Maurice W. Graham

I work at the Welcome Center near Underwood, Iowa and Maurice's son came in today. He told me about his father. I have found him via Google and it is a wonderful story...like the one his son told me! I'm so glad we talked today and I've added this piece of American history to my education.

Steamtrain was a great man with many friends in this great country and others. I knew him well as a child but lost touch with everyone as i grew up. i went out for a while and followed his roll, traveling this country with out a dime or home to call my own. I started out at 17 and am now 34. Now i am in New England and would love to let Wanda know that you both touch my life so deeply. I have since moving out here changed my name from "Patrick Close" to "Patrick Elms". please feel free to...

REST IN PEACE MAURY, SEE YOU IN HEAVEN

Wanda and family, My deepest sympathy in the loss of Steamtrain. I just heard of it this past week in our local newspaper. He was a wonderful man and was loved by all. Cornbread Carol

I first met Steamtrain in August 1990 when I attended the National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa for the first time. I had seen Steamtrain on a National Geographic documentary called "Love those Trains." It included a six- or seven-minute segment on Britt, a small town in north-central Iowa that still welcomes Hobos. The National Hobo Convention has been going on there since 1900 and Steamtrain has been going every August since 1972 or so. He had been elected National Hobo King five...

Growing up along the Toledo Terminal railroad in the 60's, we had a favorite place on a curve near Kenwood blvd. It was known as the "Hobo Hole" , an industrial area of Timber Lane lumber, Blue Line coal tipple, & an old vacant greenhouse with a smokestack. It was a great place to hop trains; the engineer & caboose crew couldn't see us because of the curve! After I graduated high school(DeVilbiss), Steamtrain was elected King & I hit the road, too.

I will never forget our time traveling together, Steam Train. Ride that westbound hard. God Bless you and Wanda

I have never met Steamtrain but I know some of his hobo friends. I had seen him in a National Geographic special "Love Those Trains" when he was the King of the Hobos. It was just last summer at a hobo gathering in Illinois that I had asked about Steamtrain, I was told that his health was failing and soon he would be catching the Westbound. Many of his friends will be in Britt, Iowa in August 2007 for the National Hobo Convention and I am sure they will also have a nice service to remember...

Maury Graham was a Sgt in the 463rd Engineers in Toledo when my Dad, Clyde Cox, met him. Dad shared the story of Maury with me in the stories he wrote down this July and August in the last month of his life. Dad was already on that westbound when Maury jumped on it last week and maybe they shared a Thanksgiving meal yesterday. Dad was a good cook and would have loved to get an update from Maury. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.