Ellis James Brown

Ellis grew up in Compton, California, on one acre of land, which he called "God's little acre". He used to say, "we had everything; chickens, rabbits, a cow for milking, and a lush green garden tended by his mother”. His mother was a good cook, overseeing the Los Angeles school lunch program. Ellis loved cooking and was the primary cook in our family for 12½ years. His father was half Cheyenne, and they lived several years on a reservation, before moving to California. He remembers the dust storms when they were in Oklahoma. During his elementary years he would help a neighbor (preacher of the church he attended) bale hay before school.

Ellis loved music and played the organ in church and played the accordion in a small band. In high school he played the tuba and marched in four Rose Parades. Summers he helped his father, who had moved to Oroville California, irrigate and plow his rice fields. Ellis built his first car in his yard and that sparked his interest in RACING. Unfortunately, that career ended a few years later when he hit a wall during a race at the fairgrounds in Grants Pass, Oregon.

World War II was raging in Europe and the Pacific, and Ellis joined the Merchant Marines. He recalls his ship going to Japan and helping many of those wounded at Hiroshima off the island and they took them to the states. Ellis and a friend decided that they wanted to learn scuba diving. They spent many weekends getting lobsters in Mexico.

A freezer was full of lobsters when he got a draft notice instructing him to report for enlistment. It didn't seem to matter that he had already served his Country in World War II. He joined the US Army in June of 1955, and trained at Fort Carsen, Colorado. Ellis told me that he had learned from his time as a Merchant Marine that it was paramount that he does his best and become the best soldier. And that is exactly what he did. He went to Washington D. C. becoming a member of The Old Guard at Arlington. The following year he went to Hawaii as a radio operator for a top General. He enjoyed his time in Hawaii and said that it didn't even seem like work. He returned to the states in July of 1957. He bought 8 new homes in the Los Angeles area, he spruced them up by building fences and putting in grass. Within a year a new school was built behind the houses and he sold all of them to teachers.

Ellis became acquainted with a gun store owner and they went into business and developed the Timothy Trigger, the police started putting the triggers on their weapons, so that became a profitable adventure. Perhaps it was a little push from his mother that Ellis decided to go to seminary where he earned his Doctorate of Divinity. He had his own church for two years; but became apprehensive realizing that the elders of his church and he were not in sync regarding several pathways for the church. He left the church (not God) and found a job with Edgington Oil in Southern California, driving a truck. Ellis went to see a hypnotist perform and it is there that he decided that he wanted to become a hypnotist. Ellis's boss set his schedule allowing him time to go to school; eventually graduating as a Master Hypnotist from California’s College of Hypnosis, specializing in Clinical Hypnotherapy. During this time Ellis had a love for airplanes and he built a helicopter in his garage. He said that every morning he would try and start it. Finally, one day it started. He sold it soon afterwards. It wasn't long before he decided to get a Pilot's license and bought his own plane. In 1989 he earned his Commercial Pilot and Seaplane Licenses. Ellis practiced his profession for over 30 years, then retired in 1991. He and his wife bought a parcel of land in Ocean Shores, Washington and had a home built in 1995.

In 2005 Ellis and I (Laurenee') met in an RV Park in Kelso, Washington and then married in 2006. Ellis owned a fifth wheel and I owned a motorhome. For 8 years we drove the motorhome to Bickleton, Washington to see a sanctioned rodeo. We parked in a cow pasture for 5 days and sure did enjoy the outing and driving through the Colombia Gorge each year. Since 1995 Ellis had gone to the rodeo, parking on a friend's property where he liked to shoot varmints. Ellis had built this own rifle which he loved, He loved his guns.

Ellis and I loved to go to the local restaurants. As his health declined, we also went for our socialization and exercise. I had a wonderful 13 years with the love of my life. One of the best memories I have was that Ellis always told me every day, "Honey, I love you".