- Ella Ewing
Ella Kate Ewing (born near
La Grange, Missouri onMarch 9 ,1872 ; died inGorin, Missouri onJanuary 10 ,1913 ) was a woman inMissouri noted for her height and for touring because of it. She is popularly known as "The Missouri Giantess."Life
She spent most of her life in Gorin, Missouri. She grew normally until age 7. Her maximum height is a matter of dispute, but she was claimed to be over eight feet tall. However this is not well-documented and as such she is not mentioned in
Guinness World Records . The Guinness Book of Records has stated she measured 7 feet 4 and a half inches tall, and may have reached 7 feet 6 inches by the time she died. Her mother measured 5 feet 6 inches tall and her father was 6 feet 2 inches tall, Ella's height aged 12. Her arms were very long and her hands and feet were exceptionally big. She took a size 24 US shoe.Ella initially disliked being gawked at, but decided that as it was unavoidable she might as well make some advantage to it so agreed to make appearances and tours. Her Baptist faith, however, meant she would not make appearances on Sundays. [ [http://www.ruralmissouri.org/03pages/03MarchElla.html Rural Missouri] ] For a time
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus introduced her as the Earth's tallest woman. [cite news
author=
title=TALL MISS ELLA EWING; She Began This Life as an Ordinary Sized Baby in the State of Missouri. BEGAN TO GROW AT SEVEN. And Did Not Stop Growing Until She Got to be "the Tallest Woman on Earth" -- Handy with Her Needle and Likes Music.
date=
work=New York Times
url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=990DEEDD143DE633A2575BC1A9629C94669ED7CF
accessdate=2008-08-07]She died of
tuberculosis and is buried at Harmony Grove Church. [ [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7983 Find-A-Grave] ] InScotland County, Missouri there is an "Ella Ewing Reservoir" for fishing [ [http://www.fishingworks.com/lakes/missouri/scotland/rutledge/ella-ewing-reservoir/ Ella Ewing Reservoir] ] and an arts festival inMemphis, Missouri was also named for her. [ [http://memphisdemocrat.com/2004/news/040513_ella.shtml Memphis Democrat] ]References
External links
* [http://www.ellaewing.freeservers.com/ Site dedicated to Ella Ewing]
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