He was the son of Ethel Stanford and Roy “Ted” Down in Milton (which became Milton-Freewater in 1951), Oregon. He married Shirley Keener on November 25, 1945. He served in the United States Army during World War II where he was stationed in Italy. After the war Eldon and Shirley made their home in Wallowa County. He was a logger for a few years with his brother, Melven, and later ran the Joseph Airport and in 1952 he moved his family to La Grande where he operated Blue Mtn. Air Service.
During this time he did the crop dusting in Union County, flew passengers anywhere they wanted to go. He was instrumental in developing the belly dump for the B-25, which was used for fighting fires and is still being used today. He taught many people how to fly, including the first woman in Union County. Eldon logged over 1 million accident free miles during his flying career.
In 1961 he gave up the airport operations and went to work flying for the U.S. Forest Service. This took him and his family to Montana and Idaho where in 1982 he retired to the mountains of Idaho. After losing his wife, Shirley, in 1991 he moved to Eagle, Idaho. He was an outdoorsman and in his younger years enjoyed hunting but his real love was flying.
Survivors include his daughters, Sharon of Union, Oregon, Kaye of Eagle, Idaho and Barbara of Boise, Idaho; grandsons, Michael of Union and Jim of La Grande; Two first cousins also survive, Stan Stanford of Portland OR and Betty Hanson of Kennewick, WA.
During this time he did the crop dusting in Union County, flew passengers anywhere they wanted to go. He was instrumental in developing the belly dump for the B-25, which was used for fighting fires and is still being used today. He taught many people how to fly, including the first woman in Union County. Eldon logged over 1 million accident free miles during his flying career.
In 1961 he gave up the airport operations and went to work flying for the U.S. Forest Service. This took him and his family to Montana and Idaho where in 1982 he retired to the mountains of Idaho. After losing his wife, Shirley, in 1991 he moved to Eagle, Idaho. He was an outdoorsman and in his younger years enjoyed hunting but his real love was flying.
Survivors include his daughters, Sharon of Union, Oregon, Kaye of Eagle, Idaho and Barbara of Boise, Idaho; grandsons, Michael of Union and Jim of La Grande; Two first cousins also survive, Stan Stanford of Portland OR and Betty Hanson of Kennewick, WA.
He was the son of Ethel Stanford and Roy “Ted” Down in Milton (which became Milton-Freewater in 1951), Oregon. He married Shirley Keener on November 25, 1945. He served in the United States Army during World War II where he was stationed in Italy. After the war Eldon and Shirley made their home in Wallowa County. He was a logger for a few years with his brother, Melven, and later ran the Joseph Airport and in 1952 he moved his family to La Grande where he operated Blue Mtn. Air Service.
During this time he did the crop dusting in Union County, flew passengers anywhere they wanted to go. He was instrumental in developing the belly dump for the B-25, which was used for fighting fires and is still being used today. He taught many people how to fly, including the first woman in Union County. Eldon logged over 1 million accident free miles during his flying career.
In 1961 he gave up the airport operations and went to work flying for the U.S. Forest Service. This took him and his family to Montana and Idaho where in 1982 he retired to the mountains of Idaho. After losing his wife, Shirley, in 1991 he moved to Eagle, Idaho. He was an outdoorsman and in his younger years enjoyed hunting but his real love was flying.
Survivors include his daughters, Sharon of Union, Oregon, Kaye of Eagle, Idaho and Barbara of Boise, Idaho; grandsons, Michael of Union and Jim of La Grande; Two first cousins also survive, Stan Stanford of Portland OR and Betty Hanson of Kennewick, WA.
During this time he did the crop dusting in Union County, flew passengers anywhere they wanted to go. He was instrumental in developing the belly dump for the B-25, which was used for fighting fires and is still being used today. He taught many people how to fly, including the first woman in Union County. Eldon logged over 1 million accident free miles during his flying career.
In 1961 he gave up the airport operations and went to work flying for the U.S. Forest Service. This took him and his family to Montana and Idaho where in 1982 he retired to the mountains of Idaho. After losing his wife, Shirley, in 1991 he moved to Eagle, Idaho. He was an outdoorsman and in his younger years enjoyed hunting but his real love was flying.
Survivors include his daughters, Sharon of Union, Oregon, Kaye of Eagle, Idaho and Barbara of Boise, Idaho; grandsons, Michael of Union and Jim of La Grande; Two first cousins also survive, Stan Stanford of Portland OR and Betty Hanson of Kennewick, WA.
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