Juliette "Julie" Jenner Stege: 1912-2009

Chorus girl turned test pilot in WWIIAdded real estate as a career after raising family

July 05, 2009|By Bob Goldsborough, Special to the Tribune

Juliette "Julie" Jenner Stege's journey through life took her from the vaudeville stage in the 1920s and 1930s to serving as a test pilot in World War II to later careers as a stage actress and TV extra. Well into her 80s, Mrs. Stege remained active and vibrant, taking acting roles while also maintaining a thriving real-estate practice.

A resident of the unincorporated Glen Ellyn Woods area south of Glen Ellyn, Mrs. Stege, 97, died on Monday, June 22, at her home, said her son Tony Stege. 

Born in New York City and raised in Brooklyn's Bensonhurst section, Mrs. Stege changed her maiden name from Schwartz to Jenner and performed under the name of Julie Jenner. After accompanying a friend to a dance audition in Manhattan in 1928, she wound up getting a job herself as a dancer, Tony Stege said. That began a more than decade-long career on the stage, during which she performed with the Ziegfeld Follies and various vaudeville acts.

"I was very much in demand because I was such a good dancer," she told the Tribune in 2006. "I still think I'm on the stage." During those years, Mrs. Stege hobnobbed with the rich and famous, getting to know big stars such as Cary Grant, dating director Vincente Minnelli and frequently appearing in the influential gossip columns of Ed Sullivan and Walter Winchell.

While still a dancer, Mrs. Stege befriended an influential man who offered to pay for flying lessons at Mitchel Air Force Base on Long Island. She eventually earned a solo pilot's license and decided to put it to use once World War II broke out and family members of hers in Eastern Europe were sent to concentration camps. "She wanted to kill Hitler," her son said.

Mrs. Stege did not see combat, because female pilots were not permitted to fly missions overseas. But she did enlist in 1943 in the Women Airforce Service Pilots program, which performed test flights inside the U.S. on military equipment, moved aircraft around the country and towed targets for male pilots to shoot.

"Nobody knows there were any women pilots in WW II," she told the Tribune in 2003. "And back then, the men hated us because we were ruining their macho image. They tried to get us stopped." Mrs. Stege's cohorts in New York were very surprised that she was willing to exchange her dancing shoes for pilot's garb, her son said. "Ed Sullivan said to her, 'Julie, why are you joining the Air Force? Don't you know you're just a dumb chorus girl?'" Tony Stege said. "She always wanted to prove people wrong."

For her part, Mrs. Stege attributed some of her dramatic career change to her adventurous nature. "I was just very daring, and it was the most daring thing I could think of," Mrs. Stege told the Tribune in 2006.

While stationed in California during the war, Mrs. Stege met a fellow pilot six years her junior, Wallace Stege, whom she married in 1945. He died in 1995. After the war, Mrs. Stege and her husband moved to the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles, where she settled into her role as a wife and mother, her son said. She later took acting classes in the late 1960s at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in West Hollywood, Calif., her son said.

In 1971, the family moved to unincorporated Glen Ellyn. Mrs. Stege decided to plunge into two fields: acting in summer productions in Wisconsin, Illinois and Texas, and, in the late 1970s, starting a career selling residential real estate, Tony Stege said. She eventually also took up part-time residence in Burbank, Calif., and spent time in Hollywood acting in the 1990s as an uncredited extra on a variety of popular TV programs such as "Just Shoot Me," "The Drew Carey Show" and "Third Rock From the Sun," her son said. Mrs. Stege acted and sold real estate until she was close to 90, pulling back only after an auto accident injury.

In 2006, Mrs. Stege flew in a World War II-era aircraft for the first time in 62 years, riding with her son on a short flight from Kankakee to Wheeling in a plane owned by a foundation that aims to educate Americans with their flying classrooms and pieces of history.

