Mary Ellen Guest was born 4 May 1864, fourth child and second daughter to Edward Francis Mailon Guest and Jane Walton. She was formally given her name 13 Nov 1864 when she was blessed in the Mill Creek LDS ward. Her older sister, Emma Jane, had died at age 13 months, so Mary Ellen was effectively the oldest sister of a family which grew to twelve children.

When she was nearly three a typhoid epidemic took her older brother, James Rueben, 20 Apr 1867. But the eldest, Edward Francis and she were spared.

It is assumed that she went to school in Mill Creek, for each census record indicates she could read and write. She was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 5 Jun 1873 in Mill Creek Ward.

When Mary Ellen was about to turn 18, her mother died 26 April 1882 during or shortly after the birth of her twelfth child, a little girl who was named Jane in honor of her mother. The family had a very difficult time caring for the infant and could find no nurse to feed her. On 25 Aug 1862 the baby died and was laid to rest in her mother's grave at Salt Lake City Cemetery.

How Mary Ellen came to meet John Boyle, her future husband, is not known. He was born in Pennsylvania and served in the Civil War. In 1880, he and a number of others who the census lists as single men were working the mines of the Cottonwood Canyons. Whether Mary Ellen also found work there cooking or doing laundry is not known, but is certainly possible. By 1889, Mary Ellen is the mother of two children, Lewis, born June 1885, and Grace Mae, born Oct 1886. Family tradition names a husband, Lewis (Louis) Martin, but no marriage records are available to substantiate this event.

On 5 February 1889, Mary Ellen, age 24, and John Boyle, age 47, were married at Mission Methodist Episcopal Church in Salt Lake City, witnessed by her sister, Rhoda. To them were born a son, John, date unknown, and daughter, Ida Fern, born 26 Jun 1893. They resided at 47 Franklin Ave and later at 553 N 1st West. From 1889 onward, John is identified as an auctioneer.

Late in the 1890s, the family moved to Butte, Montana. Each of the family was identified with the surname Boyle in the 1900 census -- John, Mary E., Lewis, Grace, and Ida F. The census indicates that one child had died but gives no clues as to when or where, nor do Salt Lake City death records. The census record also indicates that the couple had been married fourteen years, while marriage records do not support this. John continued his auctioneering in Butte, but was listed has having been unemployed for eight months prior to the census of 1900. In Butte, the family worked and resided at 1017 Lewisohn, then at 1110 Caledonia.

John's health must have failed for he and Mary Ellen moved to Columbia Falls where the Montana Soldier's Home was located. John was admitted 27 July 1916, then released annually in March or April and readmitted late September or early October. Mary Ellen was admitted 20 March 1919 and died the next day, at the age of 54. The year and season suggest her death occured during the influenza epidemic. Her body was returned to Butte for burial.