The Spokane woman. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1921-1935, 1928-10-25
MISS IEIRMLA EkIRIESS
Deer Park Girl is First to A
on Her Own
By Pauline Suing Bloom

The age of Women" Think what would
have happened a hundred, no, fifty years ago,
If when men were disturbing themselves the
theory that giving women the right of suffrage
would mean the destruction of the home, they had
been asked to face the fact that some day women
would have exactly the same rights in the world
as they; that We're blow enough, but to have told
them that women would pilot big ships in the air
would have been considered crazy talk"
A Spokane student. Miss Erma Kress. the
daughter of DR. and Mrs. w. J. Kress of Deer
Park has just applied for pilots license having
completed 16 hours flying in the air. Miss Kress
has mechanical turn of mind it is never neces-
sary to have mechanic 'go over the Kress fam
lily car. If anything needs attention Erma fixes
it, a matter of course.
Pioneering is in this young womans blood Her
grandfather, General John A. Kress, retired, knew
this territory in the days of the Indian wars Her
uncle, Major H. c. Kress Muhlenberg. is mem
Der of the air corps, and an instructor at Sand
Point field, and in charge of the X. O. T. c. of the
University of Washington, another uncle is Com
mander c. C. Kress of the L. S. S. New Mexico.
Her father was born at Vancouver Barracks,
Washington, while his father of Uncle
Sans protectors Miss Kress says that she
knows fear in the air: that every trip has been
a thrill and that she is most impatient for the
time to when she may take her ship
up high in the clouds
Having been graduated May 22nd from the
Deer Park High School, Miss kress began her
flying lessons the day following. DR.. kress
brought his daughter to Lieutenant N. b. Manner,
mead oil the Fyllng service, ParkWater. lie ana
Mrs Kress he said, were happy that their daugh
ter should choose for her profession work in
industry that gave promise of such remarkable
future. For the opening day of school last month
Miss Kress circled the Deer Park school
dropping notes and flowers to her friends, giving
them surprise and thrill from which they have
not yet recovered.
Her days extremely busy, for she is taking
the three-fod training that will fit her for
cutve position with arplane factory. Having
finished the air course she is taking the ground
and the mechanical course. Her mornings
spent at the field. her afternoons at North
western Business College and her evenings assem-
bling ships. She goes home TO Deer Park for
week ends and while there meets with her Camp
Fire group. She is guardian of the Hawathas
Slender and graceful more child than woman
eager of accomplishment, this fair haired miss,
eighteen years old who has life ii is
lived 5000 feet in the air. does not feel that she is
doing unusual thing for woman.
Girls have as much right as men to pioneer
in industry she said. There no bars
to them, in the industry, except those which they
make for themselves" She does not want flying
called a mans job. The time will come when
will drive ships just they drive
today" We take it with a grain of salt-but
twenty-five years ago said Poor Tom" Poor
Jim," when men working plans for flying
machines. There something a little bit light