Denver brothers, Nebraska couple unite with unique find in Perkins County field

Bill Knobbe of Denver was in the middle of his customary afternoon nap one day in early May, when his phone rang. Although the number was unfamiliar, he decided to answer. The conversation that followed led Bill and his siblings on a journey of discovery, and remembrance of their father, Major William Hodgson, who was a U.S. Marine Corps pilot when they were a young family in the 1940s and 50s.

The caller was Colette Jessen of rural Grant. She quickly cut to the purpose of the call...to find out if Bill could possibly be the son of the major. As it turns out, he is. This confirmation led to many more conversations between Colette and the Hodgson, now Knobbe family, and an eventual meeting in Perkins County.

Unusual find

In 2012, Colette and her husband Loren had purchased land near Elsie, and while working a field, unearthed a partially exposed, approximately three-foot long, heavy, metal object. Inspecting it closely, they discovered an engraving on one end, that read, “Major William Hodgson, crashed with F80 jet, Feb. 26, 1958.”

Mystified, Colette and Loren tried on-and-off for the next several years to locate the next of kin of the pilot, based only on the name, with no success. 

Recently, the Jessens enlisted the help of Stephanie Larson of the Veteran Service Office in Grant, who put the information out to a social media group that attempts to locate the lost. Hearing of the request to find the family, another group follower took on the task, and amazingly, was able to supply identities, papers and contact information of nearly everyone in the Hodgson family. 

Colette immediately reached out to Bill, now 71, the second oldest of Major Hodgson’s five children, who was six at the time of the plane crash. Other siblings are Cheryl, 11 at the time, Michael, who was five, David, three at the time, and three-month-old Stephen. 

The name discrepancy is the result of Mrs. Hodgson (Mary) remarrying later, and the children being adopted by her new husband.

Once they connected, it was a “whirlwind of excitement for the Hodgsons, us, and local veteran personnel,” said Colette.

The Jessens and Knobbes (formerly Hodgsons) believe that following the crash, an investigation was conducted, the wreckage collected and transported out of the area, and someone, whose identity remained a mystery until recently, engraved a part of the plane and left it at the site as a memorial to the young pilot who unfortunately lost his life there. The artifact had been partially buried in a hollow, presumably made by the impact of the plane decades ago, until the Jessens uncovered it.

The Hodgson children knew that their father had died in a plane crash, but details and memories were sketchy, since they were so young at the time. Major Hodgson had been flying for United Airlines and was a member of the Colorado Air National Guard. On that fateful day in 1958, he was on a cross-country navigational training flight from Denver to Rome, New York, expected to refuel in Minneapolis-St. Paul, when he crashed in western Nebraska. Black smoke reportedly had been pouring from the tail section moments before impact.

The major’s young children had to rely on family stories told and retold over the years to sustain the memory of their father. A well-loved and handsome, fun guy, said Bill, Major Hodgson’s death deeply affected his family and friends. Bill said that his dad was an ace pilot, having learned to fly even before he could drive, and was on a short list of possible candidates for future space explorations. 

Locals remember crash

The land where the crash occurred belonged to George Steudler of Paxton at the time. His daughter, Phyllis Peak, who still lives in Paxton, remembers that she was teaching school that day, which she described as foggy and cloudy. Her dad was in his garage when he heard a terrible noise and what sounded like an explosion. He went out to investigate, and when he realized what had happened, called for help. By this time a small crowd had gathered and emergency personnel from Paxton arrived shortly thereafter.

“Dad felt terrible,” Phyllis said. Out of respect for the downed pilot, he stayed at the site in a camper until all of the wreckage was removed by Air National Guard personnel. It was he who made the engraving and left the piece at the site. 

Pat Pelster of Paxton was almost eight years old when the crash occurred. A memory that has remained with him is being at the barbershop at Elsie and someone showing him a 50 cent coin found at the crash site, that had been nearly torn in half. He remembers exploring the site with his dad after the large pieces had been removed.

In a related story, the Hodgson family kept a quarter, bent in half, that had been in Major Hodgson’s pocket during the crash, until Dave, not realizing its significance, spent it on a candy bar as a child.

A visit and gift

At the invitation of the Jessens, Bill and Dave traveled to Perkins County from Denver on Memorial Day weekend, attending the Memorial Day program at Fairview Cemetery in Grant and seeing other area sites.

“I’m glad we went,” said Bill “We had a wonderful time.” 

“The research that has been done on our behalf is just amazing,” Dave said.

The Jessens feel that Major Hodgson’s children are the rightful owners of the engraved wreckage, and presented it to the Knobbes, who gratefully accepted the gift. The former land owners are pleased that the memorial now resides with the pilot’s family.

The brothers still have questions, and a renewed desire to gain more knowledge of the crash that claimed their father’s life. Dave has reached out to Buckley Field near Denver, the origin of the flight, with hopes to obtain an accident report.

Included in their stay in Perkins County was a visit to the approximate site of the crash. The two brothers were moved by the peacefulness, the setting sun and birdsong that surrounded them. 

“I felt good about that,” said Dave. “After spending time in southwest Nebraska, I can see the appeal.”