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THE ECONOMIST

AIRCRAFT NEWS

Life and Living? Passing Away? 
Is This Not the Truth That Is With Us Always?

    An air pilot's body and soul (life and living) were with us Tuesday morning, thence passed the living, and left the dead, which on Thursday afternoon became ashes; this is the way he told his wife was "The Cleanest Way Out" -- (Cremated).

    George E. Weaver, 29 years old, a Chicago model aircraft builder of ten or twelve years ago. Later a worker with Emil Laird on the "Swallow" airplane and next a builder of the "W.A.C.O." (Weaver Aircraft Co.) and always and lastly a wonder air pilot.
    FLYING WITHOUT UNCERTAINTY, DOUBT, OR FEAR; with him it was GO-FLY-SAFE.
    He was not like so many, (over confident) but was always learning and putting whatever he got into actual use as soon as it was safe, and possible.
    The word "impossible" seemed, to him, to mean "Try Again" so we feel it is all well with him now he has passed away.
    Tuesday evening the wife said "it was a beautiful morning and George has made a safe landing" and later in the talk she said "only George could have made that landing for us in Pennsylvania last June." --He, with his wife, and their little boy, with mechanic, and passenger, were en route from Chicago to Atlantic City, N. J. Left Cleveland, O., about six a. m. and were following the mail plane, 5,600 feet up, flying above the clouds for over an hour, when the mail phone went down to Bellefonte, Pa. and "Buck" (George Weaver) glided through the clouds with a broken, helpless, engine, and landed against the mountain side in a small hayfield, with an ugly root fence but a short distance in front of us. It was a good, safe, landing, but the sharp turn necessary to keep away from those huge tree roots broke off one metal landing strut, and twisted off the other one so that the cabin and fuselage settled gently on the grass, and we stepped out and took the railroad train at Winburne, Pa., within about an hour, and arrived that midnight at Atlantic City, driving across New Jersey from Camden in an automobile. George Weaver designed and built the cabin in which the four of us rode. He as a pilot was in the open cockpit. The French Breguet with 300 h. p. Renault engine was of wartime (1916 type). We are still flying this same airplane.
    A short service at the home in La Grange, (where he passed away), and with the auto draped with a large flag, and eleven other autos following went to chapel, and crematory, at Oakwoods cemetery--Above (along Ogden ave. with the procession) flew an airplane dropping flowers.
    There were six planes flying over Oakwoods cemetery during the service, and while the body was cremated.
    The earthly pilots dropped their flowers from heaven. It was a fitting tribute of his fellow-flyers.
    Katherine Stinson said "Buck" was a prince of airmen.

Hold First Airplane Funeral Here for Pilot Weaver
  Chicago's first airplane funeral will be accorded this afternoon to George E. Earver, 29 years old, for twelve years one "of the most fearles pilots connected with the Illinois Aero Club," according to Charles Dickinson, president.
  While the funeral is being conducted at the Weaver home in La Grange, Ill., a squadron of seven planes will circle over the place. They will then follow the funeral train to Oakwood Cemetery, where cremation will take place.
  Among the pilots honoring their dead comrade will be Major R. W. Schroeder, holder of an altitude record and Emil Laird, a pal of Mr. Weaver.
  A widow, Hattie Weaver, and a young son, George Jr., survive. Mr. Waver was known as a designer and builder of planes as well as a pilot.--Chicago Evening American, July 31, 1924.

Death Notice in Newspaper as follows:
WEAVER--George E. Weaver, July 29, 1924, age 29, late of 130 Calendar av., La Grange, Ill., beloved husband of Hattie Weaver, nee Meyers, fond father of George Jr., son or Grace and Charles G. Weaver. Funeral from the home at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 31, chapel service at
3:30 p.m. Oakwoods cemetery.

GEORGE("BUCK") WEAVER, an aviator, died of heart disease yesterday at his home in La Grange. A flyer since 1910, his friends estimated he had flown 1,000,000 miles, but he never has been in a serious accident. He left a widow and one son, George Weaver, Jr. Funeral Thursday from home in La Grange. Charles Dickinson, president of the Aero Club of Illinois, said a squadron of airplanes will hover over the home during the services and will fly to the cemetery.

Morrow Krum, Chicago Tribune

This is the First Civilian Airplane Funeral in Chicago
AERO CLUB OF ILLINOIS
83rd St. and Cicero(48th) Av.
CHICAGO,ILL., U.S.A.