Ellis Hylton Gass

Ellis Hylton Gass departed this veil of tears, to be united with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at his home in McPherson, Kansas, on June 3, 2018, surrounded by family and friends. He was born on February 21, 1926, in Ava, Missouri, to Ramie Lee and Eula (Hylton) Gass.

His mother passed away when he was 6 years of age. Ellis was united in marriage to Ruth Lena Burgin on June 19, 1949, at her parents’ home in Ava, Missouri. This union was blessed with two daughters, Sheila and Sheryl. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

At the age of 16, Ellis went to Illinois to work. After a short period of time, he took advantage of a government training program and learned to weld. He was a hard and conscientious worker with a variety of skills. He worked at a foundry in Iowa and also as a welder for Boeing in Wichita, Kansas. The Boeing company transferred Ellis to Florida, and while en route, he and his family stopped in Mountain Grove, Missouri, to visit family, at which time his father suffered a heart attack. This led Ellis to decide to settle in Mountain Grove where he worked for Brown Shoe Factory and Peterson Construction. In the mid-1970s, he started driving a truck, eventually owning his own cab. He drove across the United States for 21 years. The last 6 years he drove with his wife, Ruth, as a team.

Ellis served his country in the United States Navy as a pipefitter on an LST-479, most of his time being spent in the South Pacific. His ship transported troops to the Hawaiian Islands and had the honor of transporting General Douglas McArthur at one time. He also witnessed President Truman accepting the surrender of the Japanese government.

Ellis was a faithful Christian his entire life. He was a member of Church of the Brethren for many years, later becoming a charter member of the Christian Brethren Fellowship. In his final years, after moving to McPherson, Kansas, he and Ruth became member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, LCMS.

Ellis was preceded in death by his father, Rev. Ramie L. Gass, his mother, Eula, his step-mother, Juell (Roy) Gass, his brother, Harold L. Gass, and a half-sister, Janet Gass Wilhite.

Ellis is survived by his loving and faithful wife of 68 years, Ruth, his daughters, Sheila Gass and her fiancé, Mike Ciabocchi, of Little Rock, Aarkansas, Sheryl (Gass) Dossett and her husband, Brynel, of McPherson, Kansas, his grandchildren, McKiefer L. Dossett of McPherson, Kansas, Serci K. Dossett and her husband, Marcelino Gonzalez, of Lawrence, Kansas, his great-grandchildren, Ryker L. Dossett, Amara M. Dossett, Alayna I., Madalena I., and Gabriela I. Gonzalez, many nieces and nephews and a host of friends.