Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express

Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express — page 1 — For Margaret Kelly Eason and her grandfather MK W For my Iowa friends the Lymches and the Odlands K

Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express — page 2 — Author's Note Katherine Carroll Shelley Kate was born in Ireland on September 25 1865 Before she was a year old her parents brought her to America They bought a small farm near the town of Moingona Iowa Kate's father built a house overlooking Honey Creek within sight of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad line and farmed the land He also tookajob with the railroad After Kate there were four more children James Mayme Margaret and John Life in the Shelley's iso lated cottage was hard but satisfying full of good friends and good times Then when Kate was 13 her father died Less than a year later 10 year old James drowned in the Des Moines River Mrs Shelley never really recovered from these tragedies Kate took over more and more responsibil ity for running the farm and caring for the younger children When a raging storm hit the Des Moines River valley and lives hung in the balance Kate did not hesitate to face danger and go out alone into the night to do what she believed was her

Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express — page 3

Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express — page 4 — S Moingona Iowa July 6 1881 Fifteen year old Kate Shelley pulled the sheets from the line A terrible storm was coming Kate could feel it in the air A cold wind rose as she carried the heavy basket back to the house Black clouds rolled in The sky grew

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