(This is an article about my great aunt that my dad found while cleaning.  The newspaper article was from August, 1930)

Engine Died in License Test, but Harriet Sackett's Nerve Saved Her

Monday, August 11, 1930, Des Moines Tribune-Capital

The examination which was to give a former Des Moines girl, Harriet E. Sackett, her private pilots license at a Washington, D.C., airport late last week became a real test of her ability when the motor of her plane failed in the air.  Accounts of her successful landing were received by her father, F. A. Sackett, 1058 thirty-first street, Saturday in clippings from the Washington Star and the Washington News.

Miss Sackett was putting her plane through the necessary paces for the private's license, 3,000 feet above the capitol.  When her motor suddenly went dead, Miss Sackett succeeded in bringing her disabled ship to a safe landing with a "dead stick."

'Beautiful Exhibition.'

"It was one of the most beautiful exhibitions of feminine nerve and skill in flying I have ever seen," Alva Sole, president of the District of Columbia Air legion said.

A large crowd of aviators and friends had gathered to witness her examination.  She went through the requirements for her private pilot's license easily and was sailing along smoothly when suddenly her motor went dead half a mile up.

She sent the ship gently into a spiral and circled down over Washington airport.

"It was all I could do," she said.  "They taught me how to fly and I brought the ship in according to instructions.  That was all there was to it."

Flew After Eight Hours.

Miss Sackett was the first girl to be given a private pilot's license in the capital this year, and the first girl student of the District of Columbia Air legion to win her pilot's license.  She joined the legion last spring and made her first flight alone after eight hours and fifteen minutes of dual instruction.  She took her first parachute jump two weeks ago Sunday.

Miss Sackett left Des Moines in February, 1929, to fill an appointment in the department of secretary of state at Washington, D.C.  She is still employed in that department.  Before leaving for Washington, D. C., she had been secretary for J. J. Hughes, general agent of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance company for five and a half years.

A twin sister, Mrs. Gerald J. Wadsworth, 3018 Woodland avenue, Des Moines, has never taken up flying.

More archive newspapers family anniversary, 1917 and this one.

Mom says:

My dad used to tell us that when the twin girls were born they did not expect them to live.  They put each one in a shoe box next to the fire (heating stove or whatever) and pulled them through.  My sister, Liz, lived with Harriet and her family one summer when she worked in D.C.

To see the original article, follow the jump More...

Since we are going to visit Agony in Arizona for vacation this week, we had an Easter egg hunt early for the girls.

Libby was the most excited to go outside and look for eggs...

Libby playing 'camping' with her lantern....

Libby looking out the winter, waiting for the snow to be gone ("I tired of winter, Daddy...")  Don't worry Lib, summer is only a plane ride away in Arizonia (as she says).  The girls are playing "vacation" where they load up all the poly pockets on thomas the train, and then ride to Aridzona (as I say).

Libby

A few weeks before Christmas we went to the Traverse City Great Wolf Lodge.  The hotel had all the Christmas decorations up, and the girls liked to run around in the lobby.  They of course liked the water park also, with the baby pools and baby slides.  Towards the end, Jasmine was brave enough to ride on the big slides, but only once or twice....

Libby swims underwater...

Taylor, Jasmine, Libby, and Morgan

View all the pictures as a slide show...

Dad, June 14, 1931

Posted the rest of Libby's third birthday pictures. 

Click here for sideshow.

Libby getting into the "Baby pool" the first time!

Libby couldn't say Florida, and she thought that Florida consisted of the Marriott hotel.  We took them over to Coco beach to see the ocean, and the whole time Libby kept saying "Be done, be done, back to floriba, i want back to floriba and go in baby pool!"

Libby was in heaven, in that she could eat all the junk food she wanted "Libby, you have to finish your sugar cereal before you have your donut!"  They were able to go swimming as many times a day as they wanted, and then would be happy eating junk food.

Libby giving Jasmine a kiss.

Libby had a lot of fun in the baby pool, she would run round and round the pool yelling "I swimming Daddy!  I swimming!"  She'd get so excited that she'd jump out of the pool and go hug and kiss everybody.  Libby also liked watching the waterfall swimming pool.  At night they would have a colored light display -- she'd stand at the balcony yelling, "It's purple!"  "It's yellow now!"  "It's pink!"

Jasmine liked the big girl pool.  She learned to swim by herself underwater, and could sit on the bottom and wave.

Of course, now every time I leave on "the airplane to go to work" Libby is convinced I'm going to floriba, and asks if she can come to.

Here is the full set of pictures from floriba...

