NOTE: Died when he was 26 years, 4 months, and 25 days of age.
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CHERRY COUNTY NEWS
November 23, 1939
Valentine
Cherry County
Nebraska
CARD OF THANKS
We wish to express our sincere thanks to the hosts of friends and acquaintances who through word and deed extended every possible assistance and ehlped in so many ways to lighten our burden of grief. Every kind act was appreciated as was each communication.
Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Ballard and family
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CHERRY COUNTY NEWS
November 16, 1939
Valentine
Cherry County
Nebraska

Thomas Ballard Dies in Plane Crash in Wyoming

WYOMING CRASH FATAL TO THOMAS BALLARD

Tom Ballard, 26, former Omaha policeman, whose aptitude in handing planes won him a copilot's job with United Air Lines last August, was found dead in the wreckage of his cub plane in the mountains near Horse, Creek, Wyoming.

Ballard was flying the tiny place from Omaha to the coast when he dropped from sight las Wednesday. A search was started for him when he failed to return to his airlines job Saturday at Seattle, after a leave of absence.

He left Omaha Tuesday and was last reported at Cheyenne, Wyoming the following day. The scene of the crash is about 30 miles east of Laramie and about halfway between that city and Cheyenne.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Thomas of Laramie discovered the wrecked plane while hiking in the region Sunday and notified Laramie police.

William L. Dorton, a government trapper, reported he had first noticed the wrecked plane last Thursday but thought at the time it was a grader which had been working in the area and did not investigate.

Sheriff E. L. Wood and Coroner Joseph Shannon of Laramie decided the plane fell at nidnight Wednesday. Ballar's wrist watchhaving stopped at 12 o'clock.

It was snowing heavily at the time he was believed to have crashed, and location of the wreckage indicated Ballard had circled back from his westward flight and was heading toward the beacon light on Pilot Knob 15 miles away.

Ballard had gone to Omaha for his plane after finding a purchaser for it on the coast, his former colleagues at the airport reported.

One of 14 children of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Ballard who have operated a ranch, south of Valentine, Tom received his elementary education in the Wood Lake School, then attended the Chadron Normal after which he taught, his home school for a year. Finding the monotonous, he went to Omaha where he joined the police department as a motocycle patrolman.

Even the thrills and spills of chasing speeders and reckless drivers over the slippery streets on a motorcycle were not exactly what he wanted, he decided after several months on the force.

An aviation enthusiast since boyhood, he gravitated to the local airport, became a student pilot under A. R. (Barney) Burnham.

While he was gaining rapid advancement on the police department, he made even greater progress in aviation.

A conscientious police officer, he climaxed his career on the speeder squad in December 1936 when a ????? and a good memory enabled him to clear up a hit-run case in which the child was killed and three injured.

For this feat he received a one hundred dollar reward which had been offered by the World-Herald for solution of the case, commendations of his superior officers and a promotion to the detective bureau. He again was promoted to detective sergeant, in May 1938.

An apt flying student he forged ahead rapidly in the air. All his spare time including vacations, was devoted to planes and flying. He never passed an opportunity to take a plane aloft. He amassed a rather astonishing total of more than seven hundred hours up to the time he left for his airlines job.

Last April he took leave of absence from his police job to take a course in "blind Flying" at the Boeing school in Oakland, California. He completed the course with high honors in June, resigned from the police force two months later to take the airlines job.

Sheriff Wood and Coroner Shannon took Ballard's body to Laramie.

The plane as we understnad, it had evidently been put into a severe bank where but small lift is exerted on the wings' a down draft of air must have forced the plane to the ground where a wing was clipped causing the ship to roll over with the disastrous consequences as recited.

Thomas Connor Ballard, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Ballard, was born June 13th, 1913 and was 26 years, 4 months, and 25 days old at the time of his fatal accident.

Always ambitious, he had progressed a long way in his chosen vocations, had proven a faithful and loyal employee, always giving his best in the service of his employers and remaining true to his family and friends.

Surviving are his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Ballard; eight brothers: Edward Willoughby, Walter Goodwin, William Lindsey, Frank Dudley, James Ellis, Billie; John Albert and Homer Cornelious; five sisters; Mary Elizabeth Morgan, Esther Margaret Johnston, Ruth Katherine, Vera Matilda Grey and Helen Sylvia.

During the time of his education at the Wood Lake School, from which he graduated in 1930, he was a regular attendant at the United Church and was active in school and civic affairs. Aggressive and progressive, he was a friend of all and all were his friends and we all rejoyed in his rapid advancement after leaving his home and friends to make his own way in this world.

One brother, Charles Donald, passed away years ago, the remaining members of the family, all to be present to attend the funeral which will be held in Wood Lake, Friday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock from the high school auditorium, REV. Danielson officiating.

Mr. and Mrs. Bud Grey arrived from Washington, D. C., Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Ballard are enroute from San Diego, California; and other relatives living nearer home being present.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Randall; William Hanna; Donald Higgins; Chester Krasch; Ansel Wrage, and Charles Tetherow.

People throughout the country join in extending to the bereaved their heartfelt sympathy at the untimely death of this young citizen who had such a brilliant future before him.