In addition to her son, Mrs. Stege is survived by a daughter, Lisa; a son, Randy; three grandchildren; and a sister, Evelyn Stefansson Nef. 

respectfully reposted as originally written in the Chicago Tribune  July 5, 2009
_______________

* Note: Julie Jenner was one of 96 young women pilots who entered Army Air Force flight training at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas.  On April 15, 1944. only 57 members of class 43-W-3 graduated.  Julie was stationed at Minter Field, Bakersfield, California at the 3008th BU.  She flew an an engineering test pilot, utility and administrative pilot, flying AT-6's and UC-78's.  In 2010, Julie, along with her sister WASP, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for her groundbreaking service to her country during  WWII.  Because of the WASP and their service, many young male pilots were able to leave their stateside flying jobs and fly combat missions.  

WASP Helen Cannon, 44-W-9

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Helen Cannon, a pioneering, 20-year veteran of the Clark County School Board whose efforts had a lasting effect on education in Southern Nevada, died Christmas Day in a Utah rehabilitation center. She was 93.

Cannon helped govern the Clark County School District from 1960 to 1980, overseeing a period of growth while making students her priority. Her contributions earned her a middle school named in her honor.

"If you talk to administrators or teachers, they will tell you that she left an everlasting philosophy of children as No. 1," said former Gov. Kenny Guinn, who served as district superintendent while Cannon was on the board.

She was born May 16, 1916, in Cameron, Wis., a small farming town about two hours east of St. Paul, Minn. She earned a degree in physical education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

After teaching for a few years, she earned a pilot's license. During World War II, she flew and tested repaired aircraft for the Army Air Corps. She was among the little more than 1,000 women to earn one of the dangerous positions at a time women were excluded from flying in combat.

"We all thought we were being discriminated against," she told the Review-Journal in 1988. "We were as good as the rest of them (men). But we didn't fight it because we were so happy just to have had the training."

She met her husband, Robert Cannon, after the war. The two moved to Las Vegas, where he became vice president and general manager of the Tropicana.

While on the School Board, Cannon was instrumental in introducing free lunches at elementary schools, establishing the Southern Nevada Vocational Technical Center and the Variety School for the handicapped and creating KLVX-TV, Channel 10. During her 20 years on the board, the student population more than quadrupled, going from 20,000 to nearly 90,000 students.

Her daughter, Alice Kennedy, said her mother worked tirelessly for students.

"She was on the phone all the time, and if anyone called her about any problem they were having ... she called up and got to the bottom of it," Kennedy said.

A 1980 Review-Journal editorial about Cannon declared that she probably "touched the lives and directed the means of learning for more young Nevadans" than all other trustees at the time combined.

She was an avid golfer, woodworker and reader. She served as a Cub Scout den mother, sat on the local Girl Scout Board and taught swimming for the American Red Cross.

In 1988, she ran for a sixth term on the School Board against Lois Tarkanian. Cannon raised more than $9,000, more than her five previous races combined. But she was outspent by now-Las Vegas City Councilwoman Tarkanian, and Cannon lost.

She is survived by her daughter, Alice, son Robert Cannon Jr. and seven grandchildren. Services will be held in Las Vegas but have not yet been arranged.

Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.

________________

From Betty Turner's "Out of the Blue and Into History:" "I guess mostly I have been a teacher -- public schools, flying, camp counselor, den mother, Red Cross swimming and life saving, swimming and synchronized swimming in the backyard (with a show at the end of the summer with music, black lights, etc.) tutoring reading, and many years of teaching Sunday school.

I have my many memories, family, and have been truly blessed."

She was blessed indeed -- and was such a blessing to so many. What an extraordinary lady--what an extraordinary contribution -- to her family, her community and her country.

respectfully submitted

nancy parrish

++++++++++

Helen C. Cannon--obituary

Feature on the loss of Helen C. Cannon

WASP Mary Cooper Cox, 44-W-3

The Watertown Daily Times online


CLAYTON — Mary Eaton (Cooper) Cox, 85, of Clayton, New York, formerly of Watertown, NY, died in Chesapeake, VA, on Monday, December 21, 2009. As a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in World War II, she was granted the Congressional Gold Medal, which will be conferred on her posthumously in early 2010.

