Walter Jones Rockwell

1904 - 1940  (36 years)

• Name	Walter Jones Rockwell  [1]
  Birth	10 Feb 1904	Poland, Herkimer, New York   [1, 2]
  Gender	Male
  Death	25 Oct 1940	Suscanna, Morris, New Jersey   [3, 4]
  Burial	Oak Hill Cemetery, Herkimer, Herkimer, New York   [3]
  Person ID	I85996	Descendants of William Hascall of Fontmell Magna (1490-1542)
  Last Modified	1 Sep 2021

  
  

  Father	Pliny Freeman Rockwell,   b. 6 Sep 1875, Holland Patent, Oneida, New York d. 15 Aug 1957, Herkimer, Herkimer, New York (Age 81 years)
  Mother	Blanche Lavancha Melissa Jones,   b. 25 Dec 1875, White Creek, Washington, New York d. 13 Sep 1956, Herkimer, Herkimer, New York (Age 80 years)
  Marriage	22 Mar 1898	Ohio, Herkimer, New York   [5]
  Family ID	F19166	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Elizabeth D. Moses,   b. 8 Oct 1908, Herkimer, Herkimer, New York d. Dec 1981, Rome, Oneida, New York (Age 73 years)
  Marriage	21 Apr 1928  [4]
  Family ID	F80901	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	8 Jun 2017

  
  

• Notes

  Utica Daily Press October 26, 1940 Herkimer - Walter Jones Rockwell, 36, an aviator known throughout the Mohawk Valley as Rocky," was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting crashed in a swamp near Succasuana, N. J., after exploding in the air. Word of the tragedy was received here Friday night by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Pliny Rockwell, 220 N. Park Pl., and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Moses Rockwell, same address. Pilot Alone in Plane Examination of the wreckage by State Police revealed that Rockwell was alone in the plane. During the past year he had been piloting chartered planes from Roosevelt Field, Mineola, LI. Identification was made by State Police from cards found in the pilot's clothing. Miss Camilla Rockwell, RN, Herkimer, left for New York to make arrangements for the return of her brother's body to Herkimer. His Third Crash The crash was Rockwell's third in his 12 years as a pilot His first accident was on Feb. 16,1929, when he made a forced landing at the Utica Airport. His biplane overturned in a snowbank, but he escaped with minor bruises. At that time he was a student of the Utica Flying Service Inc. About a year later while piloting a plane over the mountains near Burlington, Vt., and with a passenger aboard, his craft caught fire at about 5,000 feet up. Rockwell side slipped the plane earthward and landed on the side of a mountain. Both he and his passenger escaped serious injury, but the plane was destroyed. For a number of years. Rocky conducted passenger flying services at Lake George, Miami, Fla., New Jersey and other places. Flew to South America About a year ago he was engaged by a mining company in Colombia, South America, to fly provisions from 'the United States to the mines. His route carried him over Jungles. At one time he also served as an Instructor at the Albany Airport At the time of his death he held the position of vice president of the Waco Sales of New York Inc. Walter was born in Poland Feb. 10, 1904, and when a boy came to Herkimer with his parents. His education was received in Herkimer schools. On Apr. 21, 1928, he married Miss Elizabeth Moses. Besides his parents and widow, he leaves two sisters, Camilla and Mrs. Bert Master, Herkimer, and a brother, William, who is a mechanic at Roosevelt Field.

  
  

• Sources

  [S22295] 1910 census, New York, Herkimer county. [S65470] Ancestry.com, Knowles Family Tree. [S52067] Cemetery index, Oak Hill Cemetery, Herkimer, Herkimer, New York, (Find-a-Grave). [S52068] Obituary, Utica Daily Press, Walter Jones Rockwell, (October 26, 1940). [S42467] RootsWeb.com, Christy Lee Newman (Christy Newman).