Mary Ellis Ames

(eng) VIAF indicates that Mary lived Ames, Mary Ellis, approximately 1887-1968. Other sources say that Mary was a fictional character like Betty Crocker, Aunt Jenny, and Aunt Sammy; specifically, the Wolfsonian at Florida International University says "Mary Ellis Ames (pseudonym for Melba Acheson; American, 1908–1999)".
There is a Mary Marzella Ellis Ames born 28 Nov 1885 Rushville, Nebraska died 27 Feb 1968 Billings, Montana. According to her daughter Lorine's obituary, Lorine Bizek was born on November 12, 1930 in Bridger, Montana to Thomas and Mary (Ellis) Ames. The family moved by team and wagon to Lodge Grass where she grew up on the family farm and attended school. This could not be a woman who worked for Pillsbury in the 1930s.
There is a Melba Acheson, born 28 Sept. 1908 in Maxwell, Iowa [possibly had the birth name Harriet Melba Acheson] who graduated from Ames High School in 1926 and studied home economics and journalism at Iowa State University, most likely graduating in 1930. She married Albert H. Koch. There are a number of digitized articles about home economics subjects written by her.