Jesse Barrow

Jess Barrow, age 87, passed away Monday, September 4, 2006 at Tendercare in Cass City following a lingering illness. Jess was born October 26, 1918 in Bowling Green, KY, the son of the late Coleman B. & Eula M. (Robison) Barrow, moving with his parents to Toledo as a young boy. He was united in marriage to Elnora M. Hoffman on March 17, 1938 in Covington, KY. Jess joined the U.S. Navy in 1944, serving in the Asian Theatre. After his discharge from the Navy, he was employed at Monroe Auto Equipment Company as an engineer. During his employment there, he enlisted in the Coast Guard Reserve in 1951. He was a pilot for the next 15 years, retiring in 1966 with the rank of Commander. In 1956, he retired from Monroe Auto Equipment Company, moving to Caro with his family to be the assistant chief engineer and pilot with the Walbro Corporation. In 1963 he retired from Walbro to go to work with Ford Motor Co in Dearborn until his retirement in 1980. In 1988, he and Elnora moved back to Caro. After retirement, Jess began to enjoy writing papers, articles, columns and he also spent many years writing a book titled “Marine Fighting Squadron Nine F.F. 9M” about aviation history. Jess often loved to tell his story about the time he flew under the Mackinaw Bridge. During all his adult life, Jess enjoyed playing guitar with various bands, trios and later with Glenn Eastman in Caro, often with his wife as a soloist. Jess was a member of the Caro United Methodist Church, the Caro Rotary Club and various engineering and military groups that included S.A.F., A.O.P.A., O.X.5, A.A.H.S., and was also a Life Member of the Coast Guard Pterodactyls. In the early 1990s, he was made an Honorary Kentucky Colonel by Governor Brown. Jess is survived by his wife of 68 years, Elnora; three daughters and their spouses, Carol and Pat Stapleton of Caro, Loretta Welsh of San Antonio, TX, Linda Barrow and her husband Ken Mordhorst of Lake Ann, MI; five grandsons and two granddaughters, Heather Gauthier, DAnna and Hobart Welsh, Christopher, Jeffrey and James (Judy) Stapleton; six great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, Jess was preceded in death by two grandsons, Patrick Lee Stapleton in 1989 and Jacon Gauthier in 2000 and by his sister Marie Kahler.