James George Ellison

Reverend James Ellison passed away Wednesday, September 28, 2016 at Lakeside Health & Rehab Center at the age of 78. He was diagnosed with lymphoma in September of 2012. James George Ellison was born to Duane and Lenore (Haven) Ellison on May 3, 1938 near Plainfield, Iowa. Shortly after his birth his family moved to a farm near Lime Springs, Iowa that was affectionately named “Poverty Knob”. He attended Lime Springs High School and graduated in 1957. Pastor Ellison, the eldest of six children, was in his early teens when a friend of his father visited their farm home. He came with the purpose of introducing Jesus Christ to his parents. This resulted in a faith-changing event that was to eventually spread through the entire Ellison family now serving the Lord in various capacities. Pastor Ellison attended Northwestern Bible College at the old campus near downtown Minneapolis in 1957. It was at Northwestern that he met his future wife, Carol Kae Pals from George, Iowa. Pastor Ellison and Carol were married on June 25, 1960. God blessed their union with two loving sons, Brad and Bryan. After graduation from Northwestern Bible College in 1962 with a BA degree, Pastor Jim tried farming like his dad, which was short lived. In 1965, God had other plans for them in the form of a letter from the director of the Highway #23 Presbyterian Mobil Missions Parish in east central Minnesota (between Sandstone and Duluth) inviting him to be the student pastor of five rural churches including Askov, Bruno, Kerrick, Nickerson and Holyoke. He conducted all five services every Sunday with his wife at the piano. During this time, he was also a student at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul. In 1967 Pastor Ellison felt called to finish his seminary education at Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. In 1970 he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. While a student at Dubuque, he also served the yoked Presbyterian churches at Andrew and Emeline, Iowa. He was ordained at the First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, Iowa on April 6, 1971. The churches that Pastor Ellison served since his ordination included: First Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, Iowa (yoked with the Green Island Congregational Church, Green Island, Iowa); First Presbyterian Church, Mora, Minnesota; Fish Lake Chapel, Mora, Minnesota; United Presbyterian, Rockford, Minnesota,; and First Presbyterian Church in Pine City, Minnesota. He felt privileged to have performed the wedding ceremonies and baptismal services for many family members throughout his ministry, including the baptism of his four grandchildren in the waters of Big Bass Lake near Cohasset, Minnesota. Their travels included a seminary trip to the Holy Land and also to all the lower forty-eight state with exception of the state of Washington. Pastor Ellison also traveled to Peru to visit his brother and sister-in-law who were missionaries in Peru. A very special event that has brought the extended Ellison family together every June since 1989 is their annual fishing vacation. After thirty-five years of share ministry, the Ellison’s continued to make their home in the Pine City area after retiring in 2003. Pastor Ellison was always grateful for his wife’s musical abilities that had served him and their congregations well throughout their Christian journey and they give all praise and glory to their Lord. Reverend Ellison is survived by his wife of 56 years Carol Kae Ellison of Pine City; sons Brad (Paula) Ellison of New Hope and Bryan (Teri) Ellison of Godfrey, Illinois; grandchildren Andrew Ellison of Minneapolis, Blake Ellison of New Hope, Ester Ellison and Lily Ellison both of Godfrey, Illinois; sisters Sheryl Ellison of Lime Springs, Iowa and Ruth (Steve) Heusinkveld of Spring Valley, Minnesota; brothers Joseph (Tookie) Ellison of Grand Island, Nebraska and George (Kathy) Ellison of Lime Springs, Iowa; sister-in-law Joyce (Ernie) Hoag of Lonsdale, Minnesota; special family friend Joyce Krueger of Lime Springs, Iowa; many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and ministry colleagues. Reverend Ellison is preceded in death by his parents Duane and Lenore Ellison, his brother Charlie Ellison and his stepmother Virginia Ellison. Pastor Rob Spahr will officiate at funeral services for Reverend Ellison: 3:30 PM Saturday, October 1, 2016 at the First Presbyterian Church in Pine City. A gathering of family and friends is planned for one hour prior to the service at the church. The interment will take place 11:00 AM Monday, October 3, 2016 at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Lime Springs, IA. Casket bearers at the burial will be their sons Brad and Bryan Ellison and grandsons Andrew and Blake Ellison. Funeral arrangements for Reverend James G. Ellison are entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service of Pine City ~ Swanson Chapel. www.funeralandcremationservice.com