Episode 215 - A Forgotten Storyteller: Ellen Robena Field Smalley

The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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We begin 2025 with the Ordinary Extraordinary, but nearly unknown story of Ellen Robena Field, a talented writer and educator whose contributions to children's literature have mostly been overlooked. Born in 1869 in Bangor, Maine, Ellen's writing talent emerged during her own school years. In 1894, she founded 'The West Side Kindergarten' and published her beloved book, 'Buttercup Gold and Other Stories'. Her gentle moral tales resonated with children and parents alike. Despite her literary gifts, Ellen's passing in 1957 made no mention of them or the impact they had on so many children. Jennie and Dianne end the episode with the reading of her story, ‘The Little New Year’, reminding us all that the best way to begin and continue the year is with love and kindness.
View this episode on YouTube!
https://youtu.be/dfz5HXqbbNw?si=KNUG5-ZaSsgJd7zH
Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here:
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You can read 'Buttercup Gold and Other Stories' through this link on Project Guttenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1978/1978-h/1978-h.htm
Resources used to research this episode include various documents, records, and newspaper articles found at www.ancestry.com and www.newspapers.com.