Friends Remember 4 Killed In Tuolumne County Plane Crash
TUOLUMNE COUNTY (CBS13) - Friends of the four people killed in a small plane crash on Wednesday got together to grieve on Thursday afternoon.
"What a loss it is to everybody to not have Claude and Mary anymore," said Pamela Blair, a friend of the couple.
"They were quiet and caring people who were very involved in the community," Blair continued.
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A relative tells us Mary and Claude Chandler were in a Cessna 310 with her son Daniel Kruetzfeldt and his wife Kristen when it crashed at the Columbia Airport. Everyone on board died. Blair says Daniel and his wife Kristen have three children ages 10, 12, and 18.
FAA records show the plane was registered to Daniel Kruetzfeldt. Federal investigators haven't confirmed the identities.
"What a hole in the heart of the community to lose Mary and Claude," said Blair.
Friends shocked by the news gathered to grieve and remember the good times.
"Those beautiful dinners that we had," said Marilyn deGennaro standing around the table talking with the others.
They describe the couple as having a deep love for the outdoors, and, most importantly, their family.
"They didn't take life for granted," said deGennaro, "They really lived and did things."
The group initially met one another as part of a book club a decade ago.
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"They had a lot of insight," said Blair, remembering Mary and Claude's contributions to the club, "they shared their own personal experiences. They listened well in the group."
Mary and Claude were active in the community. Mary worked at the Tuolumne Historical Museum and she and Claude raised animals.
"Mary was an amazing carver of wood animals," said Blair.
The group found it easy to talk about the good times, but the reality that their friends are gone is much tougher to grasp.
"They'll be missed," said Blair, "and luckily they were together when it happened."
Federal investigators spent Thursday collecting evidence. They'll be back tomorrow to try and determine a cause of the crash.
