The Sterling Daily Gazette, Sterling, Illinois

July 2, 1928 - Monday, pg 12

FORREST  G.  THACKABERRY

Former Tampico Boy Is Killed In Airplane Crash

Forrest G. Thackaberry Of Kansas City Dashed To Death In Collision

Kansas City, Mo., July 2 - Forrest G. Thackaberry, 24, army air corps observer, was killed when two army airplanes engaged in combat maneuvers, collided 1,500 feet above the ground here yesterday.

Thackaberry was in a plane piloted by Capt. W. L. Campbell.  The second plane, with Lieutenant William S Green at the controls, flew into the tail of the first.  Campbell jumped to safety in a parachute, while Green, whose plane was not so badly damaged as the other, landed safely.                                                                  __

The foregoing dispatch is similar in content to a message received Sunday evening buy Marcus R. Thackaberry, 601 West Third Street, and Mrs. Anna Emmons, 212 East Seventh Street, Rock Falls, uncle and aunt of Forrest G. Thackaberry, briefly announcing the news of his tragic death.  Mr. and Mrs. Thackaberry and Mrs. Emmons went to Tampico last night to offer their services to Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Thackaberry of Tampico, parents of Forrest Thackaberry.

Frank Thackaberry, brother of Forrest, reached Tampico from his home in Cleveland, Ohio, today and will leave this evening for Kansas City to bring back the body of his brother for burial in the family lot in the Tampico Cemetery.  No funeral arrangements are definitely made, awaiting word from a sister of the deceased in Los Angeles, Cal., but it is thought that the services in Tampico will probably be on Thursday.

Forrest G. Thackaberry finished his education at the University of Wisconsin with the class of 1927 and was engaged in civil engineering work at Kansas City, where he was married last September.  His wife of less than a year survives him.  He engaged in the air service reserve as a means of patriotic service and did most of his flying on Sundays when not engaged in his professional work as a civil engineer.  It is understood that his plane lost a propeller in the collision in midair and he did not get away from the wreck with his parachute, Capt. Campbell calling to him to jump as he leaped from the wreck himself. 

The death of this promising young man comes as a great shock to his relatives here and his family and many friends in and near Tampico.

(More:  July 5, pg 10, July 7, pg 8)