03/10/10: Bob is home and doing much better, is taking walks and starting to perk up. Still has a ways to go. Being home is the best PT he can get. He goes back tomorrow for some follow up tests etc. They will be doing more speech with some exercise as well. Glen
03/08/10: He is doing much better today, has been up and walking with the aid of a walker. His speech is still a problem but he is trying very hard. Just going to take some time. His attitude is much better today as he was joking with the nurse. He understands what's going on now so he will do better now. Glen
03/06/10: They did a test on his neck and it was clear. There was a subtle change noticed on the latest CT Scan that wasn't there on the first one when he was admitted. They are going to do another one tomorrow to see if there are any changes and maybe they can figure out what caused the stroke. His speech hasn't improved but the pacemaker seems to be working because his hands are a lot warmer. They have him on Plavix and one other one that I didn't catch the name of. If it is the one they gave him at dinner, it was for cholesterol. He gets breathing treatments two or three times a day. He may be able to come home on Monday or Tuesday, he will need speech therapy and physical therapy, but they can be done on an out-patient basis. It is a really good thing we have the elevator, even without the cab, at least I can get him up and down. I will need a wheelchair, but that is the least of my needs right now. He is so depressed & it is sad to see him so helpless and to know he is so aware of it. There is no paralysis so I am hopeful that this will not be permanent. At least I hope not, for his sake. I will keep you posted. Lois
03/05/10: While in the Hospital Bob had a stroke on top of the pacemaker in plant. He had a cat scan and will have another tomorrow. He is doing a little better today. He is in the Lake Havasu Medical Center. He is not taking calls at this time. I will continue with updates when I hear more from Lois.
Bob Oppermann
is
in
the
hospital
with
some
heart
problems.
They
are
putting
him
on a
pacemaker.
I
will
send
more
information
as I
get
it.
Glen
02/23/10:
After a
courageous
battle
with
cancer
Sue
Cornelison,
wife of
long
time
SCTA
member
Jerry
Cornelison,
passed
away on
February
20th.
Services
will be
held on
Monday,
March
1st at
11am at
Acheson
& Graham
Garden
of
Prayer.
Viewing
will be
held the
evening
before
from
4pm-8pm
at the
same
location.
Mom will
be laid
to rest
at
Riverside
National
Cemetery
following
the
services
Monday.
Staging
area 4
at
12:45pm.
Following,
a
reception
and
Celebration
of Her
Life
will be
held at
Romano's
Canyon
Crest.
Please
join us
for
wonderful
food,
memories
and
friendship.
Mom
would
want it
that
way!
Those
wishing
to
contact
Jerry
can
reach
him at
home on
951-686-2166
or on
his cell
at
951-500-7555.
02/18/10: Bob
Torres, age 79,
passed away on
December 3rd
in Phoenix,
Arizona. He had
cancer. Bob was
a partner to
Nick Arias and
ran at
Bonneville in
the mid 50's. He
and Nick owned Venolia
Pistons together
in the early
60's.
Tom Finn, Sr
01/04/10:
We have been
notified by the
daughters of John
Cramer that he
passed away
peacefully at home
on Dec. 27th.
A long time SCTA and
SDRC member was best
known for some early
fast runs with an
Ardun Ford. He
was a SCTA Board
member in the 50s.
He teamed up with
Bill Taylor in 1968
and a year later
Bill got into the
200mph Club with
their car. In
1970 John exceeded
200mph running on 87
percent nitro, but
the roadster broke
before he could
complete the return
run. Bill, Jim
Culbert and John
were also involved
in sprint car racing
all over California
and Arizona.
He will be missed. JoAnn Carlson
12/10/09:
Gene
Burkland
Cremation has
taken place
under the
direction of
Croxford Funeral
Home and
Crematory. His
memorial service
is 2 p.m. Sunday
at First United
Methodist
Church.
Gene left us on
Dec. 8, 2009. We
expect he's gone
racing with his
departed
friends, or is
beginning
another great
project.
Gene was born in
Great Falls on
Nov. 1, 1936, to
Carl and Phyllis
Burkland.
His brother Jack
died in 2004,
and his sister
Bonnie Flanagan
lives in
Missoula. In
1959, he married
Betty Hunter.
