Gene Bellar epitome of Exploration, Motivation, Duration

By Editor | May 7, 2024 |

By Scott Winfree

Courier Publisher

Gene Bellar of San Diego, California regularly makes a return trip to his native Smith County, Tennessee.

His latest 2,000-plus mile flight occurred just this past week.

To add perspective, Gene Bellar is now 99 years young.

His visits with relatives and driving to see his old stomping grounds of the Club Springs community in the eastern section of Smith County are always primary on his agenda.

Such was the case this past Friday when Bellar and his sister, Jimmye Lou Swafford, and nephews Glen and Jerry Gibbs were on their way to the old home area but beforehand stopped by the Courier office to pay a visit.

While approaching age 100, which will come this December 22, Bellar says his plans are for this to be his last trip to Smith County. His customary two-week stays has even been scaled back to one week for this visit.

But having spent a few minutes in conversation with him, and if his active, long and storied past is any indication, I can’t imagine him not being here next year on a return visit.

In essence, Gene Bellar is the epitome of (1) Exploration, (2) Motivation, and (3) Duration.

Comprehend the following —

• Veteran of 3 Wars

WWII

Korean

Vietnam

• Flew in an airplane underneath the Carthage Bridge (1946)

• Played golf until age 97

• Made Hole-In-One (golf) – age 91

• Ship Yard Cost Estimator (14 years)

• Beekeeper, sold honey (20 years)

• Made and sold jerky around the San Diego area