THIS IS A TRUE "100 YEARS OF AVIATION HISTORY" STORY !!!

I knew at the time I was being told, it was a big story. However until I was watching a show on the Wings Program recently, I didn't think about it.

My mother and dad had a close friend that passed away in 1985, by the name of Marie Riley. Marie's husband Joe had passed away some years earlier. (continued below)

THIS IS IT!!!
September 12 & 13
5th Annual Holleyfest
"fly-in / camp-out"

Featuring a wealth of  aviation education, a special tribute to the Wright Brothers "Centennial Celebration of Flight," delicious food and a bushel of "kick back and relax" Ozark Mountain fun.

Last year's Holleyfest Digital Photography Contest First Place Winner,  showing the passel of kids who played "Popsicle Stick Drop," was taken by Ross Jones of the Batesville Guard.

So when mother and dad would go places it was ALWAYS the three of them. ALL THE TIME!! Marie was family! And many times, Marie told the story of her first flight as a 10yr old girl, making a trip in a Foker Tri-motor from New Jersey to Chicago with her uncle Grissom Haynes. Her uncle was a WWI Aviator, so as we all know he must have known a lot of the guys.

She remembered that Foker was trying to sell his aircraft design in the US at that time (early 1930's) and her uncle Grissom was taking it to Chicago to the show for them. She remembered her uncle Grissom was the pilot and Eddie Rickenbacker was his co-pilot. Margarie & Eddie Stinson were passengers along with her on the trip.

Foker had seen them off, but was not traveling with them. She also recalled them running into fog prior to Chicago and having to land. She said she was sick and she remembered as she got to feeling better, Marg Stinson had her out jumping over a chain at the edge of a sidewalk, while they all waited on the fog to clear.

My connection to such history is that one day in about 1982, mother, dad & Marie were all sitting around talking about how they wanted their funerals, etc. They all were talking about cremation, when Marie said, she wanted to be cremated and her ashes spread over her and Joe's old home place farm off Hwy 77 just NW of Atlanta, Texas. And she made me promise to do it for her.

As you always answer a friend and say "Sure" thinking that day will never come, but we know they do. And, after learning that she had terminal cancer, Marie re-affirmed my commitment to her.

When the day came, I didn't let her down. Myself, Howard "Shorty" Hall (Atlanta Texas airport now is Hall-Miller Field in memory of Shorty and Pete Miller, Atlanta’s original aviators) and Tom & Mark, Marie’s two sons, rode along as I performed the promise.

So for a very fine friend that started her aviation travels with such Historic Pioneers of aviation, I took her for her very last flight. I am the other bookend to Marie’s flying.

Jim Collom, 501-745-8700
Holley Mountain Airpark

More
Holleyfest 2002
Photos

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