When their mother died at an early age, Mary Ellen and her sister Gladys had to drop out of school and were boarded at a convent in Bird Island operated by St. Joseph's nuns, and in private homes after the convent closed. Mary Ellen graduated from the St. Mary's School of Nursing in 1923. After her marriage, she worked as a private duty nurse. In 1949, she worked as a nurse for a year at the Cairn's clinic. From 1951-62, she worked full time at the Redwood Falls Hospital. She worked at the Franklin nursing home, from September of 1964 to October of 1973.

Fred and Mary Ellen lived on the Daun family farm for the first two years of their marriage. They then lived on the Farenbaugh family farm for a year. The Dauns settled in Morton, Minn., moving there in 1938. In 1941, Fred went to Kodiak Island and worked as a carpenter for about four months until the war began. He was the first man in Morton to enlist in WWI. Howver, he was stationed in Cuba and did not see active duty. Fred and his friend Walt Butzer then worked as carpenters, and drove school busses. Fred worked as a bartender and bouncer until he became the city constable and maintenance man for the 9 1/2 years. He retired in 1960/61.