LES BENDICKSON 1950 - 1952 / 1954 - 1986 STATION AGENT, SENIOR STATION AGENT, STATION MANAGER CNE GUC POY RIW LAR CPR BFF GJT Duane Phelps loaned me a copy of the FL NEWS to read. Please sign me up for a year. I started with Monarch in May, 1950 at CNE - Canon City, CO In Dec. they closed the station & I went to GUP - Gallup, NM. In July, 1952 I took a leave from FL until Mar. 1954. I went back at RIW - Riverton, WY for three years then became manager at POY - Powell, WY. When FL opened up Nebraska, I transferred as manager to LAR - Laramie, WY for 5 1/2 years. In 1964 I took CPR - Casper, WY as manager for 8 months at Carl Foster's request. He was the division director for both stations. In Dec. 1964 I took BFF - Scottsbluff, NE as manager until Apr. 1984. They were planning on closing BFF & I wanted to retire in Colorado so I took a Sr. Agent position in GJT - Grand Junction, CO. I was there until Aug 1986 and the bankruptcy. I was manager in GJT for Aspen Airways (United Express) for three years & then retired here - best move we ever made. I read somewhere that Floyd Ririe was the only captain to hand-prop a DC-3 but in GUP Burt "Pappy" Clark hand-propped one. I know cause I had ahold of his belt to pull him out of the way when it started! We had the best of times in the airline business & made many friends along the way. -Les Bendickson (3/20/02) The reunion went great !!! There were 5 or 6 people there because they had seen the notice in either the Frontier News or the FAL web site. Thanks to you. I'll give you the details, and of course, you can pick and choose what you want to include. The weather cooperated, and there was lots of shade, drinks and food. We had BBQ chicken and pork, potato salad, baked beans, spicy pinto beans, cole slaw, rolls and butter, and two special sheet cakes. The first one had a picture of a FAL DC-3 and the date 6-01-1950, the second one had a picture of a FAL B737 and the date 8-24-1986. There were a total of 58 present, including employees, spouse, a few children and even a couple of grand-children. Those attending from GJTOO were Les (& wife Mae) Bendickson, Arnie (Donna) Bruns, Floyd (Marie) Eicher (from CA), Bob (Pat) Flatten, Jess Heidrich, Bill (Bonnie) Hofferber, Darrell (Hazel) Jones, Lyle (Barb) Kohs (MT), Jack (Sarah) Latta (TX), Buzz (Donna) Oliver, Duane (Lois) Phelps, Lee Sigwart, Ted (Donna) Simmons (TX), Larry Sumner (AZ), Verla Travis (widow of Bud Travis), Walt (Betty) Vanderpool (UT), and Jim (Barbara) Wilds. Part of what made it special were the guests from outside of GJTOO. They were Bill Barreith (SLCMM), Capt & Mrs Gary Blanchard, Dave (Sheila) Bottinelli (DEN Acctng), Marge (Jim) DuBois (DENRR), Capt & Mrs Leo Dorsey, Janamarie (John) Dugle (Flt Attndt), Bob Pearson (Relief Agt) who came in from ME, Dewey Penley (MTJOO) and Capt Billy Watkins. -Jim Wilds (8/23/06 My father Les Bendickson worked for Frontier and was Station Manager in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, for many years before the fall. Dad is now 88, lives in Grand Junction, CO. He now lives in a full time care facility and is in the latter stages of dementia. I had found a blip he submitted a few years back, on the old Frontier site you put together online, about his career moves with Frontier, but cannot locate it now. Was hoping perhaps you, or someone else, had an idea of where to look? Trying to be proactive and put together an obit writeup before the time comes. -Mark Bendickson (6/17/16) I recall your dad well and have a file on him. I'm attaching a May 1962 article picturing him. I'm sorry to hear about his condition. Welcome to our Facebook page. -Jake Lamkins (6/17/16) L D BENDICKSON RIW station agent per the Nov 1955 Frontier Roster. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LES BENDICKSON POY station manager per the May 1958 article. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- L D BENDICKSON LAR station manager DOB 11/2/27 DOH 3/1/54 per the Feb 1960 Frontier Roster. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- He was CPR station manager per a Jun 1964 item. The Jan 1970, Nov 1977, Jan 1983 Frontier telephone directories shows him to be the BFF station manager. