Ebsen was born on April 2, 1908 in Belleville, Illinois. Ebsen was married to Ruth Cambridge from 1936 until they divorced in 1942. He was later married to Nancy Wolcott from 1944 until they divorced in 1985. Ebsen was last married to Dorothy Knott from 1985 until his death in 2003. Ebsen had 2 children with Cambridge, 5 with Wolcott, and one with Knott.