Republicans Who Died in Airplane Crashes

Henry John Heinz III (1938-1991) — also known as H. John Heinz III — of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa. Born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa., October 23, 1938. His widow later married John Forbes Kerry. Republican. U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 18th District, 1971-77; U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, 1977-91; died in office 1991. Died in the crash of a small plane at Merion, Montgomery County, Pa., April 4, 1991. Interment at Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pa.


John Goodwin Tower (1925-1991) — also known as John G. Tower — of Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Tex.; Dallas, Dallas County, Tex. Born in Houston, Harris County, Tex., September 29, 1925. Republican. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1980; U.S. Senator from Texas, 1961-85; defeated, 1960. Methodist. Member, American Legion; Kiwanis; Kappa Sigma. Nominated for Secretary of Defense in 1989, but defeated amid allegations of heavy drinking and womanizing. Killed in a plane crash near Brunswick, Glynn County, Ga., April 5, 1991. Interment at Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park, Dallas, Tex.


George Speaker Mickelson (1941-1993) — of South Dakota. Born January 31, 1941. Son of George Theodore Mickelson. Republican. Governor of South Dakota, 1987-93; died in office 1993; Presidential Elector for South Dakota, 1992. Died in a plane crash, April 19, 1993. Burial location unknown.

Thaddeus C. Sweet (1872-1928) — of Phoenix, Oswego County, N.Y. Born in Phoenix, Oswego County, N.Y., November 16, 1872. Son of Anthony Wayne Sweet and Sarah Elizabeth (Campbell) Sweet. Republican. Paper manufacturer; member of New York state assembly from Oswego County, 1910-20; Speaker of the New York State Assembly, 1914-20; delegate to Republican National Convention from New York, 1916, 1924; U.S. Representative from New York 32nd District, 1923-28; died in office 1928. Member, Freemasons; Knights Templar; Shriners; Elks. Died as result of an airplane accident in Whitney Point, Broome County, N.Y., May 1, 1928. Interment at Rural Cemetery, Phoenix, N.Y.


William Kirk Kaynor (1884-1929) — of Springfield, Hampden County, Mass. Born in Sanborn, O'Brien County, Iowa, November 29, 1884. Republican. U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 2nd District, 1929; died in office 1929. Killed in the crash of a military plane, shortly after takeoff from the Bolling Field air base, Anacostia, Washington, D.C., December 20, 1929; it was his first time in an airplane. Interment at Oak Grove Cemetery, Springfield, Mass.

Bronson Murray Cutting (1888-1935) — also known as Bronson M. Cutting — of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, N.M. Born in Oakdale, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y., June 23, 1888. Republican. U.S. Senator from New Mexico, 1927-28, 1929-35; died in office 1935; delegate to Republican National Convention from New Mexico, 1932; member of Republican National Committee from New Mexico, 1932. Episcopalian. Member, American Legion. Died in an airplane crash, near Atlanta, Macon County, Mo., May 6, 1935. Interment at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, N.Y.


John Kristensen Brostuen (1884-1938) — also known as John K. Brostuen; Johannes Kristensen Brostuen — of Alexander, McKenzie County, N.Dak. Born near Ringebu, Norway, August 28, 1884. Married to Anna Brostuen. Republican. Farmer; rancher; newspaper editor and publisher; member of North Dakota state senate; North Dakota Republican state chair, 1937-38. Norwegian ancestry. Died in an airplane crash near Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, 1938. Interment at Riverview Cemetery, Williston, N.Dak.


Ernest Lundeen (1878-1940) — of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minn.; Wayzata, Hennepin County, Minn. Born in Beresford, Union County, S.Dak., 1878. Lawyer; member of Minnesota state legislature; delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1916; U.S. Representative from Minnesota, 1917-19, 1933-37 (5th District 1917-19, at-large 1933-35, 3rd District 1935-37); defeated (Independent), 1920; candidate for Governor of Minnesota, 1928; U.S. Senator from Minnesota, 1937-40; defeated (Farmer-Labor), 1930; died in office 1940. Methodist. Member, Freemasons. Killed in a plane crash in Virginia, August 31, 1940. Interment at Little Arlington National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minn.


William Dee Becker (1876-1943) — also known as William D. Becker — of St. Louis, Mo. Born in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Ill., October 23, 1876. Son of John Philip Becker and Anna A. (Cammann) Becker; married, June 10, 1902, to Margaret Louise McIntosh. Republican. Lawyer; Judge, Missouri Court of Appeals, 1916-40; mayor of St. Louis, Mo., 1941-43; died in office 1943. Member, American Bar Association. Was a passenger in an experimental Army glider, towed by an airplane; the glider's wings suddenly fell off, and it crashed at Lambert-St. Louis Airfield, St. Louis County, Mo., August 1, 1943. Interment at Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.


John William Ditter (1888-1943) — also known as J. William Ditter — of Ambler, Montgomery County, Pa. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., September 5, 1888. Son of George Ditter and Elizabeth (Weissgerber) Ditter; married, September 2, 1913, to Mabel Sylvester Bearn&eacute. Republican. Lawyer; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 17th District, 1933-43; died in office 1943. Protestant. Member, Freemasons; Moose; Rotary. Died in an airplane crash near Columbia, Lancaster County, Pa., November 21, 1943. Interment at Whitemarsh Memorial Cemetery, Prospectville, Pa.


