- Dates
- 2002-12-07 – 2003-01
- Kind
- Death
- Where
- Beaver Island
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- deathaviationtransportationcommunitymilitary
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
William “Bill” Welke died on December 7, 2002. The Beacon remembered him as an Island Airways owner and chief pilot, a contractor, well driller, sawmill operator, Beaver Island deputy sheriff, and Detroit Police officer, as well as a veteran of the Army Air Force; a Holy Cross memorial service was planned for early 2003.
Evidence limits
This is a newspaper obituary and career summary, not a complete aviation or employment record.
Sources
- Beaver Beacon, January 2003, “Bill Welke 1922 - 2002.”Reports Welke’s career as Island Airways owner and chief pilot, his work as a contractor and deputy sheriff, his Detroit Police service and Army Air Force service, and a planned Holy Cross memorial service in early 2003. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 2003-01_Beaver-Beacon
- The held issue scan confirms the January 2003 report.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 2003-01_Beaver-Beacon
Added 5 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Island Airways pilot and community leader William “Bill” Welke dies on December 7, 2002”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-william-bill-welke-death-2002/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, January 2003, “Bill Welke 1922 - 2002.” (and 1 further source 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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