Mrs. Cox was born in New York City on January 19, 1924, the daughter of Katherine Hahn Cooper and Howard N. Cooper, MD. She lived most of her life in Watertown, where, with the encouragement of her father, she began flying at the age of 16.

After graduating from Dana Hall in Wellesley, MA, she began her aviation training at Embry Riddle Flying School, FL.

Mary answered a call to help her country by applying to the WASP. Upon her acceptance, she trained at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, TX, graduating in April 1944 as a member of the Class 44-W-3. Mrs. Cox was stationed at Cochran Field in Macon, GA, where she served as a test pilot and flew P19s, Fairchild 24s and AT6s.
When the WASP gained Veterans' status in 1978, the Department of the Air Force recognized Mrs. Cox's service with the Victory Medal, the Honorable Service Lapel Pin and the American Campaign Medal.

In January 2009, she received the Distinguished Service Medal. In November 2009, the Secretary of the Army, the Honorable John McHugh, awarded her with the Army Public Service Award.

After World War II, Mrs. Cox worked for American Airlines in New York City briefly and returned to Watertown to work as a flight instructor at the Watertown Airport. It was there that she started to give flying lessons to a naval war hero, George Emerson Cox, Jr. They married on November 27, 1947, at First Presbyterian Church. Mr. Cox died January 9, 1972.

Mary was a licensed real estate broker from 1967 to present. She was honored by the Jefferson and Lewis Board of Realtors in September 2009 for her long commitment to the profession. She also volunteered at Samaritan Medical Center for over 60 years. She assisted patients in many capacities through her Bent Twig Group, of which she served as president. She was an honorary member of the Black River Valley Club. On September 5, 2009, she was honored for her 60-plus years of membership and service at the Clayton Yacht Club, of which she served as commodore.

Mrs. Cox was the subject of numerous articles in the North Country and was featured in an exhibit, "Lest We Forget," at the Jefferson County Historical Society in October 1999. In July 2001, her efforts in World War II were honored at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton by Martin and Ineke Zonnenberg's donation of the St. Lawrence Lady's Skiff, dedicated as the "Mary Cox." In November 2004, Mrs. Cox was an honored guest at the Syracuse University Air Force ROTC Detachment 535 Dining Out, where she was feted by members of the Hap Arnold Society and she regularly attended WASP.

She is survived by her four children: Katrina M. Cox of Watertown, David O. Cox (Mary Pat) of Fayetteville, NY; Capt. James C. Cox, USN (Ret) (Susan) of Chesapeake, VA; George E. Cox III, Esq. (Debbie LTC, USA (Ret) of Bethesda, MD; five grandchildren: Megan D. Marx, Ensign James C. Cox Jr., Elizabeth M. Cox, Katharine E. Cox and G. Emerson Cox IV; and three great-grandchildren: Kehely and Madison Cox and Emma Marx. She is also survived by two sisters: Sandra Cooper Uhlein (Wyatt) of Litchfield, CT, and Virginia Rhett of Sisters, OR; four nephews and two nieces.

Calling hours will be Friday, January 8, 2009, from 4 PM to 7 PM at the Cleveland Funeral Home, 404 Sherman Street, Watertown, NY. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 9, 2009, at First Presbyterian Church, Washington Street, Watertown, at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, Washington Street, Watertown, NY 13601 or Hospice of Jefferson County.

WASP Mildred McClelland Christiansen, 43-W-6

Mildred McLelland Christiansen was born on April 9, 1918 in a farm house out in the country in La Fayette County, between Higginsville and Odessa, Missouri. Her first memories of school were a one-room school house, where she shared a little country desk with her younger brother. Millie grew up in a loving, Christian family, and the Baptist Church was the touchstone of her life. She was baptized on New Year's Eve when she was 13 years old. Even as a young teenager, she participated in her church, teaching Sunday School to fifteen-year olds when she was only nineteen. One of her jobs was encouraging 200 kids to read their Bibles every day. Later on, Millie even taught Sunday School at First Baptist Church, Sweetwater, while she was in training at Avenger Field, where she still has friends, including Tula Mae Pinkard, the wife of WASP Flight Instructor, Harl Pinkard.

