Name: John Paul Widmayer dies in the September 15, 1994 Beaver Island plane crash
Start: 1994-09-15
End: 1994-09-20
Location: Beaver Island

Locator map: Beaver Island highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago — Took place at Beaver IslandLocator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.

Event

Dates: 1994-09-15 – 1994-09-20
Kind: Death
Where: Beaver Island
Eras: Modern era
Concepts: deathdisasteraviationfamilycommunitycommunication
Within: Beaver Island

Summary

John Paul Widmayer, age 24, died as one of three people in the September 15, 1994 Beaver Island plane crash. The obituary records his September 20 Dexter funeral and the Beaver Island community’s support for his family.

Evidence limits

This entry follows the published obituary and does not attempt a separate accident investigation or complete aviation record.

Sources

Beaver Beacon, November 1994, “John Paul Widmayer” obituary and family thanks.
Reports Widmayer’s death in the September 15 Beaver Island plane crash, September 20 funeral at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Dexter, family, education, outdoor interests, and Beaver Island community thanks. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1994-11_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, November 1994, held issue PDF, source scan.
The held issue scan confirms the obituary and family remembrance.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1994-11_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, October 1994, “On Any Day,” by Rich Gillespie.
Publishes a memorial poem about the September 15 plane loss, naming Ed, Jessie, and cousin John Paul; the poem is commemorative evidence and does not independently establish the three victims’ full identities or accident cause. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1994-10_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, October 1994, held issue PDF, source scan.
The held issue scan confirms the memorial poem.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1994-10_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, November 1994, “John Paul Widmayer” family thanks.
Publishes the Widmayer family’s thanks to Beaver Island young adults, residents, EMS, fire, and other helpers after John Paul’s funeral and the recovery of his belongings; it remains family-remembrance evidence, not an accident investigation. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1994-11_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, November 1994, held issue PDF, source scan.
The held issue scan confirms the Widmayer family thank-you.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1994-11_Beaver-Beacon

Added 5 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “John Paul Widmayer dies in the September 15, 1994 Beaver Island plane crash”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-john-paul-widmayer-death-1994/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, November 1994, “John Paul Widmayer” obituary and family thanks. (and 4 further sources listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-05. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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