Ellis Balaun was born May 9, 1900, near Ada KS, the third of five children born to Peter and Anna Matous Balaun. Their first home was the stone shelter originally built by the previous generation when homesteading the Balaun Farm in Ottawa County KS. Ellis's grandfather, Joseph, who immigrated from Bohemia, was an artistic, well-educated and highly skilled carpenter. Ellis's father, Peter, was the only one of Joseph's five sons who continued working on the family farm and homestead, making improvements, constructing new buildings and raising a new generation of the family there.
As a child, Ellis absorbed much of the knowledge, life-skills and capabilities of his parents and grandparents. He lost his grandmother, Barbara, when he was seven and his grandfather when he was twelve. His life was most greatly impacted by his mother's death when he was fourteen, leaving his father, Peter, with sole responsibility for the farm and five young children. Ellis's older sister, Anna, had attended the local high school in nearby Minneapolis and Peter was anxious that she and the younger children should have greater cultural and educational opportunities. He made a quick decision: he sold the farm and moved with his children to nearby Salina, Kansas, purchasing a farm adjacent to the campus and property of Kansas Wesleyan University on the outskirts of the growing city.
After graduating from Salina High School with the class of 1921, Ellis attended Kansas Wesleyan University. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Arts in 1925. His father, Peter was an employee of Kansas Wesleyan University, overseeing building construction and maintenance. Ellis and Peter partnered in privately building and renovating family homes in Salina. During the years of the Great Depression, Ellis worked for bankers and real estate companies as a property appraiser.
He married Rose-Mary Hood, with whom he had seven children. The family made their home in Salina and Ellis taught at the Kipp, Tescott and Bavaria High Schools. During WWII he applied his machining, engineering and woodworking skills at Smoky Hill Army Air Base, fabricating customized office equipment in the interiors of U.S. Bombers.
After the war, Ellis earned a Masters Degree in public school administration. He was a teaching principal at Ransom High School in Ness County where the family lived for one year (1946-7). They returned to Salina and Ellis became the principal of Bavaria High School. Moving away from Salina again in the fall of 1952, Ellis was the superintendent of schools at Randolph in Riley County, on Tuttle Creek, where he also served as high school principal and classroom teacher. For many years following, he worked as a teacher and administrator in other Kansas communities including Menlo, Vermillion, Simpson, Maple Hill, Cuba and Lebanon.
The last decade of his life was spent living and making improvements at the family home in Salina —taking time to enjoy traveling— and visiting children and grandchildren. He died May 17, 1983.
Ellis and Rose-Mary had seven children: Joseph P., John R., Margaret E., Ralph E., William R., Paul R. and Rose Anne.
As a child, Ellis absorbed much of the knowledge, life-skills and capabilities of his parents and grandparents. He lost his grandmother, Barbara, when he was seven and his grandfather when he was twelve. His life was most greatly impacted by his mother's death when he was fourteen, leaving his father, Peter, with sole responsibility for the farm and five young children. Ellis's older sister, Anna, had attended the local high school in nearby Minneapolis and Peter was anxious that she and the younger children should have greater cultural and educational opportunities. He made a quick decision: he sold the farm and moved with his children to nearby Salina, Kansas, purchasing a farm adjacent to the campus and property of Kansas Wesleyan University on the outskirts of the growing city.
After graduating from Salina High School with the class of 1921, Ellis attended Kansas Wesleyan University. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Arts in 1925. His father, Peter was an employee of Kansas Wesleyan University, overseeing building construction and maintenance. Ellis and Peter partnered in privately building and renovating family homes in Salina. During the years of the Great Depression, Ellis worked for bankers and real estate companies as a property appraiser.
He married Rose-Mary Hood, with whom he had seven children. The family made their home in Salina and Ellis taught at the Kipp, Tescott and Bavaria High Schools. During WWII he applied his machining, engineering and woodworking skills at Smoky Hill Army Air Base, fabricating customized office equipment in the interiors of U.S. Bombers.
After the war, Ellis earned a Masters Degree in public school administration. He was a teaching principal at Ransom High School in Ness County where the family lived for one year (1946-7). They returned to Salina and Ellis became the principal of Bavaria High School. Moving away from Salina again in the fall of 1952, Ellis was the superintendent of schools at Randolph in Riley County, on Tuttle Creek, where he also served as high school principal and classroom teacher. For many years following, he worked as a teacher and administrator in other Kansas communities including Menlo, Vermillion, Simpson, Maple Hill, Cuba and Lebanon.
The last decade of his life was spent living and making improvements at the family home in Salina —taking time to enjoy traveling— and visiting children and grandchildren. He died May 17, 1983.
Ellis and Rose-Mary had seven children: Joseph P., John R., Margaret E., Ralph E., William R., Paul R. and Rose Anne.
