Ellis Jay Garrison

Ellis Jay Garrison died December 5, 2015 in Duluth, Minnesota, joining his predecessors in Heaven and embarking on a new career in an unknown position for which he is undoubtedly, uniquely qualified. Farmer, Soldier, Student, Teacher, Artist, House Painter, Politician, Antique Dealer, Public Servant, Silversmith, Shopowner, Builder, Auction Ringman, Caregiver, Father and Flea Market Extraordinaire, Ellis never quit dreaming about his next career and never quit moving until God finally won a tussle for his mind and took him home.

Ellis was born on October 23, 1924, to Jonce and Dennie Garrison in Celt, Missouri, on the Niangua River, deep in Ozark Mountain hillbilly country. His father was a farm and river worker; his mother was a part time postal worker and lay minister. Ellis did not begin school until the second grade but became the first in his family to earn a college degree, went on to earn two masters degrees and was still auditing college classes in his 80s. At age 18, Ellis volunteered to serve in WWII. Trained by the Army to be a surgeon's assistant, he landed at Normandy, France with the 45th Field Hospital on June 10, 1944 and participated in the Allied invasion through the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and into Germany before the war ended. After the war, Ellis enrolled at Southwest Missouri State College and earned a B.S. in Education in 1949, closely followed by Masters Degrees in Art and Art Education from the University of Kansas. Ellis married another education student, Ann Francis Garrison, on March 3, 1948. By 1955, they had found their way to the Shawnee Mission School District in Johnson County, Kansas. Ellis taught art, jewelry and ceramics beginning at The Shawnee Mission High School, then moving on to Shawnee Mission East and Shawnee Mission West as those schools opened. He retired from this career in 1982. During this time, Ellis and Ann raised two children and Ellis served as Ward 4 Councilman for the City of Overland Park from 1963 through 1975. Ellis was very proud of his school district and his city and his part in establishing standards for growth and development that led to Overland Park's status as one of the premier small cities in the country. After retirement from teaching, Ellis built a new home then began a second career in the flea market business, buying at garage sales and selling at markets and auctions. Having learned market values working as an auction ringman, he could size up a garage sale and purchase the best deals in a 30 second drive by. That career never really ended.

Although Ellis' life brought him into contact with academia, power and commerce, his greatest enjoyment came from the basic and simple: conversation, family, playing cards, walking the dog, creating a small piece of jewelry, floating down the river; and it is for such things that he will be most missed. Never too busy; always the peacemaker; empathetic to a fault, Ellis was always worried about someone else's welfare instead of his own. Ellis is survived by his son, Ronald Garrison, and wife, Ann Garrison, of Olathe, Kansas, his daughter, Leslie Holck, and husband David Holck, of Duluth, Minnesota, four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Ann F. Garrison, and a sister, Geneva Fischgrabe.