U.S. missionary pilot laid to rest

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

The remains of Neil Lousrer, a U.S. missionary pilot whose chopper crashed on Monday in a remote village in Wamena, Papua, was buried on Wednesday evening in Sinakma Cemetery, about one kilometer north of Wamena, at the consent of his family.

Lousrer's body was previously arranged to be flown to the U.S. for burial according to his family's wishes, but an examination found this plan to be unfeasible, as parts of the body was badly damaged in the accident and could not be embalmed for transporting.

Lousrer, 30, is survived by his wife Sandy Roesler, 30, and daughters Micah, 8, and Kaila, 3.

The three have been with Lousrer since 2003, when the pilot decided to join Helimission, a missionary flight operator in Wamena.

Lousrer had spent his childhood in Sentani district, Jayapura municipality, the provincial capital of Papua, living with his parents in a missionary complex. He completed his elementary, junior and senior high school studies in Papua and attended a university in the Philippines.

Lousrer continued his academic career in the U.S., obtaining a degree in aeronautics from the University of Texas, and found employment as an aircraft mechanic in Colorado. He married Sandy Roesler and joined Helimission in Papua last year.

Lousrer's helicopter crashed on Monday near Komamil village. The cause of the accident is as yet unknown.