RALPH REA 1949 - 1971 STATION AGENT, STATION MANAGER DRO SVC I believe that was Ralph Rea that worked in SVC. I believe he and Walt were first cousins. If you ever flew thru SVC Ralph would come out in blue jeans and work the flights. The rest of the time he was a farmer/rancher and farmed land around the SVC airport. If I remember correctly he was from La Plata, Co. At one time Walt was not only FL manager in DRO but also the airport manager -Dick Withrow (10/15/02) Here is the information on Ralph Rea. He started in DRO in 1948 for Monarch as station agent. He moved to SVC in 1952 as station manager. He left FL in 1970 and went to work in the mines for Phelps Dodge til 1979. Then he moved back to DRO. He died in 1998 from emphysema. His dad was quite a painter. They lived over the hill from the airport. There were a lot of big rocks just across the road from their house. Ralph Sr went and painted them with horses, longhorn steers and other stuff. Ralph was quite a joker - what he couldn't come up with his cousin Walt could. -Vern Crawley (11/4/02) There is no Ralph Rea shown in the SSDI for 1998 so the one for 1997 above must be correct. It appears Vern is off one year on Ralph's death date. Walt's wife, Florence Rea, age 70, died in La Plata in 1998 and that may be where Vern got the 1998 date. -Jake Lamkins (11/4/02) To Walt: Thanks for the info on Ralph. I checked the Social Security Death Index for Ralph and couldn’t find him in 1998. However, there was a Florence Rea who died in 1998 that I believe was Walt’s wife. They show a Ralph E. Rea dying March 20, 1997 at age 70 in La Plata County. Is this the right one? -Jake Lamkins (11/5/02) I'm sure you're right about Ralph Rea. I got the info from his ex-wife and she was trying to come up with the date from memory. Florence was Walt's wife. -Vern Crawley (11/16/02) R. E. REA JR. Station agent seniority date of 10/10/49 Per the 11/1/55 Station Seniority List and the 8/1/66 FL/ALEA Seniority List R. E. REA, JR. SVC Stn Mgr Per 11/4/55 FL Roster R. E. REA JR. Notation says Ralph SVC Stn Mgr DOB 10/14/26 DOH 10/10/49 Per Feb 1960 FL Roster -Jake Lamkins (8/25/11) I would like you to know that I sure enjoy reading the Frontier News. I like to read all parts, even the sad parts, obits, and all. I wish more people would write in their stories and adventures. I'm sure they would be interesting; especially the real oldtimers from Monarch, Challenger and Arizona Airways. My next door neighbor started with Monarch, I think in 1946. I guess they used to fly trips as stewards& work in the stations. I started when Frontier was a baby in 1950. We had to work six days a week back then for a whopping big $175 per month, no overtime, maybe comp time off if you had to work late. We had to take our own weather reports and monitor the H markers every hour. It sure got nerve wrackingwhen you were working and the weather kept getting worse. Our minimums here in DRO were 2500' (ceiling) & 3 miles (visibility). When you are by yourself and no one to help make the decisions as to landing in DRO or sending the passengers to FMN for boarding there. It tends to make one very nervous. A story of my own, back in the 1960s, John Koehler of PHX & I decided we wanted to go coyote hunting so we contacted Ralph Rea of Silver City and made arrangements to go there. We wrapped our rifles in blanketsand hopped on the old DC-3 and went down. Imagine trying to that now-a-days. We never saw a coyote but we did explore an old copper mining ghost town & climbed all over the old mine. Very interestig. -Vern Crawley (6/7/12) R E REA JR Emp# 07359 SVC station manager DOB 10/14/26 DOH 10/10/49 Address in Bayard, NM Per the Dec 1970 Frontier Employees Roster. So it must be 1971 when Ralph left Frontier. Ralph Rea was the SVC manager in Jan & Jul 1970 Frontier telephone directories. -Jake Lamkins (6/28/20) FLacebook - FL Club Frontier Memorial Webpage Update RALPH REA 1949 - 1971 STATION AGENT, STATION MANAGER DRO SVC http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Ralph_Rea.html Six items added to his webpage including a pic of him. Ralph was quite a "rattlesnake man." -Jake Lamkins (7/3/20)