Ellis Annett
and Conservation in
Warren County

In 1983 Ellis Annett donated ten acres of oak-hickory timber to the Warren County Conservation Board to be used for the education and enjoyment of the people. The donation was made in memory of his wife, Zona, and his mother, Mary. This was to be the first of many donations made by Mr. Annett. These donations culminated with the construction of this building, the Annett Nature Center.

Ellis Annett was born and raised on a farm east of Martensdale, attending country school and graduating from Martensdale High School in 1925. He attended the University of Commerce in Des Moines, worked for the Penn and GTW Railroads in the billing departments, the Montgomery Ward & Co. Traffic Department, the Alaska Steam Ship Company in the Passenger Traffic Department and then with the Interstate Commerce Commission.

His time with the ICC was broken up by a stint in the United States Navy during World War II. All told, Ellis spent thirty two years with the ICC, many of them in Iowa. Ellis and Zona settled near Norwalk in 1950, where Zona’s talents with gardening and flowers became widely known.

In the years after his initial donation, Mr. Annett continued to show his generosity to the people of Warren County. In 1984 he helped the conservation board purchase the 80 acres that the Annett Nature Center was built on. In 1986 he put twenty seven acres into a life estate for the future benefit of the conservation board and the people of Warren County.

After a lengthy bout with Alzheimer’s disease, Mr. Annett passed away in the fall of 1992. The bulk of his estate was dedicated to the furtherance of conservation in Warren County through the Warren County Conservation Board. This magnificent gift allowed the construction of this facility, which is dedicated to providing education about and recreation in our natural areas to our citizens.

In dedicating the Annett Nature Center to the memory of Ellis Annett, The Warren County Conservation Board is fully aware that Mr. Annett has placed a great responsibility on the current board and staff as well as upon those of the future. Through his gift, and the trust it symbolizes, the Warren County Conservation Board must continue to provide its citizens with the kind of information and opportunities that Mr. Annett had in mind. From a simple donation of ten acres in 1983, Ellis Annett has laid a course for the future of conservation in Warren County. It is the hope and intent of the Warren County Conservation Board to live up to the expectations that Mr. Annett has left behind.