Millie graduated from Tulsa Business College and worked as secretary to the District Superintendent of Prudential Insurance Co. and for Carter Oil Co, but in 1942, after Pearl Harbor, she and her mother took a first aid course in order to do something to help with the war effort in America. The instructor invited them to his Civil Air Patrol course. That is when Millie first fell in love with flying. She desperately wanted to take lessons: "One Sunday night at church, a friend came up to me, and he said, ‘Midge, you look unhappy, what’s the matter?’ I said, ‘Oh, there’s just one thing keeping me from learning to fly.’ And he said, ‘What’s that?’ And I said, ‘Fifty dollars’. He said, ‘Come down to the office’. The next day he handed me fifty dollars in cash."

After completing the required hours and passing the tests, the personal interview, and the Army physical, Millie entered Army Air Force flight training at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, on Easter Sunday, 1943. "Our barracks were not completed. They didn’t have doors or windows. So you can imagine. When I got there, I thought they’d furnish a little bit of stuff, you know, a towel, a wash cloth, you know--some things. They didn’t. And I didn’t take any along. So, the first few weeks, until they let us go to town and get the towels, the Texas wind dried me!"

When Millie graduated in October, 1943, she became a member of a pioneering group of women pilots-- the first in history to fly America's military aircraft, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP of WWII. After graduating, Millie was assigned to the Fifth Ferrying Group at Love Field, Dallas, Texas, and served as a ferry pilot. She ferried YPQ-8's and 14's, BT-13's, UC-78's, AT-6's, UC-45's, and AT-7's and 11's. She was transferred to San Marcos AFB, Texas (a navigation training school), where she met Lt. Theodore (Ted) J. Christiansen, the pilot who flew her home to Tulsa in December, 1944. Ted and Millie were married at the Army Air Base in Sebring, Florida, in 1945-- but only after he promised her that they would ‘tithe’ at least 10 percent of their income.

The couple moved to Michgan, where they started their family and raised their son and daughter. Millie worked for 26 years as the Administrative Assistant to four Airport Managers at the Muskegon County Airport, Muskegon, Michigan. She also served as assistant clerk for the Township for 14 years, Secretary of the local Board of Education for eight years, Officer of Altrusa, Intl., Service Club.

The Michigan Sesquicentennial Commission honored Millie for 45 years of aviation experience, and in July of 2009, Public Law 40-111 was signed into law that will award Millie and 1,113 other WASP the Congressional Gold Medal for their service in WWII. It is the highest civilian award that Congress can bestow.

Milie's published works include: "Women Of The Bible" and "Muskegon County Airport, A History". She also authored several articles, including: "Vignettes of Bible Heroes," "Travel U.S.A.," "Tidbits of Bible History," and "Another Way to Put It."

Of all the memories I have of Millie, this last story (which occurred when she was a child) really sums up who Millie was...her gentle, loving, giving spirit and her faith, which really did move mountains in her life. "Well, my grandmother came to live with us... And she always wanted to earn her living, so she did the dishes and did things like that. So she had me read the Bible to her while she did the dishes. I came to the word ‘tithe’. ‘What is tithe?’ And she explained it to me. So, I had just earned a dime painting a gate or something or the other, and she explained that a penny of that belonged to the Lord. So grandma got me two cold cream jars, and I put a penny in one and nine pennies in the other." Millie tithed all her life, and that is why she wouldn't agree to marry Ted until he assured her that they would tithe as a family. They did. She always gave back much more than ten percent, and God blessed it 100 fold.

What a blessing she was to so, so many.

______________

respectfully submitted, Dec. 4, 2009

Nancy Parrish

Link to online obit:

WASP Ann Cawley O'Connor, 44-7

WASP Ann O'Conner passed away on September 20, 2009 at the age of 87.

Her passing is yet another reminder of the fragile numbers of courageous and pioneering women who paved the way for all women pilots flying military aircraft today.

Ann was born in Orange, New Jersey on July 20, 1922 to Herbert and Dorothy (Tomkins) Cawley of Short Hills, New Jersey. The family moved to New York City after her father's death when she was just 15 years old.

