Douglas Keith Ellsworth
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I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. We always lived on a small farm, so there was always chores to do. I milked cows and fed the horses, cattle, sheep, and chickens. It was a great childhood. I have four brothers and one sister. We did a lot of family things together like camping and working together. We bought a cattle ranch when I was 14-years old and lived on the ranch (Campbell Blue near Alpine, AZ) during the summers. It was a great time.
I went to Mesa Public Schools and was a better than average student. I graduated from Mesa High School in the class of 1975. I started college and then was called on a mission for the church and served for two years in the England Birmingham Mission (1976-1977). I came home and continued my college education. I worked as a mechanic rebuilding car engines to earn money to pay for my education. When my brother Steve returned from his mission, we decided to go to college at Rick’s College in Idaho (now BYU-I). It was a beef production program to become a ranch manager. The cattle ranch on the Blue was sold, so we decide to return home after one year. I continued school at ASU and graduated with a teaching degree in 1981. During this time I met and married Diane Hadley on March 13, 1982 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. I began teaching third grade for Mesa Public Schools the fall of 1981. We started a family. Emily was born in 1982, Allison 1983, Jeff 1985, Kristi 1987, Noralin 1988, Rachel 1992, and Brent 1995. I have had many opportunities serving in the church. Sunday School, Primary, Cub Scouts (my favorite calling was Cub Master), Bishopric, Young Men’s (served as a Scoutmaster for 5 years), Young Men’s President , Stake Young Men’s President, Bishopric and then Bishop of the Aspen Ward, Kimball East Stake for 6 years. I retired from teaching after 30 years, and we began serving church missions. In 2012 we served a mission in the Palmyra New York temple as ordinance workers . In 2014 we served a mission in Albany, New York (Utica Mission) as CES Specialists working with the youth in seminaries and institutes. |