Glenn V. Ellison

Glenn Vernon Ellison was born January 29, 1931, to Verne Everett and Mildred Gladys (Neitzel) Ellison at home in Nance County near Belgrade, Nebraska. He was baptized into the Christian faith at Cross Lutheran Church ELCA, Ixonia, WI. He spent the early years of his life in several towns in Iowa where the family struggled during the Great Depression. In 1938 the family settled in Austin, MN where he grew up. He was confirmed in the Grace Lutheran Church, Austin, MN. He vividly remembered being caught in the Armistice Day blizzard with his sister Kathleen as they walked home after purchasing a gallon of kerosene and nearly perishing. Due to limited opportunities around Austin at that time, at age seventeen he enlisted in the U.S. Army and spent a year at Fort Lewis, WA before receiving orders for Camp Crawford, Hokkaido, Japan. With the sudden onset of the Korean War, troops in the vicinity were sent to Pusan, South Korea and Glenn was among the first soldiers to arrive. He spent the first year of the war as an infantryman with the 27th Infantry Regiment “The Wolfhounds.” For his courageous action during battle near Sindan-ni, Korea in February 1951 he was awarded the bronze star. When he rotated back to the U.S. he completed his Army enlistment at Fort Riley, Kansas.

On August 17, 1953 he married Dorothy Carr in Albert Lea, MN. They later divorced. Together they had three children - Glenn Morris, Steven Ross and Michelle Lynn Ellison. Step-children Ron and Lorene Carr.

Glenn enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in July 1955 and remained there for a long and distinguished career which included his time as a flight engineer on C-130’s flying combat missions in Vietnam. A highlight of his career was the nomination and appointment to the 89th Military Airlift Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. He was promoted to Master Sergeant and was in charge of the jet engine shop. During his time there he also performed additional duty as flight engineer on Air Force One for both domestic and overseas trips. After serving more than six years with the Presidential fleet he was honorably discharged and retired from the USAF in Dec 1971.

While in the AF he used his personal time to obtain his A&P and IA licenses for aircraft maintenance and inspection as well as his private pilot’s license. He then went on to obtain his multi-engine, instrument, jet and instructor ratings. After retiring he freelanced as a flight instructor in the Washington DC area and held  corporate pilot positions for Glade Run Mining, Vanity Fair and several others. He became Chief of Maintenance for Public Aviation in Reading, PA. When he returned to Austin MN he developed fix-base operations in Dodge Center and Grand Meadow. He then became Director of Maintenance for International Fueling Corporation at the Rochester International  Airport. While working in Dodge Center he met Mary Gould when she enrolled as a private pilot student. They married on November 18, 1978 at Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester. To this union were born Emily Erin and James Robert Ellison.  He went on to work in various capacities with Republic, Northwest and TWA airlines. On May 18, 1999 Glenn was honored to receive the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award in recognition of 50 years of outstanding service in the aircraft maintenance profession.

Glenn was a member of the Springfield United Methodist Church and the Springfield American Legion. He enjoyed reading history, bowling, watching football and there was a special sparkle in his eyes when around his grandchildren. He could build or repair just about anything. Much of his adult life he spent writing about his experiences during the first year in the Korean War in a manuscript entitled “The View from a Foxhole.”

He is survived by his loving wife Mary, daughter Emily Ellison, son James (Emily) Ellison and their children Reed and Lillian, daughter Michelle (Michael) Ilse, step children Lorene (Dan) Laury and Ronald Carr, brother Paul (Carol) Ellison, sister Sharon (Richard) Wilkie, sister Lynette Jagst, brother-in-law James Jorgenson, sister-in-law Vicki Kanne, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and many friends near and far. He was preceded in death by his parents, sons Glenn and Steve, sisters and brother-in-law’s Kathleen (Richard) Mildenstein, Sharlene (Richard) Hansen, sister Mary Jorgenson, brother-in-law Kevin Kanne.

Blessed be his memory.