Show Norman Mormon and Doris Killed When Plane Crashes and Burns Norman Nonan 41 world world- Colorado river boatman amous explorer and his wile wife and ad d DoriS iris 35 died at 7 am a.m. Monday to In the flaming naming wreckage of 01 their tight light plane near their home at Mexican Hat HaL on the San Juan river While their year old Sandra looked on in Sr horror the light plane crashed the side of 01 a cliff soon after i lab Into takeoff and burst into flames f 1 a there There W was no flO chance for br the noted river explorer or his wife to escape from the fiery wreck- wreck age Mr and Mrs had taken ken oil off In their plane for Blanding when the crash oc oc- oc- oc cUrled The only wi was Sandra who had walked from torn the home a short distance In time to see the plane take oil off from the runway about a quarter of a mile away The Thc little little girl who has flown a great deal with willi her father said the motor seemed to sputter and she saw her heV daddy turn back The plane disappeared over a alow low hill and crashed headon into jito the sandstone wall of a 20 20 loot deep drep wash The crash erash was Mowed by a fire that left only the he metal skeleton of the craft Investigators said however hat death was instantaneous at athe atthe the he time of the impact so far as at Mr r. r and Mrs were con con- Undoubtedly lY was at attempting at- at tempting to turn the ship back to 10 a level highway running just ea eart of the landing strip Three more feet of oI altitude and the ship would have cleared th cliffs edge dge The bodies of and his wife ife were taken from front the burned plane late Monday after after- noon Mr and Mrs Preston Walker close friends of the riv- riv erman and wife flew to Mexican lan can Hat when advised of the tragedy They took the bodies of Mr and Mrs to Grand I Junction Monday night The Maples Maple's young daughters Joan 11 11 and Sandra 8 with Mrs Mae mother of Mr Nevius went to Grand Junction Tuesday morning in a plane pIloted piloted pi pI- by Sid of the Civil Chil Aeronautics Authority Funeral services were held at Martins Martin's Mortuary in Grand Junction at 2 pm p.m. today The bodies of the couple will be cremated and their ashes scattered scattered scattered scat scat- by plane over the Grand Canyon of the e Colorado where Norman lorma and ana Doris had spent so o many adventurous years fears With death the foremost foremost fore fore- most Whitewater boatman of the world has passed on He was the we only man in history who had I successfully negotiated the Grand rand Canyon of the Colorado nyer seven times In addition I He be had taken parties down the I rapids rapid of Idaho's two great riv rivers nv- nv ers the Snake and the Salmon riv I dO dOn n n the Green river of Wyoming Wy Wy- oming and Utah and on innumerable innumerable e erable able trips down the San Juan I river ver Doris NeviUs was almost almost equally well known throughout I Ie the e running river-running fraternity chalking up a number of firsts in river records and throughout the e e. e years supervising the det detailed de- de t tailed organization of every rIve river ver trip During recent years Norman hlad iad ad become ar at avid plane trave trav- trav e eler er He and his plane Cherry Cher ry fy were familiar sights over we Four o r q Corners district p Due V we ie isolation of Mexican Hat Ha t I he used his plane almost I hely for rapid transportation the western states Norman was born at t I Chico ico Calif Cali April 9 D 9 1908 He ne Heme Heto ame me to the Mexican Hat lIa t area I w when n a young man with his parI par- par I ent nt rn His father William E. E wa was interested In oil e In the San Juan re- re re-I re Zion lion on Early fascinated by the I San aa Juan and Colorado rivers Je he made his first attempt at atI I in 1933 in a trip on I the eSa San Juan with his bride Dothe Doris ris soon after their marri- marri age From this beginning he became bethe be- be I fame came the tile worlds world's No 1 rough sough Water ater aier man with more rough Water ater er miles to his credit than a an other er man in ln history and o on iv the le most dangerous waters fl f h. h the e country lle He was one of Oj ae e tew few men in the west el elected ted in 11 the exclusive club Doris N was born at ati i Portland Ore March 9 9 1914 Visiting in Monticello th her ner P parents it she met Mr I 11 hilis 1933 and they were married Mr r was a member of 01 e Masonic l 13 15 I a a. a Orient Oriet lodge lode No Gre I A I I Af i J 1 r 1 4 0 oW Y Q 1 v 0 4 NORMAN Cut Cut Grand Junction Sentinel |