Frank Ernest "Ernie" Ellis was born on April 3, 1915. He lived and farmed all his life just north of Wawanesa, MB, and established a seed cleaning and fertilizer business entitled Ellis Farm Supplies on the south side of Wawanesa. Ernie married Margaret Alyce Viola Medd (1922-2022) in in 1946 and together they had five children: Margaret, Brenda, Kathryn, Jennifer and Warren. In 1985, Ernie and Alyce moved to Winnipeg and their son Warren took over the farm.
Ernie was active in his community, local politics and the agriculture and health care sectors. His commitment to land conservation and a love of nature, led him to serve on the boards of many farming organizations, including the Wawanesa Crop Improvement Club, the Wawanesa Cooperative Elevator Association, and the Wawanesa Consumers Co-op Association. He was also one of the founders ot the Manitoba Stock Growers' Association, which became the Manitoba Beef Growers' Association. Additionally, Ernie served on the board of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, was a member of the Canadian Seed Growers' Association, served terms as president for both the Brandon-Souris Liberal Association and the Souris-Killarney Association, ran as the MLA Liberal candidate for the Souris-Lansdowne constituency and served on the Oakland Council for 11 years. He was also elected chairman of the first Board of Directors for the Wawanesa & District Recreation Centre, was a trustee of the governing board of the Wawanesa & District Hospital, including 12 years as chairman. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Manitoba Health Organization, where he advocated for health care in Wawanesa and rural areas. Ernie wrote two newspaper columns, "The Rural Scene" for the Wawanesa Optimist, and "On the Manitoba Range" for The Canadian Cattleman, and along with his wife Alyce, did much of the research and writing for the Wawanesa centennial local history book. Aside from writing, Ernie was also passionate about music, and played the trombone in the Wawanesa Band.
When he became ill in 2010 the Ellis' left Winnipeg; Ernie moved to the Personal Care Home in Wawanesa and Alyce moved to the Wawanesa Valley Lodge. Ernie Ellis died on February 16, 2011 in Wawanesa, MB.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocassette tape containing an interview with Ernie Ellis. This second hour discusses stock growing and grain marketing, as well as hospitals and health care at Wawanesa, MB. The interviewer is John Moore.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and obituaries for both Ernie and Alyce Ellis. Description by Christy Henry.
Audio Tracks
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Frank Ernest "Ernie" Ellis was born on April 3, 1915. He lived and farmed all his life just north of Wawanesa, MB, and established a seed cleaning and fertilizer business entitled Ellis Farm Supplies on the south side of Wawanesa. Ernie married Margaret Alyce Viola Medd (1922-2022) in in 1946 and together they had five children: Margaret, Brenda, Kathryn, Jennifer and Warren. In 1985, Ernie and Alyce moved to Winnipeg and their son Warren took over the farm.
Ernie was active in his community, local politics and the agriculture and health care sectors. His commitment to land conservation and a love of nature, led him to serve on the boards of many farming organizations, including the Wawanesa Crop Improvement Club, the Wawanesa Cooperative Elevator Association, and the Wawanesa Consumers Co-op Association. He was also one of the founders ot the Manitoba Stock Growers' Association, which became the Manitoba Beef Growers' Association. Additionally, Ernie served on the board of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, was a member of the Canadian Seed Growers' Association, served terms as president for both the Brandon-Souris Liberal Association and the Souris-Killarney Association, ran as the MLA Liberal candidate for the Souris-Lansdowne constituency and served on the Oakland Council for 11 years. He was also elected chairman of the first Board of Directors for the Wawanesa & District Recreation Centre, was a trustee of the governing board of the Wawanesa & District Hospital, including 12 years as chairman. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Manitoba Health Organization, where he advocated for health care in Wawanesa and rural areas. Ernie wrote two newspaper columns, "The Rural Scene" for the Wawanesa Optimist, and "On the Manitoba Range" for The Canadian Cattleman, and along with his wife Alyce, did much of the research and writing for the Wawanesa centennial local history book. Aside from writing, Ernie was also passionate about music, and played the trombone in the Wawanesa Band.
When he became ill in 2010 the Ellis' left Winnipeg; Ernie moved to the Personal Care Home in Wawanesa and Alyce moved to the Wawanesa Valley Lodge. Ernie Ellis died on February 16, 2011 in Wawanesa, MB.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocassette tape containing an interview with Ernie Ellis. This final hour includes rural roads, recreation, World War II years on the farm, and life in Wawanesa since the war. The interviewer is John Moore.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and obituaries for both Ernie and Alyce Ellis. Description by Christy Henry.
Audio Tracks
Media missing or recording not available.
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