Location: Delayed due to Covid 19 Date: Pending Harold John Salsbury passed peacefully in his sleep on January 24, 2021. He was 99 years of age. He now resides in heaven with his true love of over 65 years, Eunice Mae Ebner Salsbury.
Harold, or known to his friends as “Bud”, was born on November 3, 1921 to Harry Arthur Salsbury and Beulah Irene Curry Salsbury on their small family farm, located close to Republic, Kansas. He attended a one room schoolhouse and rode his horse, “Grayboy”, to school. His mother Beulah died in 1936 at age 40 due to a Streptococcal infection leaving Harry to raise their 4 children, Lorrine, Harold, Joyce and Kenneth. By age 19 Dad had forged out on his own, eventually moving to Omaha where he met his true love Eunice Mae Ebner while both working at Kresge’s department store; Dad on the dime side and Mom on the dollar side. At twenty years of age, they were married January 26th 1942.
On August 8, 1942 Harold was inducted into the Army where he served in the 531st Anti- aircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, attached to the 30th infantry division (Old Hickory).
Prior to deployment Sandra was born. Eunice and new baby Sandie followed him to various training sites around the country. One of Dad’s proudest achievements as a young soldier was the day when he hiked to the bottom and back to the top of the Grand Canyon.
Harold was deployed to the European theatre landing in Normandy 10 days after D Day where he was in charge of an anti-aircraft artillery crew protecting infantry troops through France, Belgium and into Germany. He was in the battles and campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. At the end of the war Dad was honorably separated from the service October 11, 1945 with a rank of Sergeant.
On discharge he returned to Nebraska to raise his family. During this time he teamed up with his brother in-law “Bud Jr.” The two “Buds” ran a delivery service and together built a quarter midget race car for Bud Jr. to race. Ever resourceful, he also worked at night sorting and posting US mail bags off of moving trains.
Leaving Omaha for a new job, Dad with his family went in search of his future returning to Southern California, where he had trained in the military. The hopefulness of a promised job never materialized. So on news of a possible opportunity he hitchhiked 392 miles north to Palo Alto, California, with hopes of becoming a milkman.
Eventually Dad found work in Palo Alto; Mom, Sandie and Allen followed. In Palo Alto Dad established roots and purchased a trailer; living there one year until buying a house where Diana and Robert were born.
Dad spent 23 years in Palo Alto learning the concrete trade, partnering in a business and eventually working for Collishaw Corporation. As a Cement Mason, Harold supervised and built many parks and playgrounds in and around the Bay Area including San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, and Morgan Hill. Driving around with him he would often point to a park or location and say.. “I built that”.
While living in Palo Alto Dad got back into horses and after 23 years, Mom, Dad and John moved to San Martin returning to his roots where he kept 3 horses, a cow, chickens and a large garden.
When retirement arrived in1984 Mom and Dad moved again; this time to Lakeport, in Northern California, on Clearlake where Dad could fish, raise bees and vegetables which he would donate to the local Senior Center.
In 2007, after 65 years of marriage, Eunice Mae passed. After 3 years alone, Dad returned to live in San Martin with daughter Diana and Son in Law Steve. After 8 years, in 2018, Steve, Diana and Dad moved to Coarsegold, California where he passed on January 24, 2021 Harold was an outdoors kind of guy. While he lived in the suburbs, he was a farmer at heart. He loved to ride his horse, hunt and fish. He was a man’s man taking his family hunting and fishing, involving all his family in the good parts of life. His sons-in-law all referred to him as “Dad”.
Harold was the last surviving child of Harry Arthur and Beulah Curry, at 99 he was predeceased by sisters and their husbands, Lorrine and Burton Smith, Joyce and John Rogers, younger brother and wife, Kenneth and Elaine (Pelland).
Harold is survived by his 4 children; daughters, Sandra Tadlock and husband Paul Sr., Diana Bauman and husband Steve; sons, Allen Salsbury and wife Valerie, Robert Salsbury and wife Theresa; nine grandchildren, Debbie, Paul Jr., Stephanie, Kathryn, Megan, Christine, Troy, Brandon, Patrick and 14 great grandchildren.
Harold would have been very grateful to have donations made in his memory to the DAV, VFW, Boys Town or St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Please register at this site if you would like to receive information regarding his future Memorial Service. .
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