Vet of XB-70, X-15 programs dies at 90
By Frankie Richards Special to the Valley Press
Thursday October 8 1998 Antelope Valley Press
Lancaster- Peter Sterk longtime Valley resident work helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber
and the X-15 rocket plane, died Wednesday at the age of 90. Sterk was owner of the former Sterk's Ranch Airfield on Lancaster east side. His wife, the late Flora Reynolds Sterk, was daughter of Valley pioneer Jane Reynolds and sister of of the late Maurice "Jumbo" Reynold.
During the late 1950s and early 60s, Sterk worked for North American Aviation as crew chief of the R-100F fighter, the first two-seater fighter in American built. He accompanied the plane and crew in June 1957 to the Paris Air Show for Flight demonstrations. He helped build North American's X15 Rocket Research plane in Inglewood, later following the X-15 to Edwards Air Force Base for flight testing.
In the late '60s he helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber working as hydraulic systems mechanic. On loan to NASA, he did research and flight testing of the X-15 and XB-70. Sterk retried in 1966 at age 58. Even at 90 he remained active in farming and his community. He maintained a strawberry patch and fed wild quail every morning with scratch feed from a local feed store. And like any good pilot, he still wore his flight suit. Sterk's long life is a slice of Antelope Valley history. He was born July 24,1908 in Portland Ore. and moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 12 years old. In Los Angele she met Flora Reynolds while they were taking dancing lessons. Flora was working as a secretary of Union Oil in Los Angeles at the time and they were married Oct, 1929. Sterk and his wife came to the Antelope Valley in the early 1930's. They bought a 160-acre ranch at Avenue H-8 and 20th Street East and started raising 60 acres of alfalfa. He is one of many early alfalfa farmers whot donated hay to get the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival stared. His Father, Anton Sterk was a contractor who built about 50 homes in the Antelope Valley. His son, Peter, became the tile setter for his father's houses throughout the Valley and Shea's Castel, Miller's Sky Ranch and the Antelope Valley Fair Grounds. In the early '40s Sterk entered the aviation Feild. He became an aircraft painter/mechanic at War Eagle Field, later know as Mira Loma. In the early years of World War II, British pilots were trained at War Eagle Feild. The pilots at War Eagle Field needed additional airstrips for touch-and-go landings, so Sterk offered use of his extra land. In 1947, Sterk bought a surplus open cockpit, low-wing primary trainer PT-19 airplane in Reno for $1,700/ " I had a plane, and I wanted to learn to fly it,' he said in a interview in July. He took lesson and received his pilot's license. A few years later, he bought a damaged PT-26 with a closed canopy and powerful 200-horsepower engine, which he installed in his PT-19.
His favorite activity was teaching an "Ag and Farm Shop" class at Antelope Valley College shortly after the war. He enjoyed "teaching all those GIs how to farm," he said.
Flora Sterk died at age of 90 in 1991. Sterk is survived by his sons, Frank and Jerry Sterk, both of Lancaster; daughter Caryl Fisher, of Riverside; nine grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his wife Marion Card Sterk, and family friend Florence Steele Kelly.
Service will be at 11:A.M., at Munaw Funeral Home 44663 Date Ave. in Lancaster. Friends can pay their
By Frankie Richards Special to the Valley Press
Thursday October 8 1998 Antelope Valley Press
Lancaster- Peter Sterk longtime Valley resident work helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber
and the X-15 rocket plane, died Wednesday at the age of 90. Sterk was owner of the former Sterk's Ranch Airfield on Lancaster east side. His wife, the late Flora Reynolds Sterk, was daughter of Valley pioneer Jane Reynolds and sister of of the late Maurice "Jumbo" Reynold.
During the late 1950s and early 60s, Sterk worked for North American Aviation as crew chief of the R-100F fighter, the first two-seater fighter in American built. He accompanied the plane and crew in June 1957 to the Paris Air Show for Flight demonstrations. He helped build North American's X15 Rocket Research plane in Inglewood, later following the X-15 to Edwards Air Force Base for flight testing.
