Unraveling the story of the Rushmans
Glenn and Elna Rushman lived through The Jazz Age, The Great Depression, the Motor City Boom, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and the Digital Age. As a result of such an upbringing, the Rushmans were opportunistic by nature, with strong values in family, education and community.
Elna Murphy was born February 20, 1920, in Reed City, and raised in Bay City. After graduating from Bay City Central High School in 1938, she spent two years at Bay City Junior College before transferring to Michigan State College (now University). While attending MSC, Elna met and fell in love with a charming, young Glenn Rushman, born November 15, 1920 in Harrisville. In 1942 Elna graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in language arts. Glenn made the courageous decision to halt his studies and enlist in the Army Air Corps, earning his wings in 1944.
Later that year, Glenn was stationed in Punta Gorda, Florida for single engine fighter pilot (P-40) training. Elna followed, and the loving couple were married June 3, 1944. Glenn was assigned to the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group (a.k.a. the Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney), 8th Air Force (a.k.a. The Mighty Eighth). He flew 57 combat missions in “Pinky”—his P-51 Mustang—nicknamed for Elna, whose skin burned easily in the hot Florida sun.
Glenn earned many recognitions for his service, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, the Distinguished Unit Badge, EAME Theatre Ribbon and membership in the Caterpillar Club—an honor reserved for those who have used parachutes to escape from a disabled aircraft.
After completing active duty, and remaining in the Air Force Reserves, Glenn and Elna returned to East Lansing, where in 1947, Glenn completed his degree in civil engineering. Soon after, the couple purchased their home in Bay City, started their family and opened the area’s first automatic laundromat—Self-Serve Laundry. Though successful, Glenn sold the laundromat and pursued an opportunity to work as an assistant field superintendent at Austin Construction Company in Midland.
In 1955, Glenn and Elna became business owners once again, establishing The Fabric Fair in downtown Bay City. It became the “go to” spot for hard-to-find fabrics, even attracting Martha Stewart as a customer. After nearly 40 years, the Rushmans sold the fabric store in 1994, and 22 years later, The Fabric Fair closed its doors for good. The building still stands at 206 5th Street, donning it’s 1920’s-inspired Art Déco gold lettering in its windows as a historical bright spot of the city.
In addition to his business pursuits and military career, Glenn worked for many years as a civil engineer for The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) before retiring in 1982. After 70 years of marriage, Glenn passed on June 3, 2014, and Elna followed nearly two years later on May 2, 2016.
The Glenn A. and Elna N. Rushman Scholarship Endowment was established by Amy Rushman in honor of her beloved parents. Of her and her five siblings, Amy shared, “My parents paid it forward to us, in a sense, so I am just continuing what they started. Education is the future, really—it is by supporting education, and the students who are going to lead us into the future, that we have something to look forward to.”
Interested in creating an endowed scholarship? Contact Julie Dorcey at 989-686-9079 or juliedorcey@delta.edu.
