John Elliott

Biography

John Hugh Elliott was born July 5th 1876 to Sarah E. Norris (07/04/1845-02/21/1897) and Jehue S. Elliott (9/21/1845-8/18/1916) in Keosauqua. He had three sisters, Elizabeth (3/7/1869-01/18/1916), Fanny (10/31/1871-02/24/1897), and Nina (03/15/1887-05/26/1958). In Febuary 1897, Typhoid Fever hit the Elliott family. John, his mother, and sister Fanny all fell ill. Elizabeth came out from Keosaqua to care for her sick siblings. Fanny passed just three days after their mother but John, after about a week began his full recovery. On April 14th, 1897 he married Cleo Kelly. They lived in Pella Iowa where John had moved to in October 1895 with his family. Two years later, the couple had twins, a boy and girl, Donald and Dorothy on August 9th, 1899. It was a rough marriage since Cleo's family highly disapproved of her relationship with an "actor". John began as a stage actor, but he truly shone with his appearances in "talkies". John enjoyed playing a variety of roles, including those of more despicable characters, seeing it as a way to exercise an actor's best talents. He died December 12th, 1956 in his California home.