Ellen A. Burge

Ellen A. Burge did a lot for Springfield. She helped start the hospital now called Cox. It opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1906.

Ellen Starks was born on October 18, 1843 in Ware, Massachusetts. In 1860, her family moved to Springfield. In the Ozarks, Ellen met George W. Burge. Mr. Burge came here from New York. He was a soldier in the Union Army. During the Civil War he helped defend Springfield from the Confederates.

George and Ellen were married in 1865. The Burges did a lot for this town. They helped start a Methodist church on Benton Avenue. Soon, Ms. Burge was in charge of its Sunday school program. The building is still in Springfield. It is now the Stained Glass Theater.

In 1906, some people asked for Ms. Burge’s help. They wanted to start a new hospital. Ms. Burge gave them a house she owned. This house then became the Burge Deaconess Hospital. It opened in 1906. A few years later, it needed more room. Ms. Burge then gave more land to build a larger place.

A new brick building was built near the original one. The old hospital became a place to train nurses. It and the hospital became known as great places for training and care.

Ms. Burge died on June 22, 1922. She was 78 years old. A lot of her friends and family came to her funeral. Many nurses were also there. Several said that Ms. Burge was a very positive woman, and that she was kind and giving.

Author: Grant Miller
Source: Information supplied by Julie March, Curator, The History Museum for Springfield-Greene County
Image, portrait of Ellen Burge, Courtesy of The History Museum for Springfield-Greene County
(For use in conjunction with the SMSU Campus Compact/WorldCom grant project. You must request permission from the History Museum for Springfield-Greene County to print, copy, or download this image for any other use.)