They have two
sons; Tom and
his wife Linda
and daughter
Carly from
Ogden, Utah, and
Bill and his
wife Barb and
sons Nick and
John from
Clancy. Gene
grew up in Great
Falls, and
graduated from
Great Falls High
School in 1954.
Gene began his
career with the
Montana Air
National Guard
in 1956 and
worked there for
nearly 30 years,
welding
everything from
titanium
aircraft parts
to tricycles and
red wagons. When
he retired, he
moved into race
car production
and
welding/repair
work at his home
shop. His love
affair with cars
began in 1951,
when he bought
his first car
for $7.50. After
investing in a
$10 piston, he
was ready to
roll!
During the
1960s, his was a
familiar face at
drag races
across Montana,
first with a
1932 Ford
roadster, and
then with a
dragster.
Classics Car
Club, custom
show cars, stock
cars and
dragsters grew
into a
Bonneville land
speed racer
produced and run
with the
assistance of
hundreds of
friends. In
1971, he took
his home-built
Studebaker and
many friends to
Bonneville for
the annual Speed
Week. He set a
national record
in 1978 at 255
mph, becoming
the first
Montanan in the
exclusive
Bonneville 200
MPH Club. His
next car put his
son Tom into the
200 MPH Club.
Since 1986,
Gene, Betty and
Tom have been
building and
racing their
streamliner.
They set a
National Speed
Record in
October 2004 at
417 mph and a
World Speed
Record in
September of
2008 at 416 mph.
Gene's life
revolved around
the love of his
family and the
friends he
accumulated
through his
skill and
creativity in
welding, his
love of cars and
curiosity about
everything. He
was a magnet who
drew people to
his garage and
he had that
stubborn streak
needed to see an
idea through to
the end.
He began
battling his
lung disease in
earnest in 1997.
We're glad he's
finally
breathing easy,
but we'll miss
his ever-present
smile.
In lieu of
flowers, please
bring or send
your favorite
picture of you
and Gene to
Croxford Funeral
Home, 1307
Central Ave.
Great Falls, MT
59401.
Donations can be
made to "Save
the Salt" c/o
Russ Eyres, 3673
Millikin Ave.,
San Diego, CA
92122.
Condolences may
be posted online
at
www.croxfordfuneralhome.com
and/or
www.gftribune.com/obituaries.
|
12/10/09: The
Burklands are one of land
speed racing's most
congenial and fast families.
Gene has long been known for
his tremendous welding and
fabrication abilities as
well as his countless hours
of R&D fro high speed tires.
Gene used a welder the way
Heifetz used a Stradivarius;
what he built, was built
very well, something upon
which you could rely.
Indeed, rest your life upon.
I witnessed such a moment
when the driveshaft, which
ran along the driver's legs
and hips, got loose in the
411 streamliner during a
World Record attempt. Son
Tom got the beast stopped
and had a few bruises from
the twirling steel beating
the life out of a one-inch
plate covering it in the
cockpit, stretching it and
managing to rip slightly
like you would a seam in
your britches, but the welds
held. That, my friends, is a
testament of build quality;
to have such talent that can
provide such strength, such
protection to a land speed
racing vehicle. Gene was a
gentle, sincere man, with a
ready handshake and smile
who loved his wife, his
kids, his sport. How
wonderfully blessed we were
to have known him.
Heavy Heart Regards, "LandSpeed"
Louise Ann Noeth
12/09/09: Dear
friends: Yesterday
afternoon, after a very long
struggle with his lung
disease, Gene left our
world. He just couldn't
breathe any longer. I
believe he is up there
wherever old Bonneville
racers congregate . . .
swapping stories and
watching over all of us left
down here below. Thank you
all for the parts you have
played in his (& my) life.
He told me a few days ago
"It's been a wonderful life
. . . skidding to a stop
isn't so bad."
I'll be in touch . . . and
will hope see you all at the
salt.
Betty
Burkland
 Gene &
Betty
12/08/09: I am sure
maybe some of you heard that we
lost a very huge hero - we just
got a call that Gene Burkland
past away early today.......
very very devastating. Many
thoughts & prayers go out to
this fabulous family who have
given us so many great memories
for many years. Gene will be
missed and for sure NOT
FORGOTTEN.
God Speed My Dear Friend
Gene........
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