Rushville, Indiana

When my great grandparents and their young daughter, who was driving, were hit by a train at a blind railroad crossing in 1918. Two died instant deaths, one was taken to hospital. A teenager boyfriend of my Aunt Irene was flung far away from his rumble seat in the new car. He was uninjured afterwards! My grandfather was training for the war in France. He was not given permission by his captain to go to his Mother's bedside while she clung to life. He then went absent without leave from East Texas to Rushville, Indiana.

She lived until he made it to her side and then she passed on soon there after. He took three death certificates back to his camp's general. By-passing his captain of course. Needless to say he was not charged with being AWOL.
 
For years a black type of lichen's or spore's growth had been accumulating on the marker my surviving grandfather had purchased. He was disappointed when the marker turned out to be concrete from a poured form. He had ordered Georgia granite and they did not make good on the order.
 
At one time I passed this marker every day headed to the coal truck. Knowing old train engines were mostly black. I wondered if something strange could be seen in the black coating. It then was rather obvious after my hard look while driving by that day. The dark V shape does look like black smoke from a 1918 era steam locomotive!

MK Cody in Indiana

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