Community News

Guardians of Hope, Angels of Love: The Matrons of the Orphans Home of Westfield

Westfield’s long history of altruism was established by the Quaker founders of our city through their focus on community, equality, and stewardship. An example of this compassion is found in the story of two women with a singular purpose who changed the lives of hundreds of local children. Over the course of seventeen years, both women worked tirelessly to love and care for the orphans of Westfield.

Elizabeth Ellis was all too familiar with challenging situations. She and her husband Edward were English immigrants who both helped the Union side in the war effort.
Edward became a soldier in the Union Army and Elizabeth helped nurse injured
servicemen. Just days after the end of the Civil War, Edward was assisting with
transporting Union soldiers home onboard a wooden steamboat named the Sultana. The overburdened and under-serviced boat exploded during its mission, killing almost half of its passengers, including Edward Ellis. Still reeling from the loss of a child two years prior, the young widow needed to quickly figure out a plan for the future. Her familiarity with profound loss prepared her well for what would become her
vocation in life: taking care of Westfield’s orphans.

Established in 1883, the Orphans Home of Westfield was a haven located on six acres of land with gardens and fruit trees. Elizabeth Ellis was matron of the orphanage for nine years, and her efforts were recorded in the local papers on a regular basis. An article in the Hamilton County Democrat on November 2, 1883, shares the Ladies Aid Sociey’s visit to the orphanage to see the thirty-two “waifs” residing there. “Too much praise cannot be accorded to Mrs. Ellis for her untiring devotion to the cause she is engaged in; she worked hard and long, assisted by a few of the good people of the county to persuade the Board of Commissioners and the tax payers that this was the thing to do.” A later article in the same paper shared how well furnished the dormitories were, and how the childrens’ clothing was marked with their names in indelible ink. Forty-three children lived in the orphanage at that time, and it was noted that, “they played together like a well-regulated family and had the appearance of being fully satisfied. Every thing in the house and out of doors had a touch of refinement and was as clean and neat as a new pin.”

Despite routine praise, negative editorials in a few local papers questioned the cost of running the home. County governments that sent children to the Orphans Home paid Matron Ellis 25 to 30 cents per day (the equivalent of about $7.78 to $9.33 in 2024) for each child in her care, to fund the home and provide for the children. Other negative editorials were concerned about the length of time it took Mrs. Ellis to find suitable homes for her charges, questioning if the delay was a means to make money. Mrs. Ellis herself expressed frustration with the situation but was unwilling to cut corners to satisfy outsiders at the possible detriment of her residents. She was determined to find good homes for each and every child, no matter the investment of time.

Tragedy reared its ugly head when Elizabeth Ellis became ill with stomach cancer,
eventually passing away on December 6, 1891 at the young age of fifty-six. Her
devotion to the orphans of Westfield was an inspiration to others, and Westfield citizens soon volunteered to help fill the gap left by her passing. The orphanage eventually closed in the fall of 1896, leaving its four remaining residents in need of housing, and quickly. Mrs. Rose Carey, her husband Lemuel, and their son Clifford welcomed the four young children into their home. Recognizing a profound need in the town, they soon had nineteen orphans (categorized as half-orphans or full-orphans) residing in their home.
Rose showered the children with love, laughter, and fun with parties and picnics to raise their spirits. Over the course of two years, the Careys cared for forty-four children. When the Indiana Children’s Home Society re-established the Orphans Home of Westfield (also known as the Westfield Receiving Home) in 1898, they offered the position of Matron to Mrs. Carey. The family moved into the larger facilities at 526 N.
Union Street, and had fifty-eight children in their care within a year. Rose Carey
resigned her position at the orphanage in 1900 after tragedy struck, and another of her children died. Like Elizabeth, Rose knew profound tragedy; she would outlive two husbands and all five of her own children.

Rev. F.M. Elliot and his wife took charge of the orphan home after Mrs. Carey’s
resignation. An Indianapolis News article from 1902 states that an astounding seven hundred children had been sheltered at the Orphans Home of Westfield in the previous four years alone.

The selfless efforts of Elizabeth Ellis and Rose Carey ensured love and security for the town’s most vulnerable citizens, and their efforts are a testament to the enduring impact of individual kindness and the profound difference it can make in a community. The legacy of Elizabeth Ellis and Rose Carey lives on, inspiring future generations to uphold the altruistic values that built Westfield.