Earl Wilcox Snell (1895-1947) — also known as Earl Snell — of Arlington, Gilliam County, Ore. Born near Olex, Gilliam County, Ore., July 11, 1895. Republican. Secretary of state of Oregon, 1935-43; Governor of Oregon, 1943-47; died in office 1947. While flying to southern Oregon on a hunting trip, along with Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr. and State Senate President Marshall E. Cornett, was killed when the small plane crashed in stormy weather near Dog Lake, Lake County, Ore., October 28, 1947. Interment at Belcrest Memorial Park, Salem, Ore.


Robert S. Farrell, Jr. (c.1906-1947) — of Portland, Multnomah County, Ore. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oregon, 1940, 1944; secretary of state of Oregon, 1943-47; died in office 1947. While flying to southern Oregon on a hunting trip, along with Gov. Earl Snell and State Senate President Marshall E. Cornett, was killed when the small plane crashed in stormy weather, near Dog Lake, Lake County, Ore., October 28, 1947. Interment at River View Cemetery, Portland, Ore.


Marshall E. Cornett (c.1899-1947) — of Klamath Falls, Klamath County, Ore. Republican. Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Oregon, 1944; member of Oregon state senate, 1947; died in office 1947. While flying to southern Oregon on a hunting trip, along with Gov. Earl Snell and Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr. was killed with the small plane crashed in stormy weather, near Dog Lake, Lake County, Ore., October 28, 1947.


George Joseph Bates (1891-1949) — also known as George J. Bates — of Salem, Essex County, Mass. Born in Salem, Essex County, Mass., February 25, 1891. Son of Thomas F. Bates and Annie (Burns) Bates; married, October 31, 1911, to Nora Jennings; father of William Henry Bates. Republican. Member of Massachusetts state house of representatives, 1918-24; mayor of Salem, Mass., 1924-37; U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 6th District, 1937-49; elected unopposed 1948; died in office 1949. Killed in an airplane collision between an Eastern Air Lines DC-4 passenger airliner and a war surplus P-38 fighter plane purchased by Bolivia, near Washington National Airport, Arlington, Arlington County, Va., November 1, 1949. Interment at St. Mary's Cemetery, Salem, Mass.


Kimber Cornellus Sigler (1894-1953) — also known as Kim Sigler — of Hastings, Barry County, Mich.; Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Mich.; Lansing, Ingham County, Mich. Born in Schuyler, Colfax County, Neb., May 2, 1894. Democratic candidate for Michigan state attorney general, 1928; candidate in Republican primary for Michigan state senate 8th District, 1942; Governor of Michigan, 1947-48; defeated (Republican), 1948; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1948. Member, Rotary. While flying his airplane on a foggy night, collided with a television broadcast tower; he and three passengers died in the crash, near Augusta, Kalamazoo County, Mich., November 30, 1953. Interment at Riverside Cemetery, Hastings, Mich.


Leroy George Augenstein (1928-1969) — also known as Leroy G. Augenstein — of Holt, Ingham County, Mich. Born in Decatur, Macon County, Ill., March 6, 1928. Republican. Biophysicist; university professor; member of Michigan state board of education, 1967-69; died in office 1969. Member, Sigma Alpha Epsilon; Sigma Xi. Killed in an airplane crash, November 8, 1969.


Jerry Lyle Pettis (1916-1975) — also known as Jerry L. Pettis — of Loma Linda, San Bernardino County, Calif. Born in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz., July 18, 1916. Married to Shirley Neil Pettis. Republican. U.S. Representative from California, 1967-75 (33rd District 1967-75, 37th District 1975); died in office 1975. Seventh-Day Adventist. Died in a plane crash near Banning, Riverside County, Calif., February 14, 1975. Interment at Montecito Memorial Park, Colton, Calif.


Ralph Frederick Beermann (1912-1977) — of Dakota City, Dakota County, Neb. Born near Dakota City, Dakota County, Neb., August 13, 1912. Republican. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; U.S. Representative from Nebraska, 1961-65 (3rd District 1961-63, 1st District 1963-65). Lutheran. Member, Farm Bureau; American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Kiwanis. Died in an airplane crash at the Municipal Airport in Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, February 17, 1977. Interment at Dakota City Cemetery, Dakota City, Neb.


Richard D. Obenshain (1936-1978) — of Richmond, Va. Born in 1936. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Virginia, 1964; Virginia Republican state chair, 1972; candidate for U.S. Senator from Virginia 1978, but died before election. Killed in a plane crash in August 1978.


Larkin I. Smith (1944-1989) — of Mississippi. Born in Mississippi, June 26, 1944. Married to Sheila Smith. Republican. U.S. Representative from Mississippi 5th District, 1989; died in office 1989. Died in an airplane crash, August 13, 1989. Interment at Floral Hills Cemetery, Gulfport, Miss.