The "The Long Lost Miss Ella Story"

It was an ordinary day.  Sometime in the early 1970s or perhaps a bit earlier, one of Lancaster, Pennsylvania's most renowned artists, C.X. Carlson, drew a charcoal image of a woman named "Ella."  The drawing shows "Ella" holding a cane with a hat covering her head.  

Miss Ella by C.X. Carlson

The sketch had been stored under the bed of Mary Armstrong of East Petersburg for some time and she would like to find a new home for the sketch that was done by a distinguished artist in her family.  Before finding a home under Mary's bed, "Ella" hung on a wall at 15 Market Square, Manheim.  But, someone else in the family just might like the drawing better than Mary...or at least she is hoping they do.  Mary's uncle owned the building in Manheim which held Weavers natural Foods for many years.  Seems the drawing was assumed to be of Dr. Ruth Brenner, a prominent doctor in Manheim, because she also had her office and home in the same building.  So, when Mary took the drawing out of the frame and saw the signature of CX Carlson, with the name "Miss Ella" in the bottom-right corner, she was surprised.  She tried to find more information about the drawing by searching for information on the Manheim Facebook page as well as contacting the C.X. Carlson Cultural Trust.  At one time Mr. Carlson lived at nearby Quarryville, Pennsylvania where he completed over 15,000 paintings and many more drawings.  He has work hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as in many private homes.  I know him best for illustrating the book "Old Lancaster."  

Therefore... "Ella" is a valuable drawing forever whom may own it.  And now "The Scribbler," Lancaster newspaper's famous writer Jack Brubaker has been asked to help by placing the charcoal drawing in one of his weekly columns.  If you may have any information on the image that accompanies this story, please notify Mary Armstrong at dew4sea@gmail.com.  And, perhaps...if you know anymore about the drawing known as "Miss Ella," please leave me a comment at the end of this story.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.