Myra K. Ellis was born 10 November 1869 in Mt Vernon IL. To Rev John Samuel Ellis and Harriet Moss Hinman. When she was three years old 1872, her mother Martha died and her father married Louisa M. Carpenter on November 20,1872. In 1874 Louisa gave birth to a baby boy and named him George Ellis.

In the 1880 census we find Myra and her father living with an older brother and his wife in Mt Vernon. Myra was 11 years old.

In 1882 when Myra was 13 her brother Henry Ellis moved to Mt. Vernon with his three little girls Hattie, Mabel and Elizabeth. Their mother had died of Cholera in Batavia Ohio and he wanted to be near family.

In 1883 when Myra was 14 her brother George , age nine and Elizabeth age two died. Then in 1884 her niece Mabel died. Myra and Hattie became life long friends.

On the 03 July 1886, Myra married Asa Collins in Mt Vernon. They had issue of three children

A Leta M. born1889 at Mt Vernon Illinois
B Hellean M .born 1891 at Mt Vernon Illinois
C George O. born 1898 at Arthur Illinois

Myra and Asa had moved to Arthur Illinois in 1895 and that is where she lived for the remainder of her life.

Her son Charles enlisted in the United States Army during World War I, was wounded and died 23 January 1919 a few hours after being brought home from a government Hospital in South Carolina. He was only 22 years old.

Leta married Roy H. Reeves and gave Myra her first Grandson in 1912 and another in 1914. The boys were named Roy H Jr. and Floyd C. Hellean married

Sadly Myra's devoted husband Asa passed away 23, May, 1926.

Myra was a devout Christian and was active in the First Methodist Church of Arthur. She was a charter member of the American Legion Auxiliary of Arthur. She was one of Arthur's Gold Star Mother's, due to the death of her only son in the war.

After a long illness Myra died at the home of her daughter Leta Reeves, on 21 March 1934. She was buried in the Arthur Cemetery.

Submitted by By Nancy E. Davis