Ann attended two years at the University of Arizona and one semester at Harvard College, graduating from Finch College. She took secretarial courses in New York and worked until she was qualified for WASP training, learning to fly in the New York area.

After earning her private pilot license and the required 35 hours, Ann applied and was accepted into the WASP training program as a member of the class of 44-7, traveling to Sweetwater, Texas in March of 1944. After graduation, she was assigned to Stockton, California as part of the training command, where she ferried retired UC-78's.

After the WASP were deactivated, Ann met married H. Hayden O'Connor on June 18, 1948. The couple lived in Cazenovia in the 1940s and 1950s and again in the 1980s. They resided in Rye, NY, from 1952 to 1980. They spent 45 years together. Hayden passed away in 1993.

During her 87 years, Ann had a variety of colorful jobs, from working on a cattle ranch to testing ship models to administration of hospital-based home care. She enjoyed tennis, was a prize-winning floral arranger, an avid bridge player and traveled extensively. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, The Little Garden Club of Rye, the Malletts Bay Club in Vermont and the Cazenovia Club.

She was an elder of Cazenovia Presbyterian Church. She was also vice president of the board of the Friends of Lorenzo and an active volunteer in many organizations.

For the last several years of her life, Ann suffered from Meinere's disease--a condition she called 'bothersome' and 'a great indignity for a pilot.' Her good humor and her volunteer spirit no doubt inspired many whose lives she touched.

Ann is survived by her son, Hayden T. (Liz) O'Connor of Washington, CT, and their daughters, Sydney and Gillian; daughter, Sheila F. O'Connor, and son, John P. O'Connor, both of Syracuse.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, October 24, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. at the Cazenovia Presbyterian Church, 27 Albany Street, Cazenovia.

Contributions in memory of Ann C. O'Connor may be made to the American Hearing Research Foundation.

Respectfully submitted by Nancy Parrish, October 29, 2009

Based on information from Ann's entry in WASP Betty Turner's "Out of the Blue and Into History"

p. 456 and an online obit.

WASP MARGARET ANN HAMILTON TUNNER, 43-2

WASP Margaret Ann Hamilton Tunner passed away Tuesday evening, October 13, 2009. This gentle lady from Oklahoma was a pilot through and through and a lady in every sense of the word. She loved making things grow, wasn't afraid to dig in the dirt, and she knew how to sparkle from the inside out.

Born on September 3, 1917, in Enid, Oklahoma, Ann's first ride was in a bi-wing plane on what she described as a 'dusty strip named Woodward,' in Enid, Oklahoma. After paying three dollars for a ride, and experiencing the thrill of spins and stalls, Ann didn't think she would ever want to fly again.

After attending Oklahoma College for Women and Oklahoma University, she really fell in love with flying and finally soloed in Tulsa, Oklahoma as part of the CPT program (Civilian Pilot Training) at Tulsa, University. Spins and stalls were no longer a problem for the newly licensed private pilot.

For the next 2 years, Ann flew her J-3 Cub all over Oklahoma and Texas, before aerial charts were available, using road maps. In 1942, she read an article about Jacqueline Cochran and the newly formed Women's Flying Training program. Ann was interviewed and accepted into the second class, graduating in May of 1943.

After graduation, Ann was stationed at Romulus, Michigan, AFB, as a part of the 3rd Ferrying Group, In the early days of her assignment, the only ferrying was limited to liaison type aircraft, much like her J-3 Cub, but, eventually, Ann was sent to ATC's pursuit school, and was able to begin ferrying higher performance fighters including the P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-39 Aircobra and P064 Kingcobra. While at Romulus, she also served as squadron officer and as co-pilot in the B-17 and B-24.

After the WASP were deactivated, Ann returned to Oklahoma University, working for a brief time for the Alumni Association before moving to New York City, were she ferried WWII planes from the 'boneyards' to new owners. For a time, she worked as a private secretary to the famous aircraft designer, Alexander P. deSeversky. She also worked as an admissions counselor at Columbia University and a professional model.

