Woman searches for mysterious Lawrence hero from childhood / LJWorld.com

It’s been more than five decades, but retired Derby teacher Sue Towns, who spent some of her childhood in Lawrence, is trying to track down a Lawrence man she refers to as her hero.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about that man,” Towns said.

Towns tells a story about a man who used to give her a nickel every day as she walked to Lincoln Elementary School in 1956 as a second-grader. The man worked at the Union Pacific Railroad, and Towns remembers a small office she would pass near the railroad tracks.

“I just remember standing there with my hand out,” said Towns, now 62.

Towns would take the nickel, shoot over to an area store and buy herself a moon pie.

“It just made me a happy little camper,” she said. “I love moon pies to this day.”

Back then it was a small gesture that the man extended, but looking back, Towns said, the daily gift probably had a larger purpose.

Towns grew up poor, and her home life was tough. She was removed from her family in 1957 and bounced around foster care for a couple of years. Combing through her adoption record, Towns said her listed weight at age 8 was 38 pounds.

The man must have seen that Towns looked thin and was trying to help, Towns said.

“I feel very strongly about that,” she said.

With the passage of time, Towns, whose name was changed from Linda Sue Steele after her adoption, said her memories of the man have faded.

She doesn’t recall a name or what he looked like. She doesn’t know how old he was back then, or if he’s even still alive today. But for the past couple of years, she’s had an urge to track him down.

With little information to go on, Towns has so far been unsuccessful. She recently reached out to Lawrence City Commissioner Mike Amyx.

“It really is an incredible story,” said Amyx, who made some calls but wasn’t able to track down any information.

A spokesman from Union Pacific also wasn’t able to provide any information about the man, citing the decades of time gone by.

Towns taught third and sixth grade in the Derby public school system, and has used the story as an example in her classes for an essay project about heroes.

It was simple act of kindness more than 50 years ago, but Towns said she’s often thought about the man during tough times in her life. And she’s often reflected on his actions when her students struggled like she did so many years ago.

Towns hopes she’ll find the “nice man” and thank him or his family.

“In the eyes of a kid, he was huge,” she said.

If you have information about Towns’ mystery hero, you can email her at stowns@cox.net.

Susan Lee 5 years, 2 months ago

That is a precious story. I wish you the very best in discovering the identity of your Moon Pie Angel. Good heavens...38 pounds at 8 years of age. My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter weighs 32# and she isn't even chubby. Thank God you were adopted and now have such a beautiful testament to the incredible and lasting power of human kindness.

Noweigh 5 years, 2 months ago

Great story. Unfortunately, in today's environment of distrust, a news story about an older man offering a little girl money would be construed by most to be a "dangerous thing".
Thanks to this man for making a little girls life more enjoyable! Good luck in your search!

sad_lawrencian 5 years, 2 months ago

Stalker!!

KU79 5 years, 2 months ago

Nice story. I'm sure you've thought about anything I could come up with, but working for Union Pacific, he was probably part of a union. I know union members who get together with their old buddies on occasion, after retirement. Have you contacted the union to try and reach older folks that might remember who this guy is? He's probably passed on, but it would still be great to reach out to his family/friends. It's a long shot, but I hope you can find him, or at least who he was.

crazyredneckmomma4 5 years, 2 months ago

Sorry but I was born in 1977 and went to school in north lawrence. Where was lincoln elementry? I may have information on her hero.

LawrenceTownie 5 years, 2 months ago

Lincoln School was w blocks east of Woodlawn, only first and second grades when there. I would walk my sister there, then walk on to Woodlawn for my class. I believe it was later used for Ballard Center.

I remember the same union pacific employee. I use to see him around every now and then but I moved away a few years ago. I will see what info i can find about him. He also made us feel safe walking to and from school.

My sister and I walked to school along those same tracks everyday on the way to Woodlawn and Lincoln Schools too. We were also greeted at the depot by a very nice gentleman in his Union Pacific suit. He would say hello to us with a big smile every morning. I always felt safe when I saw him waiting there. I have good memories of those daily walks. The small neighborhood grocery store is also a good memory, straws filled with loose treats. I hope you find your hero.

copyright 5 years, 2 months ago

Interesting that you, too, remember a particuIar Union Pacific employee.

Would love to hear which street held the grocery store--and any other memories you have regarding the store!

If you cross the river bridge heading north, take the first turn to the right, which heads one way towards Woodlawn School. The small store was one block, on the north corner, facing south. The store building was still standing the last time I drove by. It had an outside staircase going up the west side of the building. We stopped by the small store after school when we walked home. We did not have to cross the busy second street, but went to the depot, and crossed over the tunnel on our way home to the trailer court behind Johnny's tavern.

THANK YOU.
Wonderful explanation. I'll go look for it this afternoon; I think a building still stands at that location.

shadowlady 5 years, 2 months ago

There was also, Moons Variety store on the north east corner of 7th and Locust, which is not there anymore. It was tore down and Advantage Heating and Air is there now.

pagan_idolator 5 years, 2 months ago

Just goes to show you - even doing a small, nice thing for someone can have a lasting positive effect. Nice story.

jellybeanies 5 years, 2 months ago

She looks to be about 8 in the picture and appears healthy and not gaunt. She may have just been a very petite girl. I wouldn't assume the man was giving her a nickel to buy moon pies because she appeared malnourished or neglected. He was probably a nice old man that had a lot of empathy for children and their struggles and was showing some kindness.

Archive for Sunday, April 8, 2012