Hi Everyone,
I've often wondered about the very elderly UM interviewees, some of whom would be over 100 today. I am listing some of the people below that I am especially curious about. Would anyone know if they are alive today. Or, if they are deceased, would anyone know when they passed away?

1. Theresa. I forget her last name, but she was the widow whose husband appeared to their daughter in a dream, to deliver her a special letter for her 80th birthday. I also recall that, in one of the pictures from the party, there was a weird image beside her as she blew out the candles, and she always thought that that was her husband in the picture. She was 92 when she was interviewed. THis was in 1994, which means she would have been born about 1902 and would be 108 years old today if she is still alive.

2. "Verneecy's" sister--I forget her name. (Ruby?) I'm also spelling Verneecy phonetically. The sister was also in her 90's when she was interviewed, which also took place in 1994. The sister was looking for Verneecy, who had been given away as an infant after their mother died in childbirth about 1915. Months before, there had been a tornado that totally damaged the family's home. Then the mother developed yellow fever during her pregnancy. I know that there was an update that stated that Verneecy died when she was a young woman. This was a very sad story and my heart went out to this family. Does anyone know if the older sister is still alive?

3. Alfred Owens--The brother of George Owens who I think was George's last surviving relative? George was in his early 70's when he disappeared, I think, so he would have had to have been born around the turn of the century. George himself would be well over 100 today, so I am pretty sure that Alfred must have been very elderly when he was interviewed. If George would be over 100 today then I am sure that Alfred is probably near the 1-century mark, as well.

4. Rufus Hinkle--The older brother who was looking for his twin sisters, Mary and Martha. He is probably in his 90's today? The segment said that the twins were born in 1924 and they were the youngest of 10 children. Martha died about 20 years ago, but if Mary is still alive, she would be about 86 years old.

5. Jean Ann's adoptive father (I forget his name). I think he was in very ill health when he was interviewed and tried to find her. He was a military man in Washington, DC and he and his wife were unable to have children, and so they adopted her. This was over 20 years ago, so I am not sure if he has since passed away?

I know about the Lynn Heinz/Georgia Tann case where Lynn found her father Rufus and her brothers Randall Gookin and Eugene Calhoun. Lynn is apparently still alive and living in Colorado but her father and both brothers have passed away. Randall in 1995 and Eugene in 2006. I don't have a date for her father.

Hi Starmushrooms,
thanks so much for the updates. I'm so sorry to hear about the death of Lynn Heinz' family. But I am glad that she was able to find her dad and brothers, and that they still had some years to spend with each other before they passed away.
Actually I am thinking of a different Rufus. Rufus "Shorty" Hinkle was looking for his sister Martha in the 1980's. Martha and Mary were twins and were the youngest children in the Hinkle family. They were born in 1924, but their mother died shortly thereafter, and their father could not care for them, so he gave them up for adoption. "Shorty" found Mary in the 1950's. She did not even know that she had a twin. Thereafter, Shorty and Mary searched for another 30 years to find Martha. Unfortunately, Martha died within weeks of the airing of the UM episode. But she left behind 4 grown sons, and UM taped a family reunion update where the 4 sons reunited with Shorty, Mary and the other Hinkle children.
I was curious if Rufus (or Mary) would still be alive, because I assume they would be very old today. Mary would be 86 years old, and if she was the youngest, that would put Rufus somewhere around 90 years of age, I am guessing.

One more question:
Does anyone know if any of the "Orphan Train" interviewees are still alive? I haven't seen this story in maybe 10 years. The orphan trains took children from the East Coast, I believe, and transplanted them into the midwest where they were adopted by various families. Often times, the children were taken away from their parents simply because the parents were too poor to raise them, or were unwed. Siblings were split up. I think the orphan trains began either in the 1890's or 1910's and lasted through the Great Depression (correct me if I'm wrong).
The orphan train siblings who I remember are Joseph and Sylvia, and then 2 elderly brothers. Sylvia was looking for her brother Joseph, and the two brothers were separated from each other after disembarking from the train. But the brothers were separated about 1910, and Sylvia was separated from Joseph in the early 1920's. Joseph and Sylvia would have to be in their 90's today, and the 2 brothers would have to be over 100.

Good question. I've thought about this stuff alot too, and it's sad that alot of those people are more than likely passed away. Kinda makes the time seem even further away and more mysterious (it's even worse with Stack dead, of course).

