Elmo Dale Caldwell

Elmo Dale Caldwell, 96, Louisville, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 18, 2015, at the Franciscan Healthcare Campus. Elmo was born to Robin Vernon and Cora Helena Fischer Caldwell in Clay Center, Kansas, May 31, 1919. He attended elementary schools in Longford, Garfield Elementary in Clay Center, and South Exeter District 42, Clay County, Kansas. He graduated from Clay County Community High school in 1939.

After graduation Elmo worked for two years with his step father, John E. Keen, to whom his mother was married in 1931. Elmo also worked with other farmers in Exeter Township. He was converted at a tent camp meeting, held in the pasture of Clyde Lloyd, in September 1939, which made a profound change in his life. He was an avid churchman and widely read in books of theology, philosophy, ethics and the humanities. He loved the writings of classic Greek and Jewish writers, as well as scholarly magazines. His most loved book was the Bible.

In 1941 he moved to Kansas City, MO, where he took training as a sheet metallurgist, at the American Aeronautical Institute. He then moved to Los Angeles where he was employed by Vega Aircraft, a subsidiary of Lockheed Aircraft Company in Burbank, California, where B-17 Bombers were built.

In October 1943 Elmo volunteered for military service in the Army Air Corps. He completed his basic training at Amarillo, Texas, and then transferred to Kingman, Arizona, for gunnery school. He was assigned with a crew of ten men at Pyote, Texas, to fly a new B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Bury-St. Edmunds, England, where they were attached to the 92nd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. The crew flew 30 missions over the Rhineland, West Germany; over Central Europe, and the Ardennes of Northeast France, Luxembourg and Southeast Belgium. They often suffered damage to the fuselage of their plane from ground fire, but always returned safely. Elmo flew 11 missions as a tail gunner and 16 missions as a right waist gunner. The crew’s last mission was flown the day President Franklin D. Roosevelt died at Warm Springs, Georgia, April 12, 1945. Elmo was discharged from service in October 1945, with the EAME Service Medal, 3 Oakleaf Clusters, 4 Battle Stars, 1 Overseas Bar, the Air Medal and Good Conduct Medal.

After the war Elmo graduated from Miltonvale Wesleyan College, Miltonvale, Kansas, with a Bachelors Degree in Theology and Religion in 1949. In 1950, he graduated from Westmar College, LeMars, Iowa, with an A.B. degree. He then took courses at Asbury Theological Seminary in 1951. His biblical studies prepared him well to teach Sunday school classes for more than 50 years. An avid Bible scholar, he read the Bible through by his own count more than 65 times. In 1953 he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where he was employed as a sheet metal craftsman by Clayton & Lambert Water Heater, Fire Pot and Blow Torch Factory from 1953-1961. From 1961-1988 he worked at Louisville Naval Ordnance Plant, where he received several meritorious awards for his skills in sheet metallurgy.

He was married to Catherine Harrington, November 20, 1959. She died April 18, 1999. He was also predeceased by his parents and one sister, Doris, long time resident of Clay Center. He was a faithful servant of the Lord with a long and beautiful relationship with the members of the Alleghany Wesleyan Methodist Church of Shepherdsville, Kentucky. He is survived by one brother, Wayne E. Caldwell, and wife Joan, Fishers, Indiana; two nieces, Joy A. Caldwell, Belmont, New York; Eunice L. Rickey (Brian), Marion, Indiana; and one nephew, Philip W. Caldwell (Jill), Noblesville, Indiana; four great nieces and four great nephews, four great, great nieces and three great, great nephews, numerous cousins, neighbors and friends.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, October 22, 2015 at 10:30a.m. in the Chapel of the Evergreen Funeral Home, 4623 Preston Highway, Louisville, Kentucky. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 9:30-10:30a.m. The Reverend Mike Anderson, Pastor of the Brookside Wesleyan Methodist Church, Shepherdsville, Kentucky, will be conducting the service. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Brookside Wesleyan Methodist Church, 1644 W. Hebron Lane, Shepherdsville, KY 40165.