Connie Palacioz, a Wichita "Rosie the Riveter" from the World War II-era, has died at age 101. She helped build B-29 Superfortress bombers in Wichita, later spending decades volunteering with the restored B-29 airplane "DOC".
Palacioz went to work at Boeing in Wichita at age 17, serving as a riveter on the B-29 production line from 1943 to 1945.
The Wichita factory built more than 1,600 B-29 Superfortress bombers during the war.
In 2000, when "DOC" returned to Wichita for restoration, Palacioz joined the volunteer team working to return the plane back to the skies in flying condition. She remained an active member of the organization for 26 years, serving as an advocate for the nonprofit’s mission, and sharing her own story and those of other women who worked in war-time production.
