Melville pastor dies in plane crash

A 77-year-old pastor from Montana died at the scene of a single airplane crash near Elkhart, Illinois, on Saturday, Aug. 10.

Roger L. Millheim, pastor of Melville Lutheran Church in Sweet Grass County, perished when his 1946 ERCO Ercoupe 415-C monoplane crashed at approximately 1 p.m., according to authorities.

The crash occurred “under unknown circumstances,” per the Federal Aviation Administration Accident and Incident Report, reports the Big Timber Pioneer.

Millheim moved to Melville, 20 miles north of Big Timber, from Frankston, Texas in December 2023.

The pastor was reported missing on Saturday to the Sweet Grass County Sheriff’s Office at 10:54 a.m., according to the Sheriff’s report.

“We didn’t know where he was,” said Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg.

The sheriff said his office contacted T-Mobile to try and ping Millheim’s phone and gather details on his whereabouts. The Sheriff’s Office then received a call from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, advising that they were working with the Civil Air Patrol to locate Millheim.

Bill Donald, a member of the Melville Lutheran Church, said he visited with Millheim’s wife, Jean Bay, on Saturday morning.

“We went and saw Jean on Saturday morning, the day after he was supposed to be back,” said Donald. “He wasn’t picking up his phone and she started to worry.”

“As far as I know, Roger’s wife was the only person who knew he was going to buy the plane,” said Donald, explaining the pastor took a trip to purchase the aircraft he crashed in.

A record of a public sale listing shows that the 1946 Ercoupe 415-C monoplane was for sale on June 6 for $30,000 in Big Rapids, Michigan.

“Roger loved flying, flew since he was 18, and owned an airplane most of his life,” said Donald. “He felt lost without his airplane and wanted to get back into it.”

Millheim apparently purchased the 1946 ERCO Ercoupe 415-C monoplane, a light aircraft first manufactured before World War II, from a seller in Michigan.

“We’re so sad to lose him. He’s been with us such a short time,” said Judge Jessie Connolly, a member of Melville Lutheran Church, which has about 50 members.

Connolly stated Millheim embodied the pioneer spirit by moving to Montana from Texas in the dead of winter to preach and pastor people.

Millheim’s survivors include his wife, Jean, and two adult children, Tara and Tim Baker.