Flying Farmer

Do you ever find an organization mentioned in an obituary that you had not heard of before? That was my situation when transcribing the obituary of Joseph L. Ricketts who died in January, 1970.

Joseph’s obituary mentions that he was a member of the Flying Farmers.

Joseph L. Ricketts

Mesa – Services for Joseph L. Ricketts, 65, a member of the Flying Farmers and former employe of the Mesa School district, will be at 10 a.m. tomorrow in Larry J. Melcher Mortuary, 43 S. Stapley. Burial will be in Mountain View Cemetery.

Mr. Ricketts, 202 N. 65^th St., was killed n an auto accident here Saturday. Born in Clinton County, Ind., he came to mesa in 1953.

Survivors include his wife, Marie; two sons, Charles of Albuquerque and Robert of villa Park, Ill.; three daughters, Mrs. Norma Hunter of Harbor City, Calif., Mrs. Mary Martin of Scottsdale and Mrs. Barbara Beck of Evansville, Ind.; his mother, Mrs. Lulu Ricketts of Tipton, Ind.; a sister in Indiana and nine grandchildren. The family suggests contributions to Central Christian Church where he was a member.

“Joseph L. Ricketts,” Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona), 13 January 1970, page 32; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 26 November 2021).

Without knowing anything about the Flying Farmers organization, I believe these two words tell me that Joseph Ricketts

• likely had a pilot’s license
• likely owned or co-owned an airplane

So far, I haven’t found any records of Joseph Ricketts’ having a pilot’s license or owning an airplane. Nor, have I found information regarding his involvement in the Flying Farmers organization.

However, I have discovered that the Flying Farmers organization has a rich history dating back to 1944.

• Arizona’s Flying Farmers and the History of the International Flying Farmers
• The First U.S. Federal Pilot License
• An Airplane in Every Barn
• Okie Legacy: Trick of the Trade & Flying Farmers of the 1940s
• Stories from Chandler Airport: Norman Knox – Pilot and Flying Farmer Member
• Flying Farmers: 40 Acres and a Plane
• Unique Perspective of Farmland from Above
• International Flying Farmers: History