Gladys (Hinckley) Werlich (1892-1976)

She was one of Washington's most popular society belles, and in 1911 she was the first woman in D.C. to fly in an airplane, 50-feet over the Potomac in a "Rex Smith Biplane." She married the European representative of the American Locomotive Company after which she spent mot of her time in Europe. When he died suddenly in 1936, she returned to D.C. and inherited her parents home (see images) on 16th Street. In 1976, when she was 81, she walked down to 17th Street–Safeway and on her way back home was targeted by a group of kids. One of the boys, who was just 12-years old, took a glass soda bottle and hit her over the head, killing her.