Introduction

Biography

Ellen was the daugh­ter of Ed­win Car­pen­ter Ol­iv­er and Eli­za Ma­rie Beers, and wife of law­yer Charles G. Van Fleet (mar­ried Sep­tem­ber 29, 1887, Troy, Penn­syl­van­ia).

She was edu­cat­ed by pri­vate teach­ers at home, in the pub­lic schools and pri­vate schools of her na­tive town, in the Troy Aca­de­my, and in Mrs. Life’s sem­in­ary for young wo­men (then in Mun­cy, Penn­syl­van­ia; lat­er moved to Rye, New York).

She made num­er­ous con­tri­bu­tions to pe­ri­od­ic­als and ma­ga­zines, and wrote a num­ber of les­son hymns.