4. | WENDT, William Elmer (1.Elmer1) was born on 29 Jul 1933 in North Tonawanda, Niagara County, NY; died on 6 Jun 1955 in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, TX. Notes:
Niagara Gazette - 6/7/1955
LOCKPORT, June 7—Just three
weeks before he was to. have received
his commission as an ensign,
a Lockport naval aviation cadet was
killed yesterday in the crash of an
F9F Panther Jet.
He was Cadet William Elmer
Wendt, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Elmer A. Wendt, 38 Corwin Rd.
Cadet Wendt's plane, on a routine
practice bombing mission went
down in shallow water at the
mouth of Biffin Bay, approximately
30 miles south of Corpus Christi
Tex. Stationed at the Naval Auxiliary
Air Station, Chase Field,
Beeville, Tex. His commission was
set for June 27.
Cadet Wendt was born July 29,
1933 in North Tonawanda and attended
Goundry Street School there
and Delaware School in Tonawanda.
He was graduated from Trinity
Lutheran School here in 1947
and Lockport High School in 1951.
The family moved to Lockport in
1940
After graduation, he entered the
General Motors Institute, Flint
Micb. under sponsorship of Harrison
Radiator Division, General
Motors Corp., where he worked
summers. He enlisted in the Navy
Feb. 6, 1954, at the Niagara Falls
Naval Air Station and took flight
training at Pensacola Fla., where
he was graduated Dec. 17, and
transferred to Beeville where he
received advanced training.
At General Motors Institute, he
was a member of Phi Beta Chi Hi-Y
Ion fraternity. In high school, he
was amember of Phi Beta Chi Hi-Y
and on the sophomore and junior
swimming teams. He also was a
former member of Ship No. 20,
Lockport Sea Scouts
Cadet Wendt's father is an en-
gineer at Harrison and his mother
is employed by Corson Manufac-
turing Co.
In addition to his parents, he
is survived by a'brother, John R.
Wendt, stationed at Williams Air
Force Base, Chandler, Ariz., and
a sister, Mrs. George D. Davis,
Tonawanda.
The Rev. Herman Meier, pastor
emeritus of Trinity Lutheran
Church, Lockport, will officate at
services after the body is received
at the Hamp Funeral Home, Tonawanda.
Burial will be in St. Matthews
Cemetery, North Tonawanda
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