James Ellwanger

ELLWANGER FABER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/20/2010 at 20:28:11

Woodbury County History 1984

James and Gloria Faber Ellwanger
By Gloria Ellwanger

James Ellwanger and Gloria Faber were married in Bancroft, Iowa, Kossuth County, in St John’s Catholic Church on 26 December 1969. They are the parents of two children: Erick James, born 26 June 1975, and Marla Jean, born 28 January 1978. The Ellwangers live at 1713 S Patterson in Sioux City, moving here from Iowa City, Iowa, on 28 July 1978. Jim is Director of Athletics baseball coach, and instructor at Briar Cliff College. Gloria is a homemaker, and does some substitute teaching.

Jim was born 28 October 1944 at Carroll, Iowa. His parents are James Arthur ‘Art’ Ellwanger and Mary nee O’Rourke of Newell, Iowa. Jim’s only brother is Ken who lives in Morrison, Colorado.

Jim spent his childhood on the farm south of Newell which his parents rented. He graduated from Newell High School in 1962, from Buena Vista College in 1966 with a B.A. degree, and from the University of Iowa in 1978 with an M.A. degree.

Jim has spent fifteen years since 1966 in a teaching capacity. Four years were spent at Spalding High School in Granville, Iowa, 1966-1969, and 1971-1972, five years at St Edomond High School in Fort Dodge, Iowa, 1972-1977, one year at the University of Iowa as a graduate assistant, 1977-1978; and five years at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, 1978-1983.

Jim served in the US Army form 1969-1971. One year was spent in Washington and Georgia, and one year in South Korea.

The world of youth athletics has been the major thrust of Jim’s career, most importatntly, the sport of baseball. He has coached baseball teams in state touraments in Babe Ruth, American Legion, high school, and college play. The Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association, of whom Jim was a charter member, named him High School Coach of the Year in 1977, and College Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1982. In 1983, Jim was inducted into the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

Gloria Jean Ellwanger nee Faber was born 30 May 1947 in Algona, Kossuth County, Iowa. She was the fifth of six children born to Melvin J and Florence V (Schaller) Faber. Her siblings include: Arla Jean, born 9 June 1936 and died 17 January 1942; Rosella M, born 4 October 1937, married to Conrad Kunkel and lives in Bancroft, Iowa; Kathleen M, born 1 September 1941, married to Donald Loew, and lives near Hayfield, Minnesota; Melvin A, born 10 August 1945, married to Lucille (Gifford) Behrends and lives on the family farm between Burt and Bancroft, Iowa; and Cincy C, born 24 December 1951, married to Micahel Muroney and lives in Burke, Virginia.

Gloria grew up on her parents’ frm 5 ½ miles southwes of Bancroft. Her first twelve years of education were received at St John’s Catholic School in Bancroft. In the sixth grade she began to develop an interest in history, which years later would mushroom into the hobby of genealogy. She graduated from St John’s in 1965 and from Briar Cliff College in Sioux City in 1970 with a B.A. degree.

From 1970-1971, while her husband was in Korea, Gloria taught fourth grade at Ledyard, Iowa, living at her parental home. From 1971-1972, she taught fifth grade at St Mary’s in Remsen, Iowa. From 1972-1975 she taught third grade at Corpus Christi in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

After the birth of their first child, Eric in 1975, Gloria chose to discontinue full-time teaching in order to devote her time to raising a family. However, in these intervening years, she continues to do some substitute teaching.

Gloria has developed several areas of interest, some of which include the hobbies of genealogy, antiques, and handwork.

The hobby of genealogy, or the tracing of ancestral background and descendants, has grown from a mild interest to an avocation. Gloria traces approximately twenty surnames in her and her husband’s families. Her goal after doing the necessary research is to write the histories of all the families she has traced. In 1977, she wrote The Faber Family History.

Jim Ellwanger’s ancestry has been traced back to several states and countries. Some surnames traced and documented are: Jacob Ellwanger to 1725 in Grossheppach, Germany; Johanna Otto to 1767 in Beutelsbach, Germany; Johann George Scholz to the mid 1700’s in Schlichten, Germany; Wilhelmina Kruse to 1854 in Volchow, Germany: Rudolf Grunenwald to 1569 in St Stephen, Switzerland; William O’Rourke to 1829 in Vale of Avoca, Ireland; Edwrd Kenny to 1800 in County Kilkenny, Ireland; Catherine Fitzpatric to 1811 in County Tipperany, Ireland; Thomas Waddicor to 1829 to England; Daniel Hovey to 1636 in Massachusetts; Amos Allen to 1751 in Rutland, Massachusetts; James Lines to 1793 in Athlon, Ireland; and Joseph Newton to about 1647 in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Some of Gloria’s ancestral surnames have been traced: Peter Faber to 1745 in Edingen, Luxembourg; Joseph Schaller to about 1840 in Schilligkau, Bohemia; Johann Eischen to aobut 1692 in Luxembourg; John Hauser to 1821 in Darmstadt, Germany; Johannes Heiderscheid to about 1765 in Oberfeulen, Luxembourg; Peter Ruster to 1706 in Feulen, Luxembourg; Joseph VonBank to early 1700’s in Reimberg, Luxembourg.

Jim, his wife, Gloria, and their two children, Eric and Marla, like to spend their free time doing family-oriented activities. These include hiking excursions, picnics, snow-skiing, visits to places of historical interest, tent-camping, baseball games and reading. They are members of Immaculate Conception parish, where Eric and Marla attend school.