Atchison, KS- Bethany Lynn Root, 34, of Atchison, Ks. passed away in a plane crash on July 16, 2017. Bethany was born April 8, 1983 in Warren. A graduate of Maplewood High School and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, she was a brilliant student and actively involved in student organizations and athletics.

After an entrepreneurial run at a custom motorcycle shop in Indianapolis and teaching special education at an inner city charter school, Bethany discovered her passion for aviation with friends in St. Joseph, Mo., and trained to become one of a small handful of female agricultural pilots (crop dusters) in the country eventually holding an interest in McElwain Ag Sprayers of Wathena, Ks. Last year, Bethany became manager of the Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison, Ks., where she dreamed to restore vitality in not only the airport, but also given honor to its namesake through air shows, fly-ins, and special events. There were no places Bethany enjoyed being more than in the skies and around friends at airport hangers. She hoped to inspire and empower future generations of girls and women to become aviators by serving as a role model, mentor, and educator to let nothing stand in their way of taking flight.

An inspiration to all she met, Bethany will be remembered for her beautiful smile, free spirit, infectious energy, and belief that the sky was truly the limit.

Surviving are her mother, Sallie of Indianapolis; two brothers, Grayson of Cortland and Jameson of Indianapolis; sister-in-law, Jenn; nephew, Easton; aunts and uncles Diane Emery of Cortland and Linda and Gary Fincham of Warren.

She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Charles and Margaret Fulks of Warren.

Calling hours will be from 5 to 8 p.m., July 21, 2017, at Staton Borowski Funeral Home.  Funeral services will be held at 10:30 am Saturday at the funeral home.

Bethany will be laid to rest at Pineview Memorial Park in Warren, OH.

Her family is seeking to honor her legacy and passion for flying by developing the Bethany Root Memorial Fund to support education, training, and initiatives for girls and women interested in aviation. Contributions may be made at RootFund.org

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