The Rev. Robert Mize Jr., an Episcopal priest, founded Saint Francis Boys’ Home more nearly eight decades ago in Ellsworth, Kansas. Fr. Bob had seen too many troubled youth disappear forever into the juvenile justice system, and he wanted to help them reclaim their lives and their futures. He offered hope. Over the years, the scope of our ministry has grown, encompassing a broad range of programs and services in seven states. Today, Saint Francis Ministries provides care to thousands of children and families, yet it all began in 1945 in a little town in Kansas. What follows is Part I of the story of Jim Deaton, a former resident of the Boys’ Home who came to Ellsworth in the late 1960s/early 1970s as a young teen.
If anyone’s story serves as a testimony to the power of community in shaping young lives, it’s Jim Deaton’s. Orphaned at birth, he was fortunate enough to be adopted 70 years ago by E.E. and Irene Deaton of Liberal, Kansas, at three months old. As an only child, Jim benefited from a life of relative prosperity earned through E.E.’s successful pipeline and welding company. It was a good life, and the Deatons were respected and well-connected within the Liberal community. Then tragedy struck. At eight years old, Jim lost his father in a hunting accident. Irene took over the business and ran it capably until cancer took her life seven years later, in the spring.
Adrift, Jim had few options. The 15-year-old initially stayed with family friends, but they had their own kids to raise. His parents’ families were in a similar situation. “I’ve always had a bit of a wandering soul, so that summer, I became a free-range person,” he says. “My friends and I would decide to go backpacking in Colorado, so we’d just load up the car and go away for a while. Then I’d come back home.”
By the time school started again, Jim had little interest. He had difficulty focusing on classwork, and his living situation was tentative. He needed direction and a more permanent place to live.
“Technically, I was a ward of the court, so I knew Judge Horace Malin well. He was a good, fair person, and he and I talked a lot. He said, ‘Jim, you have to do something. We can handle this through all kinds of legal channels, but we don’t want to do that because there are places you could be sent that wouldn’t be good, such as the juvenile justice system.’ He was concerned, and I liked that.”
Judge Malin told Jim about a place in Ellsworth, Kansas, called Saint Francis Boys’ Home. He described it as Christian-based, not a correctional facility, and suggested that Jim consider it.
“He said, ‘It will give you stability and somewhat of a family. It will also provide direction and education. These are things you’re going to need. I’ve known your family forever, Jim, and you’re a good person. But you could easily go down the wrong road, so I think Saint Francis is the route you should take.’ And that’s how I ended up at the Boys’ Home in 1969.”
Jim arrived at Saint Francis on a Friday, driven by banker and family friend Charles Brisendine, who introduced him to the staff and explored the campus with him.
“It was in the country, so I liked that,” says Jim. “The staff were really compassionate and gave me time to ease into it. I’ll never forget them asking how many clothes I brought, and I had four pairs of blue jeans and four black shirts. Charles said, ‘That’s all he wears.’ All these years later, I wear pretty much the same wardrobe.”
It didn’t take long for Jim to settle in. He and his mother had traveled extensively before she died, so he was quickly surprised and pleased to learn that despite the rural location, boys at Saint Francis came from all over the United States and other parts of the world. He also enjoyed the structure, which seemed supportive rather than limiting. He settled in quickly after that first week.