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- L D BENDICKSON Emp#00888, GJTOO Address in Grand Junction, CO per the Nov 1984 Frontier Roster. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- L D BENDICKSON Emp# 00888, ORG-3432 - GJT Station agent seniority date of 3/1/56 and DOH of 3/1/54. DOB 11/2/27 per the Oct 1986 FL/ALEA Seniority List. -Jake Lamkins (6/17/16) My Dad has died and below are the details: Leslie Dwaine Bendickson, 88, of Grand Junction, Colorado, died July 14, 2016, at La Villa Grande Care Center, following his decline in health over the past several months. Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Junction, with Pastor Tom Hansen officiating. Interment will follow at 3:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, in Grand Junction. -Mark Bendickson (7/19/16) FLacebook - FL Club FLight West Just got word that Les Bendickon flew west Jul 14, 2016. Les was BFF station manager many years and was a GJT senior station agent at the end. Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Junction, with Pastor Tom Hansen officiating. Interment will follow at 3:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, in Grand Junction -Jake Lamkins (7/19/16) A great manager and a friend -William Leis Jr (7/19/16) Les Bendickson was manager at Casper, Wyo. He was a very fair and thoughtful manager and I enjoyed my earlier years as an agent working for him. His wife and two children were very supportive of him and he will be missed by his family and Frontier family. My prayers are with Les's family during this most difficult time. May God bless them. -Marv Pester (7/19/16) Please tell Marv thank you for his message. It was very nice for me to read his message, as I remember his name from many years ago. -Mark Bendickson (7/19/16) If any of the people on this site knew my Dad, would you be willing to share with me where and when, and any other memories you may have? It's just a little thing that will help our family remember the good days, in light of Dad's recent passing. I'd certainly appreciate it and I know my family would as well. I know David Rice used to be on this site and remember him well, plus there may be some other folks still around that I can recall from my youth. Working for Frontier Airlines meant the world to my Dad, and he told me often how much he loved his job. Our family has many good memories of those times. My wife and I are driving back on Friday for his memorial service on Tuesday. Thank you. -Mark Bendickson (7/21/16) I lived in Scottsbluff and managed a local travel agency there. I met Les many times for various reasons. I really liked his pleasant personality and professionalism. When they closed AIA station I tried to get an assignment in BFF to work for him but there were no slots open so I ended up in Denver. I regularly saw him and chatted on my trips home. Sorry for his family's loss. -Marvin Floyd (7/21/16) Les Bendickson-GJT Just let you know Les Bendickson, 88, passed away July 14 in GJT. He came to GJT station from Nebraska (I think) and work for Frontier as a Senior Agent in GJT long time. Then after Frontier in 1986, he joined Aspen Airways in Dec 1986 as a Station Manager in GJT; really nice guy and enjoyed with him while working for Aspen Airways. I don't know if there will be an obituary soon from GJT Sentinel soon and I will let you know if something came up. -Dave Bottinelli (7/21/16) RE: Les Bendickson-GJT Here is the obituary today for Leslie Bendickson on www.gjsentinel.com and click on "Obituaries". I could not send the email message box to you, so you can look up on the website of GJSentinel.com. -Dave Bottinelli (7/24/16) FLacebook - FL Club FLight West: Les Bendickson A memorial webpage has been posted for Les Bendickson, CNE GUC POY RIW LAR CPR BFF GJT station agent, senior station agent, station manager: http://FAL-1.tripod.com/Les_Bendickson.html Les was with Monarch/Frontier from 1950 until 1986 with a small gap in service 1952-54. -Jake Lamkins (7/24/16)