Ellen was admitted to the Oregon State Institution for the Feeble-Minded, a residential, quasi-educational institution in Salem, Oregon charged with educating people with developmental disabilities. In 1933 the facility was renamed Oregon Fairview Home and it was closed in 2000. When Ellen entered OSIFM it was a relatively new facility - less than 5 years old. The hospital opened on 12/1/1908 with 39 patients transferred from the Oregon State Hospital for the Insane. When Ellen entered the facility the staff had no information about her parents. She was listed as a patient at OSIFM during the 1920 census. After being a patient at the institution for 8 years she died there of apoplexy on 1/15/1922. Apoplexy is uncontrolled bleeding in the brain because of a stroke. She was 68 years old.

While she was institutionalized, her brother Eli died in Oregon at the Willamette Sanitarium in April 1916. Brother William died in Portland, Oregon in 1918. Nephew Willis Daily had been in poor health for many years and died in 1920 in Kansas. It appears only brother Franklin survived Ellen. At the time she died Franklin was living in Kansas and was suffering from a lingering illness. He died on 1/1/1923, one year after Ellen.