Praised by Under Secretary of War
Praised by Under Secretary of War, Robert P. Patterson as “a fine body of men,” another large class of potential combat pilots has departed from the San Antonio aviation cadet center to take advanced training at primary flying fields. Members of the class included 227 from Iowa, six of whom are from Mason City. They are Donald Leroy Ferrier, son of A. C. Ferrier, Route 4; Clair B. Edel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Edel, Route 3; Dorance S. Grange, 216 Vermont avenue southeast; Donald K. Kuhn, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kuhn, 544 Tenth street northeast; William O. McClellan, 4 Hazel Court, and Bennie J. Nozicka, 830 Fifteenth street southeast.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Wednesday, May 26, 1943, Page 6
Your Neighbors in the
Khaki and Blue
What They Are Doing
Aviation Cadet Donald L. Ferrier, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Ferrier, route 4, recently arrived at the army air field, Lubbock, Texas, for his final lap of cadet training, according to word received from that field. This training will be in bi-motored AT-17 Bobcats, a rehearsal for the flying fortress, liberators, Mitchells, marauders and other multi-engined ships.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Tuesday, October 26, 1943, Page 10
Your Neighbors in the
Khaki and Blue
What They Are Doing
Aviation Cadet Donald Ferrier, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Ferrier, has completed his primary flight training in the army air corps at East St. Louis, Ill., and has been sent on to Independence, Kans.
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Saturday, July 31, 1943, Page 12
COMMISSIONED LIEUTENANTS
AT TEXAS PILOT SCHOOLS
Among a large number of Iowa aviation cadets graduated from Texas flying fields Dec. 5 . . . was bomber pilot Donald L. Ferrier, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Ferrier, route 4 . . . .
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Wednesday, December 08, 1943, Page 12 (photo included)
HERE and THERE
Wheelerwood – Mr. and Mrs. Ashley Ferrier, and Ruth, visited with Lt. Donald L. Ferrier in Des Moines. He arrived there by plane from George Field, Ill.
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Friday, December 01, 1944, Page 7
HERE and THERE
Wheelerwood – Lt. Donald L. Ferrier returned to duty at George Field near Lawrenceville, Ill, after spending a 10-day leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ashley E. Ferrier, Mason City, Route 4. Lt. Ferrier is flight instructor in C-47 planes.
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Friday, February 02, 1945, Page 7
RETURNED TO DUTY
Lt. Donald Ferrier, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Ferrier, route 4, has returned to his duties as flight instructor on a P-47 at George field, Lawrenceville, Ill., following a 14-day leave spent at his home.
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Friday, February 05, 1945, Page 14 (photo included)
Funeral Services for Lt. Donald L. Ferrier
to Be Held Wednesday
The body of 1st Lt. Donald L. Ferrier, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ashley Ferrier, route 4, who died in the crash of a C-46 army transport plane near George field, Lawrenceville, Ill., Saturday, arrived in Mason City Tuesday morning.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 2:30 p. m. at the First Methodist church. The Rev. James Miller of Bristow will officiate.
Military rites will be conducted at the graveside before interment in Elmwood cemetery. The Patterson funeral home is in charge of arrangements.
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The Women of the Moose will meet at the Methodist church at 2:14 p. m. Wednesday to attend the funeral services of Donald L. Ferrier.
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Tuesday, April 10, 1945, Page 10
Planes Circle City to Honor Lt. Ferrier
Eight C-46 transport planes came up from George field, Lawrenceville, Ill., Tuesday afternoon and circled over Mason City in honor of Lt. Donald Ferrier, who was killed in a flight crash on a C-46 at the field last Saturday.
Lt. Ferrier’s body arrived in Mason City Tuesday morning on the 7:45 Milwaukee. It was escorted here by Lt. Robert Guenther and by Lt. Ferrier’s wife; also by Mrs. Charles Kelley, mother of Mrs. Ferrier, all of whom are guests in the home of Mrs. George Cable, 22 Jefferson N. W. Mrs. Cable is an aunt of Mrs. Ferrier, who was married to the lieutenant only a week ago.
The planes were also flown over Washington, Iowa, home of Lt. Hadley Edmonson, flying with Ferrier and also killed in the crash. Only the 2 men were in the plane when it crashed, according to lt. Guenther.
Funeral services for Lt. Ferrier will be conducted at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon at the First Methodist church, with Rev. James Miller of Bristow officiating. The Patterson funeral home is in charge of arrangements.
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Wednesday, April 11, 1945, Page 2
RITES HELD FOR FERRIER
“Each Has Journey to Make.” Miller
Funeral services will full military rites were conducted at the First Methodist church Wednesday afternoon for First Lt. Donald L. Ferrier, who was killed in a plane crash at Lawrenceville, Ill., last Saturday, The Rev. James Miller of Bristow officiated.
“There is a mansion of each of us,’ said Mr. Miller in his sermon based on the scripture of that context, “but before we take possession each has a journey to make – a struggle to face. We can’t sit down calmly. We can’t afford to lose these boys and we must do something to bring the terrible catastrophe of war to an end.
“We are living in anxious times; many things trouble us these days. There is hardly anyone who doesn’t have a loved one somewhere with the armed forces. Yet after all, Jesus said, ‘Let not your heart be troubled; if we believe in God, believe also in Me. In my father’s house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you that where I am there ye may be also.’
“There are so many praise-worthy things once could say about Lt. Ferrier,” said the pastor, a long-time friend of the Ferrier family. “As a small lad God spoke to him and he was willing to go through the ordeal of baptism. Now again he had gone through the ordeal of baptism, even to giving up his life for his country.
“Lt. Ferrier was a straight forward young man, highly esteemed by his officers . . . he was efficient. He had been training 24 men a year for overseas duty. It had always been his ambition to soar in the heavens, to look above the clouds into other worlds. He had reached that height, got to the top, looked over and perhaps, one may say, like Moses, did not come back. I believe he had his mansion prepared for him,” concluded the pastor.
Mrs. Harold Wolfe sang “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere” and “Sweet Peace the Gift of God’s Love,” with Mrs. Bertha Patchen at the organ.
Pallbearers were Sylvan Hugelen, Francis Coe, Gerald Ferris, Willard Fulghum, Jr., Henry Heimendinger and David Murphy.
Burial was in Elmwood cemetery with military observance under the direction of the American Legion.
The Patterson funeral home was in charge of arrangements.
Source: The Globe-Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Thursday, April 12, 1945, Page 4
