Gene was one of those people that excelled at everything he did. His life was cut short but he managed to pack many stories of his antics into the family lore.
As a teenager the family was given 24 hours to remove him from the state of Iowa after Gene staged a fake home burglary and shooting in his snowy back yard. It was the last straw for Iowa officials and the family removed to California.
He served as an aircraft radioman/gunner in WWII. Once he actually fell out of his plane when it rolled in a turn. Gene caught the radio wire that ran along the top of the plane and rode home hanging onto the line.
Gene never took music lessons but could play any instrument he touched. He played well enough to be featured on radio shows playing guitar, violin, piano and drum solos.
Sadly this unique man was killed in an auto accident. A family friend and eyewitness said Gene stopped at a red light and moved forward slowly when it turned green. At the center of the intersection, it was if God took a spatula and flipped the car over. The gear shift on the floor went through his lung. He died at the hospital later that day. The car was undamaged and nothing could ever be found to have caused the accident.
His mom always said he was on his way to get married. It is doubtful he was actually on his way to elope. A son, Norman Eugene, was born to him posthumously.
Dawna Graham Westbrook
niece
As a teenager the family was given 24 hours to remove him from the state of Iowa after Gene staged a fake home burglary and shooting in his snowy back yard. It was the last straw for Iowa officials and the family removed to California.
He served as an aircraft radioman/gunner in WWII. Once he actually fell out of his plane when it rolled in a turn. Gene caught the radio wire that ran along the top of the plane and rode home hanging onto the line.
Gene never took music lessons but could play any instrument he touched. He played well enough to be featured on radio shows playing guitar, violin, piano and drum solos.
Sadly this unique man was killed in an auto accident. A family friend and eyewitness said Gene stopped at a red light and moved forward slowly when it turned green. At the center of the intersection, it was if God took a spatula and flipped the car over. The gear shift on the floor went through his lung. He died at the hospital later that day. The car was undamaged and nothing could ever be found to have caused the accident.
His mom always said he was on his way to get married. It is doubtful he was actually on his way to elope. A son, Norman Eugene, was born to him posthumously.
Dawna Graham Westbrook
niece
Gene was one of those people that excelled at everything he did. His life was cut short but he managed to pack many stories of his antics into the family lore.
As a teenager the family was given 24 hours to remove him from the state of Iowa after Gene staged a fake home burglary and shooting in his snowy back yard. It was the last straw for Iowa officials and the family removed to California.
He served as an aircraft radioman/gunner in WWII. Once he actually fell out of his plane when it rolled in a turn. Gene caught the radio wire that ran along the top of the plane and rode home hanging onto the line.
Gene never took music lessons but could play any instrument he touched. He played well enough to be featured on radio shows playing guitar, violin, piano and drum solos.
Sadly this unique man was killed in an auto accident. A family friend and eyewitness said Gene stopped at a red light and moved forward slowly when it turned green. At the center of the intersection, it was if God took a spatula and flipped the car over. The gear shift on the floor went through his lung. He died at the hospital later that day. The car was undamaged and nothing could ever be found to have caused the accident.
His mom always said he was on his way to get married. It is doubtful he was actually on his way to elope. A son, Norman Eugene, was born to him posthumously.
Dawna Graham Westbrook
niece
As a teenager the family was given 24 hours to remove him from the state of Iowa after Gene staged a fake home burglary and shooting in his snowy back yard. It was the last straw for Iowa officials and the family removed to California.
He served as an aircraft radioman/gunner in WWII. Once he actually fell out of his plane when it rolled in a turn. Gene caught the radio wire that ran along the top of the plane and rode home hanging onto the line.
Gene never took music lessons but could play any instrument he touched. He played well enough to be featured on radio shows playing guitar, violin, piano and drum solos.
Sadly this unique man was killed in an auto accident. A family friend and eyewitness said Gene stopped at a red light and moved forward slowly when it turned green. At the center of the intersection, it was if God took a spatula and flipped the car over. The gear shift on the floor went through his lung. He died at the hospital later that day. The car was undamaged and nothing could ever be found to have caused the accident.
His mom always said he was on his way to get married. It is doubtful he was actually on his way to elope. A son, Norman Eugene, was born to him posthumously.
Dawna Graham Westbrook
niece
Family Members
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