 1932 - 2024 (91 years)
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| Name |
Herbert Olaf John Engh [1] |
| Born |
24 Nov 1932 |
Havre, Hill, Montana, United States  |
| Gender |
Male |
 Obituary |
11 May 2024 |
| Facebook Post by Mary Palomaki |
- Herbert Olaf John Engh, left this earth but not our hearts, on May 11, 2024. Herb was born on November 24, 1932, in Havre, MT, to Rev. Olaf Engh and Alice Hagen Engh. Herb, the son of a minister, spent his youth in many places (Spirit Lake, Idaho, Maskell, Nebraska and Castle Rock, Wisconsin), and he had interesting stories for each and an uncanny memory for people he knew as a child. As a boy, he enjoyed fishing in the lake and walking through the creek with his friends. His favorite place was Castle Rock, where he got into lots of mischief with his friends and his dog, Rippy. Herb was an only child until the age of 15, when his younger brother, David, was born. Herb loved his baby brother, but soon was sent to school in South Dakota to the Augustana Academy and after graduation, on to Augustana College (now University) in Sioux Falls, where he would make life-long friends (and perhaps some more mischief). While he majored in Biology with an intention to go to medical school, once he graduated, instead of getting drafted, he joined the U.S. Navy and become a pilot. While in the navy, his parents, already in the new location of Bigfork, Minnesota, befriended the parents of Carol Hanson, a beautiful, smart, and sweet nursing student. Himself a tall, handsome, intelligent and funny man, he was soon besotted with Carol, and they married in September of 1956. The next year, while stationed in Hawaii, Herb and Carol's first daughter, Laurie, was born. While in the navy, Herb flew many "hair-raising" missions that Carol was happy not to know about until they were over. Their family continued to grow with additions of Sharon and Mary, while stationed in California and Florida, respectively. When Herb finished with the Navy active duty, Herb's family moved to Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where he got a job as a pilot with American Airlines based out of O'Hare Airport in Chicago. While his schedule required that he be gone a few days in a row, it also left plenty of time for him to spend with his family. On his vacations from work, however, Herb continued to fly for the Navy until his full military retirement. A special memory for his daughters was going on a dad/daughter trip, planned for each of them. They were always so proud when he was the pilot of the airplane on which they were flying. The family stayed in Buffalo Grove until Laurie finished high school. Meanwhile, Herb and Carol worked to build their dream house at Lake Summerset, where they finally moved in 1975. While they lived in the basement for a few years, they completed the house and enjoyed the beautiful solitude of country life for many years while Herb continued to commute to O'Hare Airport. Herb had many interests and always had a lot of knowledge on subjects that interested him, and he liked to share interesting stories about his life. Herb was a great football and basketball fan and would watch any game that was on TV, especially if it was an exciting game. While he was a Green Bay Packers fan, he really enjoyed whichever team was playing the best. Herb loved listening to classical music and had an uncanny knowledge and recognition of it. Herb could fix anything, whether it was repairing a car, designing the plumbing for the house, or making the families' first color TV, even if sometimes it took a while to get a completed product. Fortunately, Herb was able to retire at the young age of 54. During this time, Herb fought a mighty fight with the IRS, but he didn't hold the necessary power to win, and he spent 28 months in Yankton, SD, without his consent. His principles were always very strong, and when he truly believed in something, he was willing to pay the necessary price. Herb learned a lot about tolerance of other people and came out a changed man. Once the grandchildren came along, Herb became chief playmate and storyteller, and his grandchildren loved to visit Grandpa and Grandma at Lake Summerset. When they bought a second home in Florida, they lived right down the street from two of the grandkids, which was a delight for all. When he was in his 70s, Carol discovered cruises and dragged him along to many different and exciting destinations. He loved to talk about where they had been probably more than the actual experience. Carol was always happy when he consented to go along with her. In 2003, when they moved out of Lake Summerset (permanently) and left Florida, they moved to Prescott, AZ. Herb enjoyed hiking the hills for several years, but the altitude proved difficult in his later years. In 2021, under the suggestion of their daughters, they moved closer to family and to The Villages, Florida. He has been happy the last few years to receive many visits from their friends and family. Herb's wonderful sense of humor, loyalty and love for his family will truly be missed... especially by his best friend and life companion, Carol, whose exceptional care kept him alive many more years than he ever thought possible. They were married for almost 68 years, a feat of which they were both proud. Herb is remembered by his wife, Carol, his brother and sister-in-law, Dave and Peggy Engh, his daughters, Laurie (Jim) Hall, Sharon Youland, and Mary (Jon) Palomaki; his grandchildren, Whitney Hall, Emily (Hannah) Palomaki, Shelby (Steve) Semidey, Elise Palomaki Bergheger, Christina Youland, and Johnny "JD" (Addie) Youland; and two great-grandchildren, Owen Bergheger and Charlie Semidey. Herb was preceded in death by his parents, his favorite cousin, Ray Engh, his best friend, Herman Brandenburg, and his beloved cats, Ashley, Abby, Tony, and Cleo.
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| Died |
11 May 2024 |
The Villages, Sumter, Florida, United States |
| Person ID |
I6322 |
Dale's Tree |
| Last Modified |
17 Dec 2024 |
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| Sources |
- [S642] Artifacts - Wedding Announcement, Wedding Announcement card (Reliability: 2), 10 Dec 2013.
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Carol Marie Hanson 
