In 1947, three accidents involved the Gratz Airport, Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Two of the accidents were fatal. The second accident occurred in July 1947. Shortly after pilot David Savidge took off from the Gratz Airport, with one passenger, for a late evening ride, the plane went down in flames in the vicinity of Specktown Road in Lykens Township, Dauphin County. Both the pilot and passenger, Mary Willier were killed.
There was wide regional newspaper coverage of the crash. From the Elizabethville Echo, 25 July 1947:
Two Killed In Plane Crash Friday
David Savidge, 29, of Hegins R.D. 2, and Miss Mary Willier, 29, of Hegins, were killed when their small plane crashed and burned in a field on the Charles Sitlinger farm, Lykens Township, shortly after midnight, Friday morning. They had taken off from the Gratz Airport a short time before.Savidge had motored to the airport to do some night flying and been accompanied by Miss Ruth Koppenhaver and their friend Miss Willier. It was stated that Savidge had made a flight alone, and, returning to the airport, took off on another flight, with Miss Willier as a passenger.
Miss Koppenhaver was waiting at the airport for their return, when the plane crashed.
Miss Willier, who was a clerk in the First National Bank, Hegins, served three years as a WAVE during the war. She enlisted in 1943 and was discharged in January 1946, at Bainbridge, Maryland. She was a graduate of the Hegins Township High School and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and Lutheran Church of Hegins.
She is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James M. Willier, of Hegins, and a sister, Mrs. Franklin Diehl, of Pottstown.
Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon from the Buffington Funeral Home, Valley View, with further services in Frieden’s Lutheran Church. The pastor, Rev. Stephen Schullery officiated and interment was made in the Union Cemetery at Hegins.
Savidge was a graduate of the Hegins Township High School, and was employed by the Otto Coal Company.
He is survived by his father, Jonas Savidge, of Hegins R.D.; a sister, Mrs. Elvin Troutman, of Penbrook; and a brother, Charles Savidge, of Fountain.
Funeral service were held in the Fountain Lutheran and Reformed Church Tuesday morning. Rev. Paul Yoh, pastor of the Deep Creek Reformed Charge officiated and interment was made in the cemetery adjoining the church.
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News article from Newspapers.com.
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