Lambert Leroy Fechter (1919-1959)

FECHTER, SCHAFER, SPANG, SAUER, WHITED

Posted By: jane austin (email)
Date: 6/12/2021 at 21:05:24

Lambert LeRoy Fechter was born on the twenty-second day of October, 1919, on a farm in Osceola county, Iowa, the son of Henry and Alberta Schafer Fechter. He departed this early life on Thursday, June fourth, 1959, at the age of 39 years, 8 months and 8 days. In early life he was baptized in the Christian faith and later joined the Lutheran church.

On November 15, 1942, Lambert was united in marriage to Margaret Spang. To this union were born three lovely children: Linda, who is 14; Richard, 11; and Janet, 6.

Lambert lived with his parents on the farm of his birth until 1927 when they moved to a farm two miles north of Hartley. In 1932, his father purchased a farm three and 1/4 miles north of Hartley, and moved his family there. It was on this farm that Lambert spent some of the happiest years of his life. His childhood there was a story book of ponies and pets and close happy family relations.

It was at the tender age of six that he first begged to examine more closely an airplane he had seen. Here was born an interest in aviation which was to enrich not only the lives of the multitude of people with whom he flew in is twenty years of aviation experience and gave him the opportunity to teach those he loved to know and to share fully in his love of flying... that miracle of joy which lifts mere mortals to the sky and allows them to look down and revel in the beauty of God's Earth and creatures and to know that God is in the sky.

Lambert's tremendous store of knowledge concerning his own particular field of aviation was something at which to marvel. His eagerness to share this great store of experience and knowledge with those who asked is only one of his great contributions.

As a boy, he happily spent his whole weekly earnings on one half hour of flying instruction. He was a member of the first Hartley Flyers club, helping to build, maintain, and fly a Curtiss Pusher Plane.

In 1941 he began teaching military aviation at Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Estherville. These were war years and the task was great. There is no way of guessing how many students he taught to fly during these years, but they were many and they were taught well.

After a period of training in Norma, Oklahoma in 1944, he was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy and served his country well, instructing flying at New Orleans and Dallas.

At the end of the war, Lambert and his friend, Dale Brower, operated the Sutherland Airport. Then, for a time, Lambert flew for Spencer Flying service.

In 1959 he left aviation and returned to the farm where he had spent so many years. It was the fulfillment of a boyhood dream when, in 1953, he bought his Cessna 140, built his hangar and seeded a permanent runway on the farm. Now his life was complete. His love of the earth and growing things, and his love of the sky were fused. He had both. He proclaimed his life to be one of complete fulfillment. He was as happy as a man could be.

Besides managing his farm he was executive pilot for the J.R. Bylen Company. Federal Aviation Agency pilot examiner, and also taught student, commercial, instructor and instrument flying.

Besides his wife and children he is survived by his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fechter of Hartley, his sister, Mrs. Russel Sauer of Hartley, and a half sister, Mrs. Claude Whited of Marcus, eight nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

He was a member of Beacon Masonic Lodge, No. 594 A.F. and M., Hartley, the American Legion and the Pioneer Airman's OX5.

Funeral services ere conducted on Sunday afternoon at the Methodist church by Rev. R.A. Roloff. military salute included Arthur Kirchoff, Post No. 188. Honor Guard and Jet Escort by planes from the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, air unit.

Masonic rites were performed by Beacon Lodge No 495, A.F. and A.M.

Interment was made at the Pleasant View Cemetery at Hartley, Iowa.

Hartley (Iowa) Sentinel, 11 Jun 1959, p9