The photographs reflect memories of two lives joined as one.
“She was definitely in love,” recalls Anastassiya Andrianova, a candidate for a House seat in the North Dakota House of Representatives. “They were planning their lives together.”
Friends say Liz Conmy, a state representative there, and Dr. Joseph Cass, a retired Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, were partners starting a new chapter in their lives.
Until Saturday, when a plane crash that ended in tragedy.
“You know, it was very hard,” says Adam Goldwyn, Andrianova’s husband, and the state Democratic Chair. “Obviously, on me as a person who knew her and loved her.”
Just before noon, a Beechcraft plane crashed in Southbrook Park, moments after takeoff from Crystal Airport.
Cass, piloting the aircraft, and Conmy, his passenger, were killed.
The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash.
A spokesperson says the plane has been removed to a secure area for inspection.
Authorities say a preliminary NTSB report is expected in the next 30 days.
Meanwhile, the crash has left many people in North Dakota shaken, including Andrianova and Goldwyn, who are not only marriage partners but are also Conmy’s neighbors in Fargo.
“I was texting with Liz around 11:11 am,” Goldwyn says. “Then, I got a phone call from her seatmate, Gretchen Dobervich, maybe around three o’clock, that the plane had crashed, and Liz and Joe had died.”
Conmy, a mother of four adult children, was preparing to run for her second term in the legislature. She was known for crossing the aisle, and much more.
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“She really did light up the room,” Andrianova says. “She was always so positive; she always made everyone laugh. She just had this little engine running constantly.”
Friends say Cass was a meticulous and experienced pilot.
Retired from Mayo Clinic, he was honored as Teacher of the Year in 2017, instructing orthopedic surgery residents.
“My motivation is pretty transparent,” he would say. “Someday, the trainees we teach are going to take care of us.”
“He was also a really friendly guy, also, you know, very kind of unique, wicked sense of humor,” Andrianova remembers. “He was good for her.”
The couple loved flying and lake life in Minnesota — but they could also be good neighbors: shoveling a driveway, fixing a gutter — or even helping to build a snowman.
“Last time I saw them, we had a big snowstorm a couple of weeks ago,” Andrianova says. “You know, they were out shoveling snow, just throwing snowballs at each other. They were really kind of a pair of kids looking forward to what should have been a long life together.”
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