Friday, April 15, 2011

Kenneth Wilson Furbush...

....April 15, 1933-July 12, 2006.

Ken Furbush was born in Farmington, NH on April 15, 1933, the son of Ralph M. Furbush and Irene H. (Wentworth) Furbush White.

He attended Farmington schools and joined the Army in 1950. He served in Korea in 1950-1951 with the 2nd Div. (Second to None) 8th Infantry.

He survived the Chosin Reservoir and was declared missing in action while a POW. He and three others managed to escape the prison camp. He also served in Germany in 1953 during the Occupation.

After his discharge from the Army, he graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology in diesel engineering. He also served in the Army Reserves in the 1960s as a master sergeant.

He worked as a diesel mechanic at Ipswich, Mass., power plant and as a welder at General Electric-Riverworks in Lynn, Mass. In 1958 he returned to Farmington, where he owned and operated the Sunoco Station, served as a special police officer and also owned and operated K.W. Furbush & Sons, doing truck & auto repairs, as well as welding and fabricating. Ken also operated independent construction trucks for Watkins, Midway, and Audley construction companies.

As a young man he enjoyed hunting, fishing, swimming and camping with his family. He enjoyed learning the history of trains and took many photos of them. He became quite skilled as a self-taught photographer. While his health allowed, he was a model railroader.

In 1977 he moved to Lee and mini-farmed as a hobby while working as a welder foreman at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Shop 26, until forced into retirement due to an injury in 1985. After several years of surgery and therapy, he tried to resume lighter work, working at Ken Smith tractor, but his old injury and new health issues forced him to fully retire.

He was survived by his wife of 52 years, Marie Irene (Boudreau) Furbush of Lee; his children, Kathryn and her husband Vernon Plummer of Laconia, Michael Furbush of Colebrook, John Furbush of Lebanon, Maine; a daughter-in-law, Sandra Furbush of Annapolis, Md.; six grandchildren, Holly N. Wynn of Corsicana, Texas, Cheryle L. Simmons of Lumberton, Texas, David J. Furbush of Alton, Erin E. Plummer of Laconia, Amy L. Furbush of Portland, Maine, and Andrew J. Furbush of Annapolis, Md.; eight great-grandchildren, Brian, Brina, Zachary, and Noah, all of Corsicana, Texas, Bethanie and Katelynn Nicole of Lumberton, Texas, Kaitlynn Ann and Katrina Rose, both of Alton; his siblings, Marjorie M. Dunbar of Farmington, Ralph M. Furbush of Kensington, Marilyn Bishop of Salisbury, Mass., Shirley Merrill of Seabrook, Melvin Furbush of Newberry, Donna Bishop, Donald Furbush and Carole Stanwood, all of Salisbury, Mass., and Ronald E. White of Clarksville, Tenn.; many nieces and nephews.



Happy Birthday, Grampa.. I miss you.


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