The 19th century was still "living history" in the 80s and 90s, like the old lady in Titanic.


Most of those people I'm not sure about firsthand, but I know some have since passed, like Clifford Sherwood's and Amy Billig's moms.

Al Henderson is dead. He took to his grave what really happened to his wife

Steven Page (Pam's husband) is another example of a man who took to his grave as to where his wife now resides

Can't say I feel sorry for either one of those men right now

Al Henderson is dead. He took to his grave what really happened to his wife

Steven Page (Pam's husband) is another example of a man who took to his grave as to where his wife now resides

Can't say I feel sorry for either one of those men right now

Actually, the last I checked, Steve Page is still alive. Pam's late husband was Robert Page. As for Steve Page, his wife was Kathy, who was found dead in her car under suspicious circumstances in 1991. Due to the common nature of the surname "Page", I can see how you got the men's names mixed up.

Russell Johnson who along with his wife Jean Johnson helped a strange dissapearing man at christmas time in florida and later recieved several $500 checks passed away in 2001.

I have no idea if jean is still alive. Most likely not.

Actually, the last I checked, Steve Page is still alive. Pam's late husband was Robert Page. As for Steve Page, his wife was Kathy, who was found dead in her car under suspicious circumstances in 1991. Due to the common nature of the surname "Page", I can see how you got the men's names mixed up.

Correct. My mistake. Robert Page's wife Pam went missing to this day under strange circumstances to the point where Robert was caught lying about the very REASON of her disappearance. So yeah he's dead. But no Steve Page is not and I have always leaned on the side of him being innocent

Irvin Freeman (Jean Ann's adoptive father) is deceased. Interestingly, however, for a guy who seemed to be worried about dying soon, he actually lived for another 11 years after appearing on the show.

One more question:
Does anyone know if any of the "Orphan Train" interviewees are still alive? I haven't seen this story in maybe 10 years. The orphan trains took children from the East Coast, I believe, and transplanted them into the midwest where they were adopted by various families. Often times, the children were taken away from their parents simply because the parents were too poor to raise them, or were unwed. Siblings were split up. I think the orphan trains began either in the 1890's or 1910's and lasted through the Great Depression (correct me if I'm wrong).
The orphan train siblings who I remember are Joseph and Sylvia, and then 2 elderly brothers. Sylvia was looking for her brother Joseph, and the two brothers were separated from each other after disembarking from the train. But the brothers were separated about 1910, and Sylvia was separated from Joseph in the early 1920's. Joseph and Sylvia would have to be in their 90's today, and the 2 brothers would have to be over 100.

Hi, Mah79,

I'm a new poster, but I've always been a huge UM fan, and like you, I sometimes tend to wonder if some of the older people who appeared on the show are still around, and though I don't know any of them personally, I've actually become quite good at researching these types of things, and here are the answers to some of your questions. Please be aware however, that I'm not psychic, and the possibility always exists that some of the information I come up with may not always be correct.

As best as I can ascertain, Algie Braly, one of the two brothers from the orphan train, died in 1999 at the age of 93. I'm not sure about his brother.

Sylvia is 91 and still alive. Her brother Joseph is 92 and also apparently still alive.

Hi Everyone,
I've often wondered about the very elderly UM interviewees, some of whom would be over 100 today. I am listing some of the people below that I am especially curious about. Would anyone know if they are alive today. Or, if they are deceased, would anyone know when they passed away?

1. Theresa. I forget her last name, but she was the widow whose husband appeared to their daughter in a dream, to deliver her a special letter for her 80th birthday. I also recall that, in one of the pictures from the party, there was a weird image beside her as she blew out the candles, and she always thought that that was her husband in the picture. She was 92 when she was interviewed. THis was in 1994, which means she would have been born about 1902 and would be 108 years old today if she is still alive.

2. "Verneecy's" sister--I forget her name. (Ruby?) I'm also spelling Verneecy phonetically. The sister was also in her 90's when she was interviewed, which also took place in 1994. The sister was looking for Verneecy, who had been given away as an infant after their mother died in childbirth about 1915. Months before, there had been a tornado that totally damaged the family's home. Then the mother developed yellow fever during her pregnancy. I know that there was an update that stated that Verneecy died when she was a young woman. This was a very sad story and my heart went out to this family. Does anyone know if the older sister is still alive?

3. Alfred Owens--The brother of George Owens who I think was George's last surviving relative? George was in his early 70's when he disappeared, I think, so he would have had to have been born around the turn of the century. George himself would be well over 100 today, so I am pretty sure that Alfred must have been very elderly when he was interviewed. If George would be over 100 today then I am sure that Alfred is probably near the 1-century mark, as well.

4. Rufus Hinkle--The older brother who was looking for his twin sisters, Mary and Martha. He is probably in his 90's today? The segment said that the twins were born in 1924 and they were the youngest of 10 children. Martha died about 20 years ago, but if Mary is still alive, she would be about 86 years old.

5. Jean Ann's adoptive father (I forget his name). I think he was in very ill health when he was interviewed and tried to find her. He was a military man in Washington, DC and he and his wife were unable to have children, and so they adopted her. This was over 20 years ago, so I am not sure if he has since passed away?

Person number 1 that you're referring is Teresa Wilson. She was born in September of 1902 and passed away in July of 2000 at the age of 97.

Hi, Mah79,

I'm a new poster, but I've always been a huge UM fan, and like you, I sometimes tend to wonder if some of the older people who appeared on the show are still around, and though I don't know any of them personally, I've actually become quite good at researching these types of things, and here are the answers to some of your questions. Please be aware however, that I'm not psychic, and the possibility always exists that some of the information I come up with may not always be correct.

As best as I can ascertain, Algie Braly, one of the two brothers from the orphan train, died in 1999 at the age of 93. I'm not sure about his brother.

Sylvia is 91 and still alive. Her brother Joseph is 92 and also apparently still alive.

I'm sorry to bring bad news, but I have found an article that states that Sylvia passed away in 2008, and Joseph before then.

From "Orphan Train Rider Obituaries" :
Sylvia Wemhoff
OMAHA -- Sylvia K. Wemhoff, 89, of Omaha, formerly of Humphrey, died Friday, April 18, 2008, at Immanuel
Fontenelle Home in Omaha.

Sylvia was born Oct. 10, 1918, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and adopted by John and Marie (Halmich) Miick. She
received her education from St. Bernard Catholic School. Sylvia was united in marriage to George J. Wemhoff
May 4, 1943, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Humphrey. She lived in the Humphrey community until moving
to Omaha in August of 2005. She was a homemaker and farmed with her husband.

Sylvia was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church, the Christian Mothers Society, and Orphan Train
Heritage Society. She also enjoyed crocheting, cooking and flowers.

She is survived by her children, Laura (Richard) Rinschen of Ashland, Glen (Mary) Wemhoff of Ft. Collins,
Colo., William (Kathy) Wemhoff of Herndon, Va., Marvin (Ellen) Wemhoff of Kearney, and Norman (Tammy)
Wemhoff of Roanoke, Texas; step-children, James (Shirley) Wemhoff of Columbus, Viola (Bill) Ethier of Sioux
City, Iowa, and Sister Eileen Wemhoff O.S.F. of Schererville, Ind.; 14 grandchildren; and 10 great-
grandchildren.

Sylvia was preceded in death by her parents; husband, George; brother, Joseph; and adopted brothers, John
and Gabriel.

Memorials may be directed to the National Orphan Train Complex or the family’s choice.

I know Gord McCallister died in 1998...and Tammy Lynn Leppart's mother.

I know Gord McCallister died in 1998...and Tammy Lynn Leppart's mother.

What did he pass away from? I never heard about his passing on this forum. At least he has been reunited with his wife in a much better place. Its a shame he never knew justice.

Does anybody know if Irvin ever found his foster daughter before he died?

Not sure if this is still relevant, but at the time of your post neither of th individuals you list were still living, though there are survivors of the orphan train still out there. Sylvia was my grandma and she passed away 3-4 years ago. Joseph passed away 10-15 years ago. Unfortunately I don't remember the date. I'm currently 28 and I know I was young at the time. I came across this post looking for a place to find the episode in question, or at least more information about it. My mom has a VHS tape of it somewhere, but we haven't seen it in years.

If you're still interested in finding survivors, the 'Orphan Train Heritage Society' is based out of Arkansas and does it's best to archive the stories.