St. Clair County People of Interest
DR. WILLIAM H. ELLETT (1901 – 1986)
Appleton City Quasquicentennial Book 1870-1975
Appleton City Quasquicentennial Book 1870-1975
It All Started With a Tornado, written by Wilbur A. Zink:
Dr. W. H. Ellett leased the Durley Hotel in 1934 and turned it into a hospital.
The first patient was admitted in 1935. He purchased the building in 1938.
Babies were delivered in 1935 for $35 and that included three days in hospital
for mother and child. Daily hospital charges were $3.50 per day, but inflation
came and it was $5 per day in 1937.
Dr. Ellett considered three cities before he chose Appleton City as his medical
location. He opened his first office in the old Merchants Bank Building on Main
Street in July of 1932. Following her graduation from nursing school, Dorothy
Hawkins and Dr. Ellett were married and she served as his nurse for many years.
Dr. Ellett served in the army during World War II as a surgeon in Hawaii. He
returned after the war and continued to operate his hospital. He was considered
one of the best surgeons in the Middle West.
The new community hospital was named Ellett Memeorial Hospital in his honor.
Appleton City Quasquicentennial Book 1870-1995:
Dr. William H. Ellett was a native of Sullivan County, Missouri and attended
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He served his
internship and surgical residency at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. His
wife, Dorothy Hawkins Ellett, was a native of Cass County, Missouri. She
graduated from Archie High School before attending St. Lukes Hospital School of
Nursing in Kansas City, Missouri where she received her RN certification.
Dorothy and Dr. Ellett were married in February 1940. Dorothy assisted Dr.
Ellett in the clinic and as a surgical nurse until their retirement in 1976.
In 1932, Dr. Ellett moved to Appleton City and began his practice in the
building that had been the Merchants Bank on the corner of 4th and Hickory. In
1937, he purchased the Durley Hotel and converted it into a hospital. The
hospital continued to operate until 1943 when Dr. Ellett volunteered to enlist
in the Army Medical Corps. He served for 17 months at the Winter General
Hospital in Topeka, Kansas before being sent to Hawaii, where he was Assistant
Chief of Surgery at the 219th General Hospital on Oahu. In April 1945 Dr. Ellett
received his honorable discharge as Major from the army Medical Corps. Doctor
and Dorothy then returned to Appleton City and reopened the hospital.
February 2, 1952 was Dr. Ellett’s last day as owner of the hospital. At that
time, he and his wife presented to the City of Appleton City, a gift of the
hospital and most of the equipment.
The City reopened the hospital on July 1, 1952, with Dr. R.H. Slickman and Dr.
R.O. Olson from Research Hospital as resident medical doctors. Hospital
administrator was George Wiley. On March 24, 1952, Dr. Ellett and his wife,
Dorothy, were honored by the citizens of Appleton City, with more than 200
present to pay homage to this couple “in appreciation for their service to
Appleton City and the community” as recorded in the Appleton City Journal that
week. Dr. and Dorothy then went to Chicago where he took additional medical
training before returning to Appleton City to continue his private practice.
He was one of the organizers of the Colonial Manor Nursing Home and served as
Vice-President of the board.
They were members of the Trinity United Methodist Church where he served on the
Church Administrative Board. He was a member of the Optimist Club. Dorothy, a
member of the Appleton City Restoration Association.
After retirement in 1976, Dr. Ellett enjoyed gardening, overseeing his farm and
traveling. He spent a number of winters in Scottsdale, AZ where he passed away
on March 18, 1986 and was laid to rest in the Appleton City Cemetery. Dorothy
continued to live at their farm home just west of Appleton City.
1900 Sullivan Co., MO Census – Taylor Township:
Dist. 2, ED 162, Page 7A, Line 19, 23 June
124/127 Ellott, A.J., head, white male, born 1863, age 36, married 8 years, born
TX, father born VA, mother born LA, farmer, can read & write, speaks English,
owned farm free, farm # 125
Ellott, Bernie, wife, white female, born March 1866, age 34, married 8 years, 2
children, 2 living, born MO, father born VA, mother born KY, can read & write,
speaks English
Ellott, Alexander, son, white male, born October 1895, age 5, single, born MO,
father born TX, mother born MO
Ellott, Elizabeth, daughter, white female, born October 1898, age 1, single,
born MO, father born TX, mother born MO
Ellott, Walter, brother, white male, born December 1881, age 19, single, born
MO, parents born MO, farm laborer, unemployed 2 months, can read & write, speaks
English
Essiter, Geo., laborer, white male, born January 1886, age 14, single, born
England, parents born England, farm laborer, unemployed 2 months, can read &
write, speaks English
Ellott, Wm., laborer, white male, born April 1875, age 25, single, born MO,
parents born WV, farm laborer, unemployed 3 months, can read & write, speaks
English
1910 Sullivan Co., MO Census – Taylor Township:
Dist. 2, ED 173, Page 4A, Line 13, 20 April
53/53 Ellett, Andrew J., head, white male, age 46, married 17 years, born TX,
father born VA, mother born LA, speaks English, general farm, general farm, can
read & write, owned farm free, farm # 58
Bernie Lona, wife, white female, age 44, married 17 years, 3 children, 3 living,
born MO, father born VA, mother born KY, speaks English, no occupation, can read
& write
Alexander, son, white male, age 13, single, born MO, father born TX, mother born
MO, speaks English, laborer, home farm, can read & write
Elizabeth, daughter, white female, age 11, single, born MO, father born TX,
mother born MO, speaks English, no occupation, can read & write, attended school
William H., son, white male, age 9, single, born MO, father born TX, mother born
MO, speaks English, no occupation, attended school
1920 Sullivan Co., MO Census – Tailor Township:
Dist. 2, ED 176, Page 3B, Line 57, 14 January
62/65 Andrew J. Ellett, head, owned home, white male, age 56, widowed, can read
& write, born TX, father born VA, mother born LA, speaks English, farmer, stock
farm, farm # 58
William H., son, white male, age 18, single, can read & write, born MO, father
born TX, mother born MO, speaks English
Elizabeth L., daughter, white female, age 21, single, can read & write, born MO,
father born TX, mother born MO, speaks English
Alexander, son, white male, age 25, single, attended school, can read & write,
born MO, father born TX, mother born MO, speaks English
1930 St. Louis Co., MO Census – St. Louis City:
Dist. 8, ED 96-55, Ward 17, Block 3905, Page 19B, Line 84, 23 April
Living at 20 S. Newstead
970 Ellett, William H., head, renting, $50. rent per month, not living on farm,
white male, age 28, married, married at age 27, attended school, can read &
write, born MO, father born TX, mother born MO, speaks English, no occupation,
not a Veteran
Opal, wife, white female, age 26, married, married at age 25, not attending
school, can read & write, born MO, parents born MO, speaks English, no
occupation
William J., son, white male, age 9 months, single, not attending school, born
MO, parents born MO, no occupation
1930 Sullivan Co., MO Census – Taylor Township:
Dist. 3, ED 106-21, Page 4A, Line 19, 3 May
72/73 Ellett, Andrew J., head, owned radio set, lived on farm, white male, age
66, widowed, married at age 29, not attending school, can read & write, born TX,
father born VA, mother born LA, speaks English, farmer, general farm, at work
yesterday, not a Veteran, farm # 69
St. Clair Co., MO Cemetery Records:
Appleton City Cemetery
Ellett, Dr. W.H., 11 November 1901 – 18 March 1986
Ellett, Dorothy Elizabeth (Hawkins), wife of Dr., 24 September 1915 – 8
September 2000
