Butterfield Residential Care Center's Butterfield Express May 2019

Butterfield
EXPRESS
Volume 30, Issue 5
May 2019
Butterfield Residential Care Center is an affiliate of CMH, Bolivar, Mo., 417-326-6000
Facility Location: 1120 North Butterfield, Bolivar, MO 65613, 417-326-5200
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Resident of the Month 1
Activity Photos 2
Upcoming Events 3
Residents’ Birthdays 4
New Residents 4
Discharges 4
Happy
Mother’s Day
From
All of Us at
Butterfield
Residential
Care Center
Gene Engledow,
Resident of the Month
Gene Engledow was born October 7, 1913, to Ray
and Alfe (Parrott) Engledow in Bolivar, Missouri. Gene
grew up on a farm with his brother, Wayne, and sister,
Freda Sterling.
Gene attended the Woodlawn grade school and
Bolivar High School. At a young age he discovered his
talent as a mechanic and worked on tractors, Model T’s
and Model A’s on the family farm. Gene got his first job
at a Ford garage as a mechanic. Two years later, Gene
met Grace Slagle and the two were wed and moved to
California to start their new life together.
Gene had always been fascinated with airplanes and
had a dream in his heart to become a pilot. After moving
to California and finding a job at Strathema Ford Motors,
he was able to fulfill that dream and took his first flying
lesson. Meanwhile, he was promoted from mechanic to
foreman at Ford, and in 1940 he was offered a position as
an aeronautics mechanic at Cal-Aero, an independent
flying school where Army Air Cadets were trained
during World War II. Gene was working at Cal– Aero,
when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941, and in 1942 he
was hired as a foreman of air repair at Gardner Field
AFB, and was living out his dream of working on all
sorts of military planes, and flying in them nearly every
day.
One of the highlights of his career was working with
Lt. Col. James A. Doolittle of the Doolittle Tokyo
Raiders. Doolittle, who was a pilot and officer in the Air
Force, led the renowned air assault on Tokyo on April
18, 1942. “I was not a fighter pilot but I rode in them,
and I flew all the primary and basic trainers, but mine
was in maintenance with Doolittle’s airplane,” said Gene.
“I got to fly with the test pilots to make sure everything
was as it should be.” Gene was so honored when the
famous Doolittle thanked him for his service and auto-
graphed his pilot license.
Gene worked at several different military aircraft
companies throughout the years. In 1957, he was offered
an opportunity to work on space crafts. He would work
the next 11 years on highly classified projects at
Rocketdyne, a division of the Boeing Company. “ I
helped to build several types of rocket engines like the
Atles, the Thor and the Jupiter, and lots of small drone
engines and launchers,” said Gene.
Gene has been presented numerous awards for his
more than 70 years of service including the Wright
Brothers “ Master Pilot” award and the Charles Taylor
”Master Mechanic” award. He retired in 1975, but
continued to fly his planes and took his last solo flight at
the impressive age of 100.
Grace and Gene celebrated a wonderful 72 years of
marriage when she passed away in 2008. The couple
were blessed with two daughters, Carolyn Meadors,
Bolivar, and Jeannine Franks, Neosho, Missouri,
and three grandchildren, and eight great grandchil-
dren.
Gene has enjoyed various hobbies including
collecting antique gas engines and working on and
flying airplanes. He has owned an impressive 70
airplanes throughout the years. He also has been
involved with a number of organizations including
the United Flying Octogenarian and FAA Avia-
tion.
Gene moved to Butterfield in 2017 and enjoys
his days visiting with friends and family, includ-
ing his daughter, Carolyn, who also resides at
Butterfield. He enjoys the van rides, trips, and the
Golden Age Games at Butterfield. He also looks
forward to his weekly trips to the coffee shop and
to the airport café to have lunch and reminisce
with his many friends. He has been blessed to
celebrate many birthday milestones including his
most recent at 105 amazing years young.
Thank you for sharing your story with us,
Gene! We are blessed you are a part of our
Butterfield family.
Are you a caring individual who would like to assist in caring for the elderly?
Butterfield Residential Care Center has opportunities in its volunteer program.
For more information call Tammie Callaway, BRCC administrator, at 417-328-6380.