Mr. Lee Briggs

BRIGGS, MIDDLETOWN

Posted By: Volunteer: Stacey Swierk
Date: 8/27/2008 at 12:20:09

“Date, Newspapers Unknown”

Oliver at the Controls

Oliver who has been at the airplane factory learning to fly had bought and paid for a new plane, which had been assembled Saturday, and which had previously been tried out. Last evening Briggs and Oliver were up in the plane, with Oliver driving. They had planned to start this morning for a trip to St. Joseph and Kansas City and were giving the plane a little preliminary trial spin.

The plane was being headed into the landing field, as nearly as the facts can be learned, when it turned over, pitching the pilot and his passenger out, afterwards the plane must have righted itself, for it was recovered a short distance away, and apparently is not ? damaged.

Briggs Prominent in Memphis

Mr. Briggs recently organized an airplane factory in Memphis and was the head of the plant. He has taught a number of young men to handle planes, and has conducted a plant and school here. He is well known throughout the entire community, and his loss is regretted by the people of Memphis and by all who knew him.

Mr. Briggs was 44 years old and was born and reared in Memphis, the son of Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Briggs. With his father he was in the Ford Motor Company’s agency at Memphis and they sold implements and machinery for farms along with the Ford business they were handling.

Mr. Briggs is survived by his widow and one daughter and one son, both in high school. His father and mother, a sister, Miss Lenna Briggs of Kansas City and Mrs. Anna May Middletown of Canton, Ill., are the other survivors.

Oliver was 26 years old, and was unmarried. His mother survives him, but little additional information is known concerning him.

Mr. and Mrs. Briggs had returned from a trip east on Friday, and he had a record for ability as a flier and up to this time had a record of no accidents.

MEMPHIS FLIERS FALL FROM PLANE

Lee Briggs and A Student Aviator Meet Death When Plane Tips

Keokuk Gate City

Memphis, Mo., Dec, 6—Death’s hands closed over the controls of a Pheasant airplane here last night about 5 o’clock, and Lee R. Briggs, lifelong resident of Memphis, and president of the Pheasant Airplane Factory was killed, together with Otis Oliver of Versailles, Ohio, a student aviator, when they fell from the plane which had turned over.

The plane was heading into the airplane field two miles from Memphis when it turned over and Briggs and Oliver were hurled through space, and their bodies terribly crushed. The bodies were found on the Glenn E. Baker farm, 25 yards apart. The plane evidently righted itself for it was found a half mile away, and was not seriously damaged.

The coroner’s verdict was that death was instantaneous and was caused by a fall from an airplane 1200 to 1500 feet in the air.

[Photocopy of this obit is located on page 252 of Obit Book A found in the Van Buren County, IA Genealogical Society's collection at the Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA]