fbpx

Railroad Stories: Passenger Train Travel Reunited Newlyweds

When my fiancé got home from Alaska for a furlough, in April 1945, we decided to get married. When he reported back to duty, he was sent to New York City, but he wanted us to be together. Passenger train travel allowed that to happen. I boarded a passenger train in Steubenville, Ohio, and set forth to be with my new husband.

I was only 17 1/2 years old, and this was my very first train trip. I was really glad to find that our neighbor’s daughter was also on board, along with her 1-year-old son. The boy cried most of the trip, and she was afraid they were going to put her off the train. As I was the oldest of six children, I tried to help soothe him, but to no avail.

A few days after I had arrived at Grand Central Station for a happy reunion with my husband, I received a letter from my train companion. The letter said, “Hope you’ve had the measles!” That’s why her son had been crying, he had the measles. And luckily, so had I.

My husband and I have been married for 55 years now. Now that he’s retired, after his knee is healed from a knee replacement, hopefully we’ll get to do some traveling.

Grace Fox
Morganton, N.C.


Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then Capper’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from Capper’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.