Edna Christofferson
Toronto Daily Star, July 5 1929
Edna Christofferson (1886-1945) was actually never a policewoman. After marrying and divorcing the heir to a car dealership in Portland, Oregon, Ms. Christofferson became interested in flying. Her first flight was in 1911, sitting on the lower wing of a biplane piloted by Silas Christofferson, who became her husband in 1912.
After Mr. Christofferson died in a plane crash in 1916, she became an X-ray technician. In 1925, she opened a school for X-ray technicians in Portland, training 153 graduates by 1932.
Shooting was a hobby of hers and she was good at it: in 1927, she placed second in an international police shooting competition and was the only female competitor at the event. In 1928, she became the founder and president of the Oregon Women's Revolver Club.
In 1931, she became a pilot again and flew at the dedication of an airport named after her late husband. She then went to Alaska in search of gold, returning in 1935. She passed away ten years later.
Created September 2, 2025.