CELEBRATION OF LIFE: ELLEN CONRAD

Ambassador of KLCC & KL Community

Ellen Conrad was born January 6, 1935, in the small farming town of Pilger, Nebraska. Growing up amidst the landscape of corn fields, fruit trees and animals, she had a fun childhood. At the age of 13, three years after the passing of her father, Ellen and her mother moved to the city of Omaha. Being a whimsical and artistic child, she taught herself to play piano during the days she spent helping her mother clean the church---

play….dust.….play….dust!

In 1953, at the age of 18, she gained employment at an insurance company. Living on her own, she met her soon-to-be husband, Fred Conrad. They married in 1954, and within four years had three children: Jane, Ben and Tom. From 1957 through 1967, the family traveled cross-country: Nebraska to California, El Paso to New Orleans, Florida to

Baltimore, Denver to Hollywood, until settling in San Diego.

Fred was a self-taught talent at everything he tried, including hanging wallpaper. In 1969, the couple opened a wallpaper store which provided a product as well as a paper-hanging service. Ellen raised their children as well as worked full time at their business until they sold in 1980 and moved away.

Unfortunately, in 1989, Fred met an untimely death in a Bobcat accident. Nearly two years later, Ellen returned to San Diego at the prompting of her daughter. She bought a house in Clairemont and eventually Jane and her son, Max, moved in with her until the passing of Jane in 2004. Within a year, Ellen and then 12-year-old Max, moved into K.L.M.H.P.

During her 20+ years at Kearney Lodge, Ellen enhanced the quality of resident life. In addition to service as KLCC interim president, vice president,and secretary, she instituted many services and programs that are available today: Yard of the Month, resident volunteer transportation, community share box, started and maintained the community garden (next to KL’s east-side RV parking), pancake breakfast social, Friday night Bingo, KLCC bulletin board designs and more. After her volunteer role ended, she consistently attended KLCC meetings and events, all with the aim of making K.L.M.H.P. a fun and friendly place to live. She was a devoted mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, kitty-mom to Howie and Pookie, good neighbor and true friend.

Everyone liked Ellen and we, who knew her best, rightly admired her. She respected, valued and celebrated all people. She was one of the few remaining people I know who gave greeting cards on all occasions, year after year. Ellen was an honest person. Sometimes her directness could seem hard, but you felt the love and conviction with which she spoke and always without judgement. As a woman of integrity and humility, she was assiduous through life despite great personal loss, which yielded her a peaceable wisdom and graceful strength of being. She also had a stabilizing influence wherever she was; as I noticed with her tight group of neighbor friends, she was the anchor. Ellen’s light, carefree humor was sarcastic in a funny, playful way, amusing and never boring to be around. She was an artisan, creative, crafter and a huge Padre fan. She lived a life of service for the love of family and others. Ellen was a deeply devoted and faithful person, with a thankful and contented soul. A few years back, I asked her what advice she might give in respect to the full and colorful life she lived. She answered, “Be Kind.”