In the late '60s he helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber working as hydraulic systems mechanic. On loan to NASA, he did research and flight testing of the X-15 and XB-70. Sterk retried in 1966 at age 58. Even at 90 he remained active in farming and his community. He maintained a strawberry patch and fed wild quail every morning with scratch feed from a local feed store. And like any good pilot, he still wore his flight suit. Sterk's long life is a slice of Antelope Valley history. He was born July 24,1908 in Portland Ore. and moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 12 years old. In Los Angele she met Flora Reynolds while they were taking dancing lessons. Flora was working as a secretary of Union Oil in Los Angeles at the time and they were married Oct, 1929. Sterk and his wife came to the Antelope Valley in the early 1930's. They bought a 160-acre ranch at Avenue H-8 and 20th Street East and started raising 60 acres of alfalfa. He is one of many early alfalfa farmers whot donated hay to get the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival stared. His Father, Anton Sterk was a contractor who built about 50 homes in the Antelope Valley. His son, Peter, became the tile setter for his father's houses throughout the Valley and Shea's Castel, Miller's Sky Ranch and the Antelope Valley Fair Grounds. In the early '40s Sterk entered the aviation Feild. He became an aircraft painter/mechanic at War Eagle Field, later know as Mira Loma. In the early years of World War II, British pilots were trained at War Eagle Feild. The pilots at War Eagle Field needed additional airstrips for touch-and-go landings, so Sterk offered use of his extra land. In 1947, Sterk bought a surplus open cockpit, low-wing primary trainer PT-19 airplane in Reno for $1,700/ " I had a plane, and I wanted to learn to fly it,' he said in a interview in July. He took lesson and received his pilot's license. A few years later, he bought a damaged PT-26 with a closed canopy and powerful 200-horsepower engine, which he installed in his PT-19.
His favorite activity was teaching an "Ag and Farm Shop" class at Antelope Valley College shortly after the war. He enjoyed "teaching all those GIs how to farm," he said.
Flora Sterk died at age of 90 in 1991. Sterk is survived by his sons, Frank and Jerry Sterk, both of Lancaster; daughter Caryl Fisher, of Riverside; nine grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his wife Marion Card Sterk, and family friend Florence Steele Kelly.
Service will be at 11:A.M., at Munaw Funeral Home 44663 Date Ave. in Lancaster. Friends can pay their
Vet of XB-70, X-15 programs dies at 90
By Frankie Richards Special to the Valley Press
Thursday October 8 1998 Antelope Valley Press
Lancaster- Peter Sterk longtime Valley resident work helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber
and the X-15 rocket plane, died Wednesday at the age of 90. Sterk was owner of the former Sterk's Ranch Airfield on Lancaster east side. His wife, the late Flora Reynolds Sterk, was daughter of Valley pioneer Jane Reynolds and sister of of the late Maurice "Jumbo" Reynold.
During the late 1950s and early 60s, Sterk worked for North American Aviation as crew chief of the R-100F fighter, the first two-seater fighter in American built. He accompanied the plane and crew in June 1957 to the Paris Air Show for Flight demonstrations. He helped build North American's X15 Rocket Research plane in Inglewood, later following the X-15 to Edwards Air Force Base for flight testing.
In the late '60s he helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber working as hydraulic systems mechanic. On loan to NASA, he did research and flight testing of the X-15 and XB-70. Sterk retried in 1966 at age 58. Even at 90 he remained active in farming and his community. He maintained a strawberry patch and fed wild quail every morning with scratch feed from a local feed store. And like any good pilot, he still wore his flight suit. Sterk's long life is a slice of Antelope Valley history. He was born July 24,1908 in Portland Ore. and moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 12 years old. In Los Angele she met Flora Reynolds while they were taking dancing lessons. Flora was working as a secretary of Union Oil in Los Angeles at the time and they were married Oct, 1929. Sterk and his wife came to the Antelope Valley in the early 1930's. They bought a 160-acre ranch at Avenue H-8 and 20th Street East and started raising 60 acres of alfalfa. He is one of many early alfalfa farmers whot donated hay to get the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival stared. His Father, Anton Sterk was a contractor who built about 50 homes in the Antelope Valley. His son, Peter, became the tile setter for his father's houses throughout the Valley and Shea's Castel, Miller's Sky Ranch and the Antelope Valley Fair Grounds. In the early '40s Sterk entered the aviation Feild. He became an aircraft painter/mechanic at War Eagle Field, later know as Mira Loma. In the early years of World War II, British pilots were trained at War Eagle Feild. The pilots at War Eagle Field needed additional airstrips for touch-and-go landings, so Sterk offered use of his extra land. In 1947, Sterk bought a surplus open cockpit, low-wing primary trainer PT-19 airplane in Reno for $1,700/ " I had a plane, and I wanted to learn to fly it,' he said in a interview in July. He took lesson and received his pilot's license. A few years later, he bought a damaged PT-26 with a closed canopy and powerful 200-horsepower engine, which he installed in his PT-19.
