Ellen Church Airfield, Cresco, Iowa, November, 1990


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Ellen Church Airfield, Cresco, Iowa, November, 1990

Edited by David Barth January 2016. Photos were taken by David Barth.

Ellen Church Airfield, Cresco, Iowa, November, 1990
Plaque at Ellen Church Airfield, Cresco, Iowa,
November, 1990. (Text is transcribed, below).


"World's First Airline Stewardess
"Ellen Church Marshall
"1904-1965

"Humanitarian, war heroine, and aviation pioneer, Ellen Church Marshall dedicated her indomitable spirit to the service of mankind.

"As the world's first airline stewardess, she created a new and exciting profession for young girls of the twentieth century.

"As a much-decorated air corps nurse in World War II, she brought comfort and relief to thousands of American soldiers who were wounded on the battleAirfields of Europe.

"And as a peacetime nursing instructor and hospital administrator, she guided vast numbers of young women along the path once trod by another humanitarian, Florence Nightingale.

"Born September 22, 1904 on a farm near Cresco, Iowa, Ellen Church Marshall combined imagination, persistence, and her own personal warmth to meet life's challenges along the way, and with her death on August 27, 1965, the world lost a truly great and dedicated woman.

"Her name will serve forever as a symbol of the selfless devotion that rests in the hearts of nurses and stewardesses all over the world."

Ellen Church Airfield, Cresco, Iowa, November, 1990
Ellen Church Airfield, Cresco, Iowa, November, 1990.


While my pal, Carol, visited former in-laws in Cresco, Iowa, I "camped out" at Cresco's Ellen Church Airfield because I'm an aviation enthusiast and flight instructor. As with most small airfields on weekdays, it was unattended, and there was a place to sit outside of the elements. During the three hours I was there, no aircraft landed or took off, and I saw no other people. But it was relaxing to just enjoy the ambiance of a little airstrip outside of town and imagine the excitement of new students getting their first flying lesson or folks being taken up for a view of their home or farm from the air.