Jerrie wiped tears from her eyes. I sat near her, observing her reactions to this historic event.

Ten of us had gathered in a charming nineteenth century bed and breakfast this afternoon. We were there to celebrate my husband’s grandmother, Jerrie Mock, and the record that she set on April 17, 1964, when she became the first woman to successfully fly solo around the world. (Most people credit this feat to Amelia Earhart, but it was Jerrie who set the world record.) To commemorate the upcoming 50th anniversary of her flight, a museum in Ohio was unveiling a bronze statue.

At almost eighty-eight, Jerrie no longer felt well enough to travel more than a few miles. So, this local bed and breakfast had offered to host a viewing of the event–through Skype–for Jerrie and her family members in the area (including three grandsons and a great-grandson). The beautiful chandeliers, dark wood, floral wallpaper, and charming antiques in this bed and breakfast enhanced the nostalgic feel of the day.

Of course, the technology that we were using seemed a little out of place. The owner made sure to put a yellow post-it over the camera, so that Jerrie didn’t have to be on display for the people in Newark. She was adamant about not being visible. When Tony asked her gently if we could take a picture with the family members who were present, she informed us that, no, she was never allowing anyone to take her picture again. In order to get some documentation, a few of us family members had to capture these important moments from behind her chair, without showing her face.

Hundreds of people had gone to the museum in Newark for the unveiling–including over a dozen family members–and Jerrie proceeded to make a short speech through Skype. She was uncomfortable with the technology and unsure about what to say, but as soon as she began telling stories about her flight, she looked as comfortable as when she was sitting in her favorite green living room chair, telling us about her happiest memories.

Through Skype, she was able to tell her daughter, grandkids, and sister that she loved them. Many of her family members were able to wave and say hi to her. She told them several times, “Come visit me.”

Then we listened to words from the Newark mayor, the Ohio governor, and an Ohio senator, paying tribute to Jerrie’s historic flight. The mayor told us that September 14 would officially be “Jerrie Mock Day” in Newark. Jerrie’s sister, Susan, in the final speech, gave an enthusiastic declaration of how proud she was of her sister. Then Susan and Jerrie’s daughter, Valerie, walked over to the statue to reveal it to the world.

We had trouble seeing the statue through Skype, so I texted my sister-in-law, asking her to to send us a picture through text. Here is the photo of the sculpture, which shows Jerrie standing with her book, Three-Eight Charlie. (You can compare it to a photo taken of Jerrie in front of her historic plane.)

There were several things that Jerrie had hoped to accomplish through her flight around the world. Mostly, she had wanted an excuse to “see all those countries.” She had also wanted to challenge the gender stereotypes of her day, which had argued that “flying wasn’t ladylike.” And Jerrie had hoped that, in the process, she would inspire other people. A few days ago, the Newark Advocate had announced this event for the public, and it had quoted Jerrie as saying, “I hope I can inspire people to do new things. . . . Get everything out of life that they can.”

What did it feel like to be honored with a statue? When Jerrie walked into the bed and breakfast this afternoon, hand-in-hand with her grandson, she seemed to be in a daze, although I noticed a glimmer of joy in her eyes as I greeted her. I had expected Jerrie to be excited as she watched the unveiling, but she showed very little emotion as she sat in front of the computer. “I don’t understand what all the fuss is about,” she mentioned to me later.

But for a few minutes, a woman in Newark gave a speech about how Jerrie had inspired her to become a pilot. And as this pilot elaborated on how Jerrie had paved the way for women and their dreams, I saw Jerrie wiping the tears from her eyes. Twice.