Jack Charles Bullington, 100, of Columbus, Nebraska, died Sunday, May 14, 2023, at St. Joseph Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri.
The funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 20, at 10:30 AM, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Columbus with Rev. Patrick Sparling and Rev. Chris Ramstad officiating. Interment will be in Roselawn Memorial Cemetery with military honors by The American Legion Hartman Post 84 Honor Guard. Visitation will be on Friday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Gass Haney Funeral Home and continue on Saturday from 9:30 AM until service time at the church.
Jack Charles Bullington was born January 21, 1923, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Frank and Martha (Gass) Bullington. Jack graduated from Southwest High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and on November 7, 1942, enlisted in the United States Army Air Force in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. His first duty station was at Sherman Field in Kansas, where he was part of the Third Staff Squadron. He volunteered for Aviation Cadet Training in 1943 and completed pilot training from May 1944 until October 1944. Jack graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant in the USAAF and was honorably discharged on November 19, 1944, only to accept a commission as 1st Lieutenant on November 20, 1944.
Jack served the United States Army Air Force faithfully during World War II and was honorably discharged on November 17, 1948. On September 16, 1950, Jack was united in marriage to Suzanne Lehr, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Columbus. On September 15, 1951, Jack was recalled to military duty during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged on February 14, 1953.
Over the years, Jack worked in the Columbus community in numerous areas, Columbus Planing Mill, Viergutz Lumber Company, Middle State Manufacturing, Columbus Hospital, and Columbus Public Schools. His civic activities included: director of Columbus-Platte County Civil Defense, Admiral in the Great Nebraska Navy, director of Columbus Emergency Relief, finance officer of the American Legion, charter member of Miss Nebraska, Inc., and a member of DAV, VFW, and American Legion. Jack was a faithful member of Immanuel Lutheran Church for over 70 years, serving as a trustee, church treasurer, usher, school board member, building committee, and loyal club.
Jack enjoyed fixing houses and directing little league baseball to ensure that all boys in Columbus could play baseball during the 1960’s and 1970’s. He was a golf caddy as a 12 year old - in 1935 at Blue Hills Golf Course in Kansas City. Jack also played golf as a young man. An avid fan of University of Nebraska, Kansas City Chiefs and Royals – he especially enjoyed going to Royals games when he moved back to KC in 2021 and sitting 15 rows behind home plate.
Longevity secret – no drinking and no smoking.
Jack also remembered that his 3 older sisters always tried to dress him up in girls clothes. He did not like that.
On Christmas Eve, 1947 Jack was piloting a B-17 in Greenland Labrador to ferry supplies to air stations for the holiday season. Due to navigational problems and no place to refuel, the plane had to crash land on frozen Dyke Lake in Labrador. Every one survived and was rescued. In 1998, when the abandoned aircraft was located about six miles from where searchers expected it to be in the lake, the B-17 was described as a time capsule. The corresponding discovery of the campsite used by the plane's crew and passengers was unexpected. Cooking utensils, a canteen, an ax, a can of food and a wood pile were as they had been left all those years before. Parachute shrouds that had been used to tie makeshift shelters onto trees were still tied in place. The B-17 was raised from the crystal clear water in the fall of 2004 and it was transported on 3 semi trailers to be restored in Columbus, Georgia. Mr. Don Brooks is currently working on the plane so that it can fly proudly again. Jack was the last surviving member of this B-17.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at The VA Hospital in Kansas City and to the Agape Care Givers.
Memorials are suggested to the Immanuel Lutheran School Athletic Fund.
Jack is survived by:
Son: Douglas (Deborah) Bullington of Omaha, NE
Grandchildren: Erin (Richard) McKnight
Nathan (Diana) Bullington
Jordan (Amy) Bullington
Son: Stuart (Mary) Bullington of Kansas City, MO
Grandchildren: Benjamin (Anja) Bullington
Andrew (Molly) Bullington
Molly Bullington
Son: Greg (Leslie) Bullington of Kansas City, MO
Grandchildren: Emily (Nolan) Kellerman
Jessica (Chase) Dudzinski
Grace Bullington
Son: Brian (Barbara) Bullington of Lincoln, NE
Grandchildren: Nicholas (Elizabeth) Bullington
Eric (Joy) Bullington
Morgan (Kirk) Christenson
Son: Roger (Susan) Bullington of Grand Island, NE
Grandson: Alex Bullington
Son: Jay (Teresa) Bullington of West Des Moines, IA
Grandchildren: Jamie (Cale) Truhlsen
Samantha (fiancé Jordan Clapp) Bullington
23 Great Grandchildren
Jack was preceded in death by:
Parents – Frank and Martha Bullington
Wife – Suzanne Bullington
Brother – Frank Bullington, Jr.
Sisters – Kathleen Bullington, Martha Edge and Elizabeth Sells
Source: Gass Haney Funeral Home
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