Mary Elizabeth Trebing was born 31 Dec 1920 in Royalton, Illinois to Edward Wilhelm Trebing and Myrtle Mae DeWitt Trebing.  Mary’s father was a coal miner and came to Colorado before 1930. Mary attended school in both Lafayette and Louisville. Like many working people, the Trebing family found ways to survive the depression. This included a move to Oklahoma where Mary completed high school and enrolled in Oklahoma A&M.

On 21 Feb 1943, Mary entered Army Air Force Flight Training at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas. When she graduated 7 Aug 1943, she was assigned to Love Field in Dallas as a WASP Ferry pilot. More than 25,000 women had applied to join the newly established WASP. Only 1,879 were accepted, and Mary was one of the 1,074 women who completed the program.

In 1943, the Louisville Times reported that Mary had been a pilot for about two years – and she had flown for about 6 months before her parents knew it. On 7 Nov 1943, the Louisville Times reported that Mary Trebling had died in a plane crash near Blanchard, McClain County, OK. Her body was returned to Colorado for burial on November 12th  at Green Mountain Cemetery in Boulder. Louisville Mayor James W. Hindman requested that all places of business be closed during the ceremony to pay tribute to this remarkable young woman.

On 7 Nov 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring the WASPS and specifically recognized the 38 women who gave their lives in this service. On 30 September 2010, Mary Elizabeth Trebling was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.