Earl Thornton GRAY Mini tree diagram
Dorothy Earl SOUDERS

Dorothy Earl SOUDERS4,1,3,5,2

19031,2 - 6th Sep 19261,3

Life History

1903

Born in Germany.1,2

17th Mar 1924

Married Earl Thornton GRAY in Tacoma, Pierce, Washington.4,1

Dorothy died in a plane crash when she was piloting, in September 1926

6th Sep 1926

Died in Seaside, Clatsop, Oregon.1,3

Plane crash in the ocean near Cannon Beach;  ran out of fuel and the customary beach landing spot was full of people; a correspondent mentions the location as Haystack Rock

27th Sep 1926

Buried in Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park, Seattle, King County, Washington.1

Notes

  • Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
    Dorothy Souders of King County, Washington
    Spouse Earl T Gray of King County, Washington
    Marriage 17 Mar 1924 Tacoma, Pierce County
    Witnesses Mr and Mrs W F Vaughn
    Ceremony was performed by C W Weyer, Minister, Tacoma Washington

    U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
    Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1927, p 701
    Gray Earl T (Dorothy) S musician h 5215 I 36th av SW I

    "My ancestor Jimmy Rinehart met Earl Gray on the beach in Seaside Oregon in about 1921.  Rinehart was about 13; Gray allowed him to help with a  damaged plane and then hired him.  He paid him with aircraft parts with which he build his first airplane, and I have a few newspaper articles you may be interested in, describing how he met Earl Gray and the plane he built and article with a photo of Earl Gray and his wife Dorothy Souder who died Labor Day weekend in 1927 [it was 6 Sept 1926] in the plane crash at Haystack Rock.  Jimmy participated in the air search for her."
    --  Cynthia Boeing, email on Geneanet messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 24 January 2015

    Dorothy died when she had to land in the ocean when she ran out of fuel and the customary beach landing spot was full of people.  An early story included in her memorial on Find a Grave (below) reports that she lost control of the plane, noting that she was had been a pilot only a short time.  But a newspaper headline clarified the cause of the crash when reported the crash landing in the surf when she ran out of fuel.

    The memorial on Find a Grave reports that the place of death was Cannon Beach, but a note with the newspape headline indicates it the crash occurred on Seaside Beach a few miles south.  It appears Seaside is a different town.  Further Cynthia Boeing above referred to the location as Haystack Rock.  This sounds like a landmark on the beach.

    "Daring young woman aviator loses life in sea when fuel supply gives out.  Mrs Earl Gray Finds Accustomed Landing Place on Beach Swarming With Humanity; Plane Lands in Surf and Big Wave Washes Away Its Pretty Pilot."  Note indicates place of crash was off Seaside, Oregon
    --  The Oregonian Newspaper

    -------------------
    Dorothy Earl Souders Gray
    Birth 1903 Germany
    Death Sep. 6, 1926 Cannon Beach, Clatsop County, Oregon

    Born of American parents. Wife of Earl T Gray a local band leader.
    --
    1926-09-27; Seattle Daily Times
    Funeral services for Mrs Earl Gray, She will be buried in Greenwood Cementery.
    -------
    1926-09-08; Seattle Daily Times
    Planes Patrol Beach for Mrs Earl Gray.
    Plane crashed into surf. Wreakage found, She was 24 years old. Had only been a pilot a short time, She was a new flyer and lost control of plane and crashed in ocean. Husband was a pilot and leader of a orchestra
    -------
    1926-09-27; Seattle Daily Times
    Funeral services for Mrs Earl Gray, She will be buried in Greenwood Cementery.
    --

    Parents:
    Robert Rose Souders (1873 - 1962)
    Grace Dey Hollopeter Souders (1880 - 1925)
    Siblings:
    Paul B Souders (1902 - 1979)
    John Raymond Souders (1904 - 1968)
    Robert R Souders (1905 - 1926)

    Burial Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park, Seattle, King County, Washington

    Created by searcher Jan 03, 2011
    --  Find A Grave Memorial #63684923, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=63684923
    --------------------

    Oregon, Death Index, 1898-2008
    Dorothy A Gray
    Death 6 Sep 1926 Clatsop County
    Certificate #160

    Even though Dorothy died in 1926, the city directory for 1927 still reports her as the wife of Earl Gray.  It appears it was a repeat entry from an earlier directory, without awareness that she had died in the meantime.  It may be that the data had already been gathered for the 1927 directory before her death.

    U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989
    Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1927, p 701
    Gray Earl T (Dorothy S) musician h 5215 I 36th av SW I

Sources

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