BUD AND BETTY SHAWGO
If you look on the left side of our church sanctuary, you will see a very handsome couple sitting almost in the same pew every Sunday morning. Bud and Betty Shawgo were married at First Christian Church in Emporia on December 11th, 1949. Their first home together was in Council Grove. They transferred their membership to FCC Manhattan when they moved from Council Grove to Manhattan in 1965 when Bud took a job with Manhattan Motors. As parts manager for Manhattan Motors he worked for a man with a name many of us recognize---Buel Ruddick. Betty took a job at the First National Bank and her supervisor was another familiar First Christian name --- Vic Roper.
Bud and Betty raised all of their four children (one girl, Patty, and three boys, Bob, Russell, and Steve) in Manhattan, and all four of them attended and graduated from Manhattan High School. This all sounds pretty normal so far. There is much more to their story, however, as in the subsequent years Bud, Betty and Steve all moved and worked in several dealerships, and even moved to Lawrence for a short time before moving back to Manhattan. (You will have to ask Bud and Betty for all the details of this adventure.) The short version is that Bud was well known as THE EXPERT in auto parts management in this region. He was always being asked to move from one dealership to another, and each dealership would “sweeten the pot” a little. Bud first worked as parts manager at Grauel Chevrolet in Council Grove; he then transferred to Manhattan Motors in Manhattan; then to Turner Chevrolet in Lawrence; and returned to Brewer Chevrolet in Manhattan. As many of you know, Brewer Chevrolet was sold to Jon Murdock, and Bud stayed on with Murdock and retired from that job (and his career in parts management) in 1993. Bud was recognized and given many accolades throughout his career for his knowledge and productive work ethic and production. Included in those awards were cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska, and a trip to Hawaii.
From 1966-1972 Betty worked for the First National Bank. Then in 1972 she took a position with Kansas State University in the Financial Aid and Awards Department. After returning from their brief stay in Lawrence, Betty came back to a job with Housing and Dining Service business office at Kansas State University where she retired in 1995. Bud and Betty have enjoyed camping throughout the years, and they and their trailer visited 35 states before the trailer retired. Now Bud and Betty like to take bus trips, their latest being to the northeastern part of the United States. Another current hobby is ballroom dancing. Bud also likes to play golf and is a charter member of the Stagg Hill Golf Club.
Bud and Betty are as charming, enjoyable and exciting to visit with as their exciting life of work, travel, and service has been. Their enticing smiles and their outgoing personalities give us all inspiration each and every week. They are faithful members and wonderful participants in our church, and we are truly blessed to have the Shawgo’s as part of our church family.