Several newspaper articles were published in the Iola Register during the 20's and 30's concerning Fritz's flying activities. You can read the complete articles at the links below.

• Iola Aviator Escapes With Life ^{October 12, 1925}

• Program For Air Show To Be Dazzling ^{May 1, 1929}

• Ernest Bergman Buys Arrow Sport Airplane ^{July 10, 1929}

• Iola Built Ship Makes Test Flight ^{July 10, 1929}

• Moonlight Ride of Another Kind ^{July 22, 1929}

• Graf Sails Over Iola On Flight ^{August 28, 1929 Graf Zeppelin Link}

• Moonlight Flying Is Popular Here ^{September 18, 1929}

• Womack Leases Iola Air Field ^{March 10, 1930}

• Local Pilots Have Fearful Time With Fog ^{May 19, 1930}

• Moonlight Flight Shows New and Beautiful City ^{October 10, 1930}

• Fritz Auto Supply Store Opens March 1 ^{February 23, 1945}

• Iola Register Interview with Fritz Page 1 ^{November 30, 1981}

• Iola Register Interview with Fritz Page 2 ^{November 30, 1981}

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Articles With Unknown Dates ^{Updated April 4, 2007}

• Pilot Fails To Hit Graveyard ^{See Original Here}

• Fritz Womack Aerial Cowboy ^{Original is hard to read}

• Womack Is Burned in Explosion At Airport ^{See Original Here}

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From the May 20, 1930 Iola Register:

"Flying home from Cassidy Sunday (Cassidy is where Grandma Doris's family lived), Pilot Jack Craven had motor trouble which forced him down in a pasture. With him were his wife and 5-year-old John Womack. About the first thing Craven saw when he stepped out of the plane was a herd of cattle headed on the run for his plane. Cravens, no cowboy, but willing to be one in a pinch, jumped up and down, shouted and waved but the steers didn't even pause to smile at his antics. Pilot Womack, following behind, saw the situation and swooped down, his OX-5 motor roaring wide open, swooping twice. The steers wheeled and started running back to Texas."

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Even Grandma Doris got her name in the papers.

• Phone Girl Foils Bandits ^{November 3, 1919 Kansas City Times}

The story is she purchased a mink coat with the reward money she received. Some time later, while Fritz and her were on a walk, she heard a child screaming and running from a house, on fire. She used her mink coat to put out the fire, ruining the coat.

The second photo was the last photo taken of them together, March 26, 1967.

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Early Airplane Photos

Click on a photo to enlarge or hold mouse over photo to get a description

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Later Airplanes

See the history of Grandpa's ownership of the Stinson 10-A here.
See the history of Grandpa's ownership of the Stinson V-77 here.

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More Airplanes

THere was one Cessna Bamboo Bomber parked at the farm that was destroyed in a hail storm one year. The horizontal stab hung in the back of the hangar for years. Any pictures of the airplane? You can see the horizontal stab in the photo of the Stinson 108.

Stearman PT-17, Uncle John picked one up from Arizona as surplus and flew it back home. Had only 98 total hours on the airframe! I have some video of this airplane with commentary from Uncle John talking about it. I finally have this video transferred over to DVD. I will send it out to those who have already asked for a copy. If you would like one, please let me know.

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Thanks to Joe M., Steve W., and Larry j. for providing the articles and pictures.

Email Jeff

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Have something to add or see something wrong? Let's work together to make it right. Send me an email.