Ellis Balaun was born May 9, 1900, near Ada KS, the third of five children born to Peter and Anna Matous Balaun. Their first home was the stone shelter originally built by the previous generation when homesteading the Balaun Farm in Ottawa County KS. Ellis's grandfather, Joseph, who immigrated from Bohemia, was an artistic, well-educated and highly skilled carpenter. Ellis's father, Peter, was the only one of Joseph's five sons who continued working on the family farm and homestead, making improvements, constructing new buildings and raising a new generation of the family there.
As a child, Ellis absorbed much of the knowledge, life-skills and capabilities of his parents and grandparents. He lost his grandmother, Barbara, when he was seven and his grandfather when he was twelve. His life was most greatly impacted by his mother's death when he was fourteen, leaving his father, Peter, with sole responsibility for the farm and five young children. Ellis's older sister, Anna, had attended the local high school in nearby Minneapolis and Peter was anxious that she and the younger children should have greater cultural and educational opportunities. He made a quick decision: he sold the farm and moved with his children to nearby Salina, Kansas, purchasing a farm adjacent to the campus and property of Kansas Wesleyan University on the outskirts of the growing city.
After graduating from Salina High School with the class of 1921, Ellis attended Kansas Wesleyan University. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Arts in 1925. His father, Peter was an employee of Kansas Wesleyan University, overseeing building construction and maintenance. Ellis and Peter partnered in privately building and renovating family homes in Salina. During the years of the Great Depression, Ellis worked for bankers and real estate companies as a property appraiser.
He married Rose-Mary Hood, with whom he had seven children. The family made their home in Salina and Ellis taught at the Kipp, Tescott and Bavaria High Schools. During WWII he applied his machining, engineering and woodworking skills at Smoky Hill Army Air Base, fabricating customized office equipment in the interiors of U.S. Bombers.
After the war, Ellis earned a Masters Degree in public school administration. He was a teaching principal at Ransom High School in Ness County where the family lived for one year (1946-7). They returned to Salina and Ellis became the principal of Bavaria High School. Moving away from Salina again in the fall of 1952, Ellis was the superintendent of schools at Randolph in Riley County, on Tuttle Creek, where he also served as high school principal and classroom teacher. For many years following, he worked as a teacher and administrator in other Kansas communities including Menlo, Vermillion, Simpson, Maple Hill, Cuba and Lebanon.
The last decade of his life was spent living and making improvements at the family home in Salina —taking time to enjoy traveling— and visiting children and grandchildren. He died May 17, 1983.
Ellis and Rose-Mary had seven children: Joseph P., John R., Margaret E., Ralph E., William R., Paul R. and Rose Anne.
As a child, Ellis absorbed much of the knowledge, life-skills and capabilities of his parents and grandparents. He lost his grandmother, Barbara, when he was seven and his grandfather when he was twelve. His life was most greatly impacted by his mother's death when he was fourteen, leaving his father, Peter, with sole responsibility for the farm and five young children. Ellis's older sister, Anna, had attended the local high school in nearby Minneapolis and Peter was anxious that she and the younger children should have greater cultural and educational opportunities. He made a quick decision: he sold the farm and moved with his children to nearby Salina, Kansas, purchasing a farm adjacent to the campus and property of Kansas Wesleyan University on the outskirts of the growing city.
After graduating from Salina High School with the class of 1921, Ellis attended Kansas Wesleyan University. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Arts in 1925. His father, Peter was an employee of Kansas Wesleyan University, overseeing building construction and maintenance. Ellis and Peter partnered in privately building and renovating family homes in Salina. During the years of the Great Depression, Ellis worked for bankers and real estate companies as a property appraiser.
He married Rose-Mary Hood, with whom he had seven children. The family made their home in Salina and Ellis taught at the Kipp, Tescott and Bavaria High Schools. During WWII he applied his machining, engineering and woodworking skills at Smoky Hill Army Air Base, fabricating customized office equipment in the interiors of U.S. Bombers.
After the war, Ellis earned a Masters Degree in public school administration. He was a teaching principal at Ransom High School in Ness County where the family lived for one year (1946-7). They returned to Salina and Ellis became the principal of Bavaria High School. Moving away from Salina again in the fall of 1952, Ellis was the superintendent of schools at Randolph in Riley County, on Tuttle Creek, where he also served as high school principal and classroom teacher. For many years following, he worked as a teacher and administrator in other Kansas communities including Menlo, Vermillion, Simpson, Maple Hill, Cuba and Lebanon.
The last decade of his life was spent living and making improvements at the family home in Salina —taking time to enjoy traveling— and visiting children and grandchildren. He died May 17, 1983.
Ellis and Rose-Mary had seven children: Joseph P., John R., Margaret E., Ralph E., William R., Paul R. and Rose Anne.
