Emma Morris; Riveter for WWII Fighter Planes

Emma Morris, 84, a “Rosie the Riveter” who lived to realize her dream of flying in the type of World War II fighter plane she built. A native of Windsor, Colo., Morris moved to Los Angeles in 1941 to work as a riveter for North American Aviation, building wing components of the P-51 Mustang. Occasionally, she placed her name and address on the planes, and received appreciative letters from combat pilots. When she was 82, Morris’ four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren arranged for her to take a ride in a P-51 cockpit. The single-seat warplane, which flew out of Van Nuys Airport, had to be slightly modified to add a passenger seat. The flight and following party, she said, provided closure for her memories of World War II. On Friday in Woodland Hills of congestive heart failure.