His favorite activity was teaching an "Ag and Farm Shop" class at Antelope Valley College shortly after the war. He enjoyed "teaching all those GIs how to farm," he said.
Flora Sterk died at age of 90 in 1991. Sterk is survived by his sons, Frank and Jerry Sterk, both of Lancaster; daughter Caryl Fisher, of Riverside; nine grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his wife Marion Card Sterk, and family friend Florence Steele Kelly.
Service will be at 11:A.M., at Munaw Funeral Home 44663 Date Ave. in Lancaster. Friends can pay their
By Frankie Richards Special to the Valley Press
Thursday October 8 1998 Antelope Valley Press
Lancaster- Peter Sterk longtime Valley resident work helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber
and the X-15 rocket plane, died Wednesday at the age of 90. Sterk was owner of the former Sterk's Ranch Airfield on Lancaster east side. His wife, the late Flora Reynolds Sterk, was daughter of Valley pioneer Jane Reynolds and sister of of the late Maurice "Jumbo" Reynold.
During the late 1950s and early 60s, Sterk worked for North American Aviation as crew chief of the R-100F fighter, the first two-seater fighter in American built. He accompanied the plane and crew in June 1957 to the Paris Air Show for Flight demonstrations. He helped build North American's X15 Rocket Research plane in Inglewood, later following the X-15 to Edwards Air Force Base for flight testing.
In the late '60s he helped build the XB-70 supersonic bomber working as hydraulic systems mechanic. On loan to NASA, he did research and flight testing of the X-15 and XB-70. Sterk retried in 1966 at age 58. Even at 90 he remained active in farming and his community. He maintained a strawberry patch and fed wild quail every morning with scratch feed from a local feed store. And like any good pilot, he still wore his flight suit. Sterk's long life is a slice of Antelope Valley history. He was born July 24,1908 in Portland Ore. and moved with his family to Los Angeles when he was 12 years old. In Los Angele she met Flora Reynolds while they were taking dancing lessons. Flora was working as a secretary of Union Oil in Los Angeles at the time and they were married Oct, 1929. Sterk and his wife came to the Antelope Valley in the early 1930's. They bought a 160-acre ranch at Avenue H-8 and 20th Street East and started raising 60 acres of alfalfa. He is one of many early alfalfa farmers whot donated hay to get the Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival stared. His Father, Anton Sterk was a contractor who built about 50 homes in the Antelope Valley. His son, Peter, became the tile setter for his father's houses throughout the Valley and Shea's Castel, Miller's Sky Ranch and the Antelope Valley Fair Grounds. In the early '40s Sterk entered the aviation Feild. He became an aircraft painter/mechanic at War Eagle Field, later know as Mira Loma. In the early years of World War II, British pilots were trained at War Eagle Feild. The pilots at War Eagle Field needed additional airstrips for touch-and-go landings, so Sterk offered use of his extra land. In 1947, Sterk bought a surplus open cockpit, low-wing primary trainer PT-19 airplane in Reno for $1,700/ " I had a plane, and I wanted to learn to fly it,' he said in a interview in July. He took lesson and received his pilot's license. A few years later, he bought a damaged PT-26 with a closed canopy and powerful 200-horsepower engine, which he installed in his PT-19.
His favorite activity was teaching an "Ag and Farm Shop" class at Antelope Valley College shortly after the war. He enjoyed "teaching all those GIs how to farm," he said.
Flora Sterk died at age of 90 in 1991. Sterk is survived by his sons, Frank and Jerry Sterk, both of Lancaster; daughter Caryl Fisher, of Riverside; nine grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his wife Marion Card Sterk, and family friend Florence Steele Kelly.
Service will be at 11:A.M., at Munaw Funeral Home 44663 Date Ave. in Lancaster. Friends can pay their
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