Everett E. Engle

Everett Engle 89, of Terre Haute died June 11, 2024, at 1:15 AM. Everett was born four miles East of Farmersburg in a log cabin to the late Harley and Lorean (Baker) Engle. He graduated from Farmersburg High School in 1953.
He was a member of the Apostolic Church for many years. He was a member of King's Highway Tabernacle for over 60 years and became a member of New Life Fellowship in 2010. He has served as a Sunday School Secretary, Sunday School Superintendent, Usher, Treasurer, and Board Member.
Everett loved spending time with his family. Everett and his wife enjoyed traveling in the Western United States, especially our beautiful National Parks. Everett was a mall walker for more than 25 years and walked an average of more than 1000 miles per year for several years.
Everett firmly believed in the American dream, and that through faith in God, hard work, perseverance, patience and determination, even against all odds, that one can achieve their dreams. At 14-15 years of age he began raising hamsters as a hobby in a converted shed and later rented a commercial building to sell hamsters as pets. One of his best customers was the S.S. Kresge pet department in Terre Haute which sold cages he made along with the hamsters. After several years, the business grew beyond his greatest expectations and he shipped to customers cross country, earning him the title of "Youngest Business Entrepreneur in Sullivan County" during his growth.
After graduating from high school, he married his high school sweetheart Barbara Chilton and worked the night shift at Quaker Maid as he continued to develop his business which led to his later founding of Engle Laboratory Animals. In 1963 he resigned from Quaker Maid and devoted full time to his business, whose notable medical research customers were Eli Lilly, Mead Johnson, Dow Chemical, Pfizer, and Upjohn. By 1966, the National Institute of Health recognized Engle Laboratory Animals as the largest hamster producer in the U.S. In 1984 the business was purchased by Harlan Laboratories of Indianapolis which was operating facilities world wide at that time.
Everett was preceded in death by his wife Barbara, his parents, and a sister Sharron.
Everett is survived by his daughter, Rita Lutes (Anthony); sons, Tony Engle (Sue), Mike Engle (Laure), and Mark Engle (Paula); sister Freda Arlington; grandchildren, Andrew Engle (Morgan), Erica Kelly (Kevin), Crystal Hillenburg (Brandon), Bethany Campbell (Gabriel), Ashley Burch (Jacob), Collin Engle, Matthew Engle, and Megan Engle; great-grandchildren, Alivia Campbell, Griffin Campbell, Evelyn Campbell, Addison Hillenburg, Alexia Hillenburg, Samuel Kelly, Jillian Kelly, William Engle, Ava Engle, Huckleberry Burch, Edith Burch, Oakes Burch several cousins, nieces and nephews. He will be missed by his little green talking bird, Charlie.
Visitation will be Saturday 6/15/2024 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at New Life Fellowship Church. Funeral services will be conducted at New Life Fellowship Church on Saturday 6/15/2024 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM with Pastor Harpole officiating. Burial will be in Roselawn Memorial Park.
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