Eleanor J Brady

Eleanor was born 6 Jul 1924 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota to Wright F and Josephine (Jones) Patterson and an older brother, Wright H. She was intelligent and adventurous, graduating from Washburn HS as valedictorian. She learned to fly and joined the WASPS at 17 (minimum age 21.) Training was at Avenger Airfield in Sweetwater, Texas. Then was stationed at Gowen Airfield, Gowen, Iowa then at Smoky Hills Airfield in Salina, Kansaas. Along the way she met Willis Edwin Brady, who was in the Army Air Force as a radar navagator on bombers. A wartime romance ensued and love blossomed. They married and had five children, four survivors. There were two daughters and two sons. Willis Edwin died on December 10, 1958 in a trainnig mission on touch and goes at Altus Air Base, Altus Oklahoma. Eleanor was devastated. They were totally devoted to each other. They were so family oriented. Willis and Eleanor took vacations to parks and amusement parks with the children. The loss sent Eleanor reeling then into a deep depression. So after several attempts at suicide, Eleanor took her life. She died in her car parked in and enclosed garage after stuffing rags under the door to protect the children. This was on April, 1963. She wanted to be with her husband. She loved him so much. The children then went to live with relatives.

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