Previously I discovered a distant cousin lived in East Greenbush, N.Y., and was a pilot, as was his mother-in-law. In the 1930s it was unusual for a woman to have a career. I became more interested in the family and in the East Greenbush airport. I found some more interesting newspaper articles.
WOMAN PILOTS PLANE FOR LEAP
BY PARACHUTE
A
parachute jump from a plane piloted by Mrs. Melba Gray Ferry, wife of Vernon F.
Ferry, well known garage man of Stockbridge, Mass., was made at West Lebanon by
Ted White on Thursday afternoon of last week, from 4,000 feet in the air. The jump, in perfect flying weather, was made
by White purely for pleasure, In order
to escape landing in the woods, White was forced to use his emergency ‘chute,
and landed safely in a field at the rear of the West Lebanon postoffice.
Mrs.
Ferris, who made her solo flight not long ago, is, like her husband, fond of
places in which she was traveled many miles.
Chatham
Courier, 1 November 1934
WOMAN PLANE PILOT,
FORMER
RESIDENT OF EAST GREENBUSH, EXPIRES
The
funeral of Mrs. Melba Gray Ferry, 3, wife of Capt. Vernon Ferry of the Army
stationed at Miami and former operator with him of the East Greenbush Airport,
was held this afternoon from the J. W. Mehan Funeral Home in Pittsfield, Mass.
Interment was in Stockbridge Cemetery. Mrs. Ferry died Thursday night in the
House of Mercy Hospital in Pittsfield.
She
was a licensed airplane pilot and had operated passenger planes for the last
ten years. Recently she had been living at Miami with her officer husband.
Survivors
include the husband; two daughters, Mrs. Russell Snyder of Scotia and Miss
Patricia Ferry of Pittsfield; a son, V. Robert Ferry; her parents Mr. And Mrs.
Grover L. Gray; two sisters, Mrs. James Corbett and Miss Eryntrude Gray, and
three brothers, Darwin, Clarke and Grover L. Gray, jr. all of Pittsfield.
Troy Times Record, 26 July 1943
