Mervin Donald Ellingson

Ellingson, Mervin 87 of Mesa, AZ passed away on April 5, 2015. He was born on a farm three quarters of a mile outside of Berlin, ND on May 29, 1927. In the early years of his life he worked on the farm with his dad and spent his free time with family and friends. Once he met Juletta who became his wife he never looked back. He fell in love with her the moment he saw her walking across the dance floor. He kissed her that night on the front steps of the dance hall and never noticed another girl again. They were married when they were both 19 years old and spent the next 67 years together.

The early years of their marriage were spent in Berlin, ND. Mervin worked in his brother’s service station. He hunted and fished as much as possible with friends and took care of his growing family at home. In 1959 his whole life changed when he bravely decided to move his family out of North Dakota. They packed up their car and a small trailer with everything they owned and headed south towards Southern California. A friend of Mervin’s was living in Mesa, AZ and they stopped in, had dinner and never left town. They made a new life for themselves in a new place and thrived. Mervin was able to find work as a carpenter to support his family and was successful moving from job to job until 1973 when an accidental fall from a scaffolding made it impossible for him to continue that vocation.

During his 66 days in the hospital he learned that he was going to become a Grandfather for the first and second time. His wife found a new home for them that included plenty of land for him to build a garage and allowed him to continue providing for his family by working again as an auto mechanic. Their farm became the center of his world for the remainder of his life. It is where all family holidays were spent, where friends and family from North Dakota could show up anytime and be welcomed to a place to stay for as long as needed, and countless friends were welcomed to a cup of coffee, stories and laughter that could last for hours.

Mervin is survived by his sister Audrey Horsager; Children Terry (Chris) Ellingson, Carol Gifford, and Darcy Ellingson; six grandchildren Jeremy (Kristi) Gifford, Jessica Rowland, Joyce Gifford, Juletta (Brian) Fox, David Ellingson, and Vern Ellingson; eight great-grandchildren Austin Rowland, Zachary Rowland, Jonah (Courtney) Gifford, Madison Rowland, Kennedy Gifford, Jared Gifford, Josiah Gifford, and Mackenzie Fox; and his adored cat Colonel Harry Shedley Brown.

“Keep God in your house and Jesus in your heart and you can’t go too far wrong.” – Mervin Ellingson