Maryellen (nicknamed Ellie) is an enthusiastic, optimistic, ambitious, and imaginative girl. She longs to stand out but often feels lost in the shuffle of her big, busy family. (She is often annoyed by the fact that when people meet her for the first time, they ask which sister she is in order, instead of treating her uniquely.) Her favorite TV shows include Davy Crockett and The Lone Ranger, and she dreams up episodes where she gets to be the hero. Maryellen is seen as cheerful and curious by people meeting her for the first time. Maryellen had polio when she was seven years old during the Polio Epidemic of 1952. This resulted in one of her legs being weaker than the other, and she also has cold-sensitive lungs. Despite her disability, she is a fast runner and excellent swimmer, and also enjoys roller skating. She is very skinny for her age and has a nose like her sisters.