Alan Merritt Henderson 1926-1963

HENDERSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 11/11/2011 at 00:08:14

Ex-Local man Dies in Crash
Alan Merritt Henderson, 37, farmer near Davis City, who was one of two Iowans killed yesterday in an airplane crash, formerly farmed near Estherville.

He left approximately six years ago for Blythedale, Mo., where his father, Alfred Henderson, had purchased a farm. A year later his parents, also of Estherville, moved to Blythedale. Mrs. Alfred Henderson was employed by the L.M. Christensen store here and her husband worked for the creamery and for Fagre Construction Co. A year ago Alan Henderson and his family moved to the farm near Davis City where they were living at the time of his death.

The airplane crashed about 10 miles south of Leon on the Clate Barth farm near the Missouri-Iowa border.

Two blocks of salt were found in the wreckage and it was believed the plane was on a flight to drop salt to cattle on a farm operated by Henderson for Dr. Willard Jeffrey of Davis City.

Investigators of the Federal Aviation Agency were called to help determine the cause of the crash. Members of the family living on the Barth farm and another farmer, Garland DeLong, said they saw the plane apparently in trouble but lost sight of it after it disappeared behind a hill.

The other victim of the crash, Wendell Arthur Smith, 52, an implement dealer at Lamoni, was one of the owners of the two-place Cessna plane. Acquaintances said he sometimes flew over a farm he owns to drop salt for his cattle.

Henderson was married and father of four children. Smith is survived by his wife and one son. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, August 14, 1963)

Graveside Rites Here
Graveside rites for Alan Merritt Henderson, former Estherville farmer who was killed in a plane crash Tuesday, will be held here Friday afternoon at Eastside Cemetery. Last rites are being held at Davis City where he farmed at the time of his death and the body will be brought there tomorrow. Exact time of the graveside rites aren’t known. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, August 15, 1963)

Dear Friends – It has been so comforting to know that we are not alone in our loss of Alan. Our future is blessed with wonderful and rich moments that will keep us until we can be with him again. Words will never express our thanks to all of you for the kind words, prayers, and deeds that you have given to us. God Bless You – Mrs. Alan Henderson, Peggy, Gregg, Donna and Janice – Davis City, Iowa. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, August 21, 1963)