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Charles Melville “Chuck” Lefforge Jr.

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Charles Melville “Chuck” Lefforge Jr.

Birth	:	9 Nov 1921 Westboro, Atchison County, Missouri, USA
Death	:	Jun 1984 Mansfield, Spink County, South Dakota, USA
Burial	:	Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Spink County, USA
Coordinate	:	44.8784800, -98.2965200
Plot	:	Blk I, Lot 31, Gr 6
Inscription	:	"Dad" and "God is my Co-pilot"
Description	:	His death occurred at St. Lukes Hospital, Aberdeen, South Dakota. He died as a result of injuries sustained in a crop dusting accident. The location was 6 miles south and 1 mile east of Groton, South Dakota. The tail of the plane barely touched a power line and caused the plane to loose power momentarily. According to his daughter, Patti Lefforge, he lived 4 hours after the accident. His son, Tim Lefforge, was flagging for him and rode to the hospital with him in the ambulance. Burial: He is buried in the cemetery located at Frankfort, South Dakota. He is buried next... Read More	His death occurred at St. Lukes Hospital, Aberdeen, South Dakota. He died as a result of injuries sustained in a crop dusting accident. The location was 6 miles south and 1 mile east of Groton, South Dakota. The tail of the plane barely touched a power line and caused the plane to loose power momentarily. According to his daughter, Patti Lefforge, he lived 4 hours after the accident. His son, Tim Lefforge, was flagging for him and rode to the hospital with him in the ambulance. Burial: He is buried in the cemetery located at Frankfort, South Dakota. He is buried next to his mother, Hazel (Kirk) Lefforge Graham and Andrew Gordon "Andy" Graham, who was his step-father and raised him from childhood. Later his wife, Shirley Lavonne (Erickson) Lefforge, was buried next to him. He had resided in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, California, Washington, Miss, North Carolina, Minnesota & South Dakota. Chuck began learning to fly while he was still in the military during WW II. In fact, according to his sister, Patricia "Patti" (Lefforge) Johnson, Bevers, he got in big trouble for not getting back to the base in time. He was somewhere taking flying lessons and he was counted AWOL which during any war time, is considered a crime. He served some time in the military jail for that offense. He and Shirley lived in Granite Falls, Minnesota, where he was employed with a Civil Engineering job. According to Shirley, they resided in Lind, Washington, later they lived at Hollister, California, Henderson, North Carolina, & Tchula, Mississippi. During these early years he was taking pilot lessons and getting his hours needed for his pilot's license, while trying to hold down other jobs to support his growing family. After he got his pilot license, they moved and lived where he could get a job as a crop duster pilot. They moved to Sioux Falls, Iowa, where some of their children were born. They moved to Redfield, South Dakota, where he was employed as a crop duster pilot. Later they resided at Elk Point, Vermillion, & Watertown, South Dakota. During this time he was able to purchase his own plane and began a crop dusting business. At that time, they resided in Frankfort, South Dakota. They sold their home in Frankfort, South Dakota, to his mother and step-dad, Hazel and Andy. Then they bought a larger home in Mansfield, South Dakota, where he owned and operated his own crop dusting business for many years. Shirley did the book keeping and collecting for their business. Many times she dropped whatever she was doing (sometimes more than once a day), and made the trip to Aberdeen, to pick up barrels of chemical and supplies that he needed. During this time she was raising ten children!! They always had a large garden which she took care of and she kept a neat house for her family. One year they raised a large field of potatoes and sold them. Chuck trapped fur bearing animals and sold the skins in the winter to make ends meet. His happiest hours were spent out doors being surrounded by nature. He loved to read and was very intelligent. He could hold the interest of anyone, on any topic, that he was interested in. He loved to share his knowledge of many areas of interest, including nature, religion and government. He could explain how bee's and bat's, used their own sonar systems to travel. He also studied plants and what made them grow, he built his own green house and was working on a new hybrid sunflower. He could explain how a thunder storm builds and the power of the lightening. He was interested in UFO's and sighted several near them as did many members of the family. He had to be careful of who he told about the sightings because he could lose his pilot's license. They could insist you be evaluated by the medical field who could report that you were mentally incompetent to fly a plane, if you were seeing things! He knew enough about flying and the different types of planes, travel speed and flight patterns, to judge the difference between regular air craft and unexplained flying objects. He felt the UFO's were was possibly new flying craft that the government was developing and keeping from the public knowledge. He counted among his friends, people from many walks of life, among who were college professors, folks in the different religious sectors, such as a young Presbyterian minister and a older Catholic Priest, the local area farmers, and local law enforcement folks. His drinking and temper landed him in hot water with the local law enforcement many times. He liked most people and most people liked him and if he didn't like you, he had no problem expressing his dislike! Both of his sisters died recently. Patricia Lorene Lefforge-Johnson-Bevers (1924-2013) Mary Lou Lefforge Ferguson (1926-2013) Thank you Vi for beginning this memorial and transferring to me.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Charles Melville “Chuck” Lefforge Jr.'s memorial?
Charles Melville “Chuck” Lefforge Jr.'s memorial is located at: Frankfort Cemetery, Frankfort, Spink County, USA.
When did Charles Melville “Chuck” Lefforge Jr. death?
Charles Melville “Chuck” Lefforge Jr. death on Jun 1984 in Mansfield, Spink County, South Dakota, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Charles Melville “Chuck” Lefforge Jr.'s memorial?
Latitude: 44.8784800
Longitude: -98.2965200

Family Members:

Parent

Hazel Gertrude Kirk Graham

(1899 - 1982)

Spouse

Rosa Evelyn “Rosie” Ruch Burns

(1920 - 1998)

Shirley Lavonne Lefforge

(1935 - 1996)

Children

Patricia Louise Lefforge Onek

(1941 - 2015)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Frankfort Cemetery
Frankfort, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8784800, -98.2965200

2. Saint Ann Cemetery
Frankfort, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8821983, -98.3028030

3. Poor Farm Cemetery
Frankfort, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8836350, -98.3591071

4. Guttenberg Cemetery
Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8205986, -98.2972031

5. Glendale Colony Cemetery
Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7999900, -98.2856600

6. Irving Cemetery
Doland, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7751500, -98.2203600

7. Clifton Cemetery
Clifton Township, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 45.0106010, -98.3197021

8. Spink Colony Cemetery
Spink Colony, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7440800, -98.2923800

9. Crandon Cemetery
Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7825012, -98.4436035

10. Ebenezer Cemetery
Doland, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7602997, -98.1797028

11. Graceland Cemetery
Tulare, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7481003, -98.3861008

12. Rose Hill Cemetery
Doland, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7484600, -98.1993600

13. Irving Cemetery
Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7486000, -98.1986008

14. Doland Cemetery
Doland, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8993988, -98.0828018

15. Saint Bernard Cemetery
Redfield, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8857994, -98.5139008

16. Greenlawn Cemetery
Redfield, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8857994, -98.5164032

17. South Dakota Developmental Center Cemetery
Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.8880120, -98.5234880

18. Hillestad Cemetery
Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.6944008, -98.2596970

19. Tulare Cemetery
Tulare, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7486000, -98.4922028

20. Ashton Cemetery
Ashton, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.9914017, -98.5224991

21. Emmanuel Mennonite Cemetery
Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7041300, -98.1207900

22. Hillside Colony Cemetery
Hillside Colony, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 44.7404700, -98.0486100

23. Saint Josephs Cemetery
Turton, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 45.0479660, -98.0899500

24. Sunnyside Cemetery
Turton, Spink County, USA
Coordinate: 45.0472600, -98.0849800