Bloomington in McLean County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Plane Crash Memorial

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 28, 2020

1. Plane Crash Memorial

Inscription. On May 31, 1948, a group of citizens gathered at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery's Civil War Veteran's enclosure to honor those who had given to our great nation through their military service. During the ceremony, a WWII trainer plane flown by James A. Tuley and passenger Chester H. Frahm was flying over Evergreen Memorial Cemetery and Park Hill Cemetery to drop poppies over the grounds. On the second pass over Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, the plane crashed into this tree killing Frahm and severely injuring Tuley. It took years for cemetery personnel to determine that this was the tree that they crashed into.

In 2015 this tree had to come down and cemetery employees felt something more needed to be done with the wood from the tree. Research was done and chainsaw artist Tim Gill was contacted and he accepted the challenge.

A ribbon cutting dedication was held Nov. 07, 2015, and members of the Tuley and Frahm families were present and cut the ribbon.

Erected by Evergreen Memorial Cemetery.

Topics. This historical marker and memorial is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Disasters. A significant historical date for this entry is May 31, 1948.

Location. 40° 28.125′ N,

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88° 59.403′ W. Marker is in Bloomington, Illinois, in McLean County. It can be reached from East Miller Street. Marker is located at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 302 E Miller St, Bloomington IL 61701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker and memorial is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: McCormick Family Plot (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Adlai Ewing Stevenson II (about 400 feet away); Adlai Ewing Stevenson I (about 400 feet away); Helen L. Cooper (about 500 feet away); Gridley Family Plot (about 500 feet away); Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourne (about 600 feet away); Angeline Strode Turner Lamon (about 700 feet away); Dorothy Louise Gage (about

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 28, 2020

2. Plane Crash Memorial

800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bloomington.

Also see . . . Cemetery plane crash mars 1948 Memorial Day celebration (Pantagraph, May 29, 2011). (Submitted on November 21, 2020.)

Plane Crash Memorial tree carving image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jason Voigt, September 28, 2020

3. Plane Crash Memorial tree carving

Credits. This page was last revised on November 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 808 times since then and 123 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 20, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.