In 1948, Ann moved to Japan, worked for the Army Occupational Forces, then returned to the states to marry Lt. General William H. Tunner in 1951. Their daughter, Hamilton Suzanne Tunner, was born in 1952.

In 1977, along with Senator Barry Goldwater, her husband, and a few others, Ann testified before Congress in request of recognizing for the WASP as having performed militarily during WWII. The effort was successful, and the WASP were given the military status they had well earned in WWII.

After serving as Commanding General of the United States Air Forces in Europe, and Chief of Staff, after successully moving the Air Transport Command Headquarters from Andrews AFB (VA) to Scott Air Force Base (IL), in 1960, General Tunner retired as Commander in Chief of Air Transportation, USAF. The Tunners retired to a beautiful farm in Ware Neck, Virginia in 1960. In 1983, General Tunner passed away.

Ann remained on "Hockley Farm" for many years, tending her garden and nurturing her family. Still in love with aviation until her last few years, Ann flew an ultralight aircraft.

Although her passing is a sad day, those who loved her most know that she was an active 92-year old until she suffered a major stroke on Oct. 11, 2009.

"A good life, well lived, and we will miss her greatly," said Nancy L. Miller.

There will be a memorial service at Ware Church in Gloucester, Virginia, on Saturday, October 24, at 2 pm, and Ann will be buried sometime later at Arlington National Cemetery, next to her husband, General William Tunner.

Posted with great respect,

and prayers for her family and all the lives she touched,

Nancy Parrish

(based on Ann's own words from WASP Betty Turner's "Out of the Blue Into History")

Virginia's Historic Marker Honoring the WASP and Margaret Tunner 

WASP Gayle Snell, 44-9

"So I went to my father and said, "Dad, I want to learn to fly and then join the Women Airforce Service Pilots to fly military planes and help the war effort. My dad, being sure I was too young to do this feat said, "Yes dear, now why don't you got out and ride your horse. I'm sure he could use some exercise". So instead, like a obedient daughter, I went out to the airport to find out about learning to fly."

Gayle Snell, WASP

ONE-OF-A-KIND WASP Gayle Snell passed away on August 26, 2009. She had been struggling with cancer, several surgeries, and had endured many invasive drug therapies. Even though Gayle lost her final battle, her life is an enduring testament to determination and patriotism, to a love of flying, a love of her friends, and a little bit of fly fishing.

Gayle M. Snell was born on December 16, 1923, in Pasadena, California to Loretta Graham Snell and husband, Frank. Gayle grew up spending her summers in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where her father owned the Cliff House Hotel and ran a limousine touring company.

Shortly after her mother died of a heart attack, Gayle's father discovered Gayle was taking flying lessons. With his support, she continued until she soloed at 17.

After being accepted into the University of California's aeronautics program, she quit school to enter WASP training in April, 1944. As Gayle writes in Betty Turner's 1997 "44-9 Classbook": "Never having been away from home, except for girl scout camp, living with five other women in a "bay" was certainly a new experience. It seems we all had to fight everything at Avenger, except each other. There were windstorms, dust storms, eternal heat, snakes (yikes!), trying to live through our instructor's swearing and yelling, food that was never worth the march to the mess hall (except when VIPS were on the field) and other classes screaming, "You'll be sorry". ...My baymates were, and still are the best people in the world. I believe we gave each other all the emotional support that it took to get us through the program and finally receive our Silver Wings."

Her time during training was marked by adjustments and her unstoppable determination to fly: "...how I loved those wonderful ships! I seemed to have had an affinity for low level flight and invariably landed with quite a bit of sagebruch in my undercarriage. Lordy, nobody ever told me you could get washed for that. Oh well, at least they never caught me looping telephone wires!"

Gayle and her class graduated and earned their silver WASP wings on November 8, 1944. Gayle's Army orders sent her to Independence Army Air Field, Independence, Kansas, where she flew as an engineering test pilot, flying BT-15's. After the WASP were disbanded, she ferried war surplus planes and eventually started an aerial photography business. After closing her photography business, she worked crop dusting, sold automotive parts, drove a taxi and played on a women's semi-pro baseball team. Finally, Gayle decided she wanted to get back to electronics. She worked for Bendix as a assembler then Lockheed Missiles in research and development. Gayle completed her engineering degree by taking classes at night and worked her way up from draftsman to Electrical Electronic Engineer, at Lockheed Missile, Lockheed Aircraft and Douglas, where she worked for 21 years.