The Winterset Madisonin, Wednesday, November 7, 1917

Golden sunshine, golden wishes and golden gifts poured upon the Sackett home on Tuesday, November 6th, in celebration of the golden wedding anniversary of George Cassander Sackett and Emma Arthusa French.  A family dinner was given at the noon hour, followed by a reception for friends during the afternoon.  The children of the household arranged to gather at the parental home for a reunion.  The illness of one daughter, Mrs Carrie Youblood of Billings, Montana, prevented the completeness of the gathering.  The family included Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sackett and children, Wilbur, George, Harriet and Louise of Des Moines; Mrs Anna Sackett-Rich and son, Russell of Sioux City; Mr and Mrs. Erwin Sackett and baby Emma, of South Range, Wis.; Miss Ida Sackett of Winterset, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Keithley and Mrs. Maggie French of Des Moines, these ladies being sister and sister in law of Mrs. Sackett and guests at the wedding of half century ago.

The room were adorned with immense yellow and white chrysanthemums, and festoons of green.  Comrades of Pitzer Post G. A. R. and the sisters of Pitzer W.R.C. assembled to attend the reception from three to four o'clock.  An original poem commemorating the event was presented by Blair Wolf, after which, on behalf of Pitzer Corps, the president, Mrs. Zeller, gave Mrs. Sackett a beautiful silk flag in appreciation of her long and valued membership in the corps.  her services as an army nurse was mentioned by Mrs. Zeller in connection with Mr. Sackett's service in the civil war.  The comrades, through Commander Cooper, gave Mr. Sackett a money gift.

The guests, after signing the guest book, were seated for refreshments.  The dining room was decorated in tiny yellow chrysanthemums.  A huge wedding cake, artistically ornamented with flowers formed of yellow fondant occupied the place of honor.  The cake was made by Mrs. Frank Sackett, the flowers being the skilful handiwork of Mrs. Keithley.  Ice cream wafers and coffee were served by Mmes. Lewis and Pratt.

The children presented their father with a handsome gold headed cane, appropriately engraved, while to their mother, they gave a valuable gold handled umbrella.

The Woman's club, of which Mrs. Sackett has long been a very active member, called later in the day with a gift of two five dollar gold pieces, a gold brooch, and a reading glass.  Other friends came to offer kind wishes and felicitations upon the unusual occasion.

Mr. and Mrs. Sackett lived on a farm in Adair county from 1870-1896, when they came to Winterset to reside permanently.  Their long association with the First Presbyterian church here, with Pitzer Post and Corps, and their well known activity in all affairs worth while have endeared Mr. and Mrs. Sackett to a legion of sincere friends.  Mr. Sackett, at the age of 82 years, is a familiar figure on our streets.  Mrs. Sackett is a remarkable women, and at 76 years, is a marvel to many of a younger generation.  She has received state honors from W.R.C. serving two years as chaplain for department of Iowa.  her record as an army nurse is a source of pride to herself and her friends.

This happy anniversary not only brought joy to the Sackett family, but to this community as well.

Another picture from the article, and an updated family tree at geni.com!

Jasmine and Libby finger paint…

I’ve started to construct a family tree on-line using geni.com. (Shout out to Mary Margret for the help on her side of the family!) — if any of my family are actually reading this, and want access, contact me, and I’ll add your name to the list of people who have access to it! 

It’s fun to add your information (and any information you know about), and it seems that every grandchild has contacted Dad for ancestry information for school projects lately….

We’ve got 110 people added so far!

Just returned from the 2007 IEEE Aerospace Conference in Big Sky Montana.  I was presenting my paper on AJAX, SVG and geospatial situational awareness.  My talk was well received and there was good feedback.

The conference was good, I learned a bunch of new things and tried to network.  Networking was pretty hard, in that everyone else was really a rocket scientist.

The conference was at Big Sky ski resort in Bozeman Montana, a really long ways away and a day long trip in airports in rental car lines to get there.  I went skiing a few of the days and even went up to the top to ski down.  The top was so high up, you could see this little itty bitty tiny shack on the tip top of the mountain.  The only way down is on the side.

I had to take 3 chairlifts, and a tiny gondola to get to the top.  The whole way up I kept looking up (it was a straight up) "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this."  Once I got to the top, stepped off the tram and looked around, I wasn't so sure!  The edge just disappeared under your feet (they told me later it's a 45 degree angle at the top, and I don't ski that often).  It was actually breathtaking, the view was fantastic, and the snow just fell away.  I made it down slowly, only falling once.  The hill was so steep I just kept skidding down, and had to crawl up to retrieve my skis on my hands and knees.

I'll post the photographs after I get them downloaded from my camera....