|
Jerome A. Owens
July 18, 1946.
Final rites for Jerome A. "Bob" Owens, 36, Detroit, husband of the
former Evelyn Blaska, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Blaska, were held
this morning at 10 o'clock at Sacred Hearts church, the Rev. G. A.
Haeusler officiating, and burial was in the church cemetery.
The former Madison insurance man was killed Monday
afternoon in the crash of two airplanes near Detroit.
|
His partner in an airplane agency, Carl Kremsreiter,
31, Detroit, formerly of Milwaukee, also was killed in the collision of
their private plane with a coast guard PBY-5. Navy officials today
opened an inquiry into the collision which occurred about 6 miles
northwest of Selfridge field. The PBY was only slightly damaged
and its five occupants escaped harm.
Owens and Kremsreiter were en-route to Port Huron to buy
another plane when their craft clipped the rudder of the PBY which was
en-route to its base at Traverse City, Mich.
Owens is survived by his wife, one daughter, Kay, 3; one son, Robert, 1;
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gus O. Owens, Madison; two sisters, Mrs.
Lawrence T Burdick, of Madison, and Mrs. Leif Lokvam, Kenosha, and one
brother, Phillip, of Portage.
|
Born in the town of Christiana, Owens lived on a farm
there until he came to Madison in 1928 to attend the university.
While a student, he played with dance bands at Madison night clubs.
Following his graduation he was employed by Metropolitan Life Insurance
Co., and later was a salesman for the Ben Anderson Manufacturing Co.
In 1940 he became manager of the insurance department of John C. Hanley
and Sons, realtors, Madison. With that firm, he specialized in casualty insurance.
An airplane enthusiast, Owens took flying lessons and
earned his civilian pilot's wings in Madison. After outbreak of
war, he was a civilian employee of the army and, after studying glider
work at Lamesa, Texas, became a glider pilot instructor there.
When the glider school was closed, he was transferred
to a Kansas flying field where he instructed artillery liaison officers
in flying small planes.
In the fall of 1944, he became an airplane instructor
for Detroit pub- (remainder lost) |