After branching out into court reporting school--Galye became paralyzed and was told she had five crushed discs in her back. She spent the next seven years in traction and back braces before finding a doctor who was able to put her back on her feet.

In 1980, Gayle moved from Granada Hills, California to Colorado Springs, very near where she had spent her summers as a child. "Trout Haven" was where Gayle spent the last great years of her life, surrounded by trout lakes, pines and aspen trees. As she wrote in the W-9 book, " The quiet, the blue skies, the fluffy clouds, the gentle breezes, the birds, the squirrels, the chipmunks all convince me that this is the closest to heaven I've ever been."

Gayle is survived by her cousins Georgetta Cravuiota of Santa Barbara, CA, Sandy Goldberg of Loveland, CO and Joe Graham of Spokane, WA. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, September 1 at 2:15 at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver. A reception follows at 5:00pm, 1110 Garlock Lane in Colorado Springs. Contributions to the WASP are appreciated in lieu of flowers.

+++++++++++

WINGS ACROSS AMERICA

In September, 2000, we arrived for an interview in Gayle Snell's home in Colorado Springs, Co. Although I had spoken to Gayle several times by phone, nothing prepared us for our face to face meeting.

I wish I had had a camera rolling as we got out of the car, climbed the steps and first knocked on Gayle's door. When she cracked open the door, she saw my 'blue bag' and her eyes got very big. "What is that?" 

"Well," I said, "this is the bag with the video lights..." "VIDEO? VIDEO!!!! NO, I DON'T WANT TO BE ON VIDEO!!!"

Looking UP at Gayle, who seemed to be 10 feet tall thru the screen, "Well, I said gently, "you don't actually have to look at the camera, you're just going to have a conversation with mom." Mom stood there, looking very kind and smiling...."Oh, hell," said Gayle, "I guess I told you I would do an interview-, so come on in."

We did. Those first few moments were a little tense. In fact, we found out later that Gayle's roommate, Dell, had talked her into the interview. She thought it was important. Dell helped calm Gayle's blood pressure, and mom's first questions began to earn her trust. And then, sometime during those first moments, Gayle laughed. She threw her head back and just laughed. When she did that, it changed everything. I still remember. From that moment on, there was an instant friendship and an instant trust.

After the interview was over, she invited us up to TROUT HAVEN.

We drove up the mountain the next day, postpoining our trip home. I'm glad we did. I still have the photo of Gayle holding her "WASP BANNER" that WASP Shutsy Reynolds made for her. Gayle kept it in her trailer during the winter, but, when spring arrived, she traveled up the mountain and proudly unfurled her one-of-a-kind WASP Banner. It flew for many summers, marking the spot where the expert WASP fly fisherman was parked. Many summers.

In 2002, on the last day of the Tucson WASP Reunion, Gayle invited us out to the airport to see her take off

for Colorado Springs. Again, we postponed our trip home, and drove out to the airport. Again, I'm glad we did. The photos of Gayle, climbing in to the restored Stearman--putting on her helment and goggles, and her 'thumbs up' as they were ready to taxi, were worth the trip. You talk about sparkling from the inside out? Gayle Snell in that Stearman lit up the world that day.

Left, Pilot Alan Hoover and WASP Gayle Snell -- ready for takeoff in Alan's suped up (Gayle's words) Stearman!

She worked hard -- she achieved much -- she was a pioneer in many things and she was a loyal friend. As a part of our interviews, mom always asks each WASP, if they could say something to the next generation that might inspire them to do something they had only dreamed of-- Gayle answered. Listen. These words are for all of us:

"Anything you want to do, you can do it. Don't let people tell you you're not good enough. BE GOOD ENOUGH!"

Respectfully submitted by Nancy Parrish

August 31, 2009