Two new orphan train statues unveiled

Two Orphan Train Rider statues were unveiled in Concordia over the weekend as part of the National  Orphan Train Complex's 19th Annual Celebration of Orphan Train Riders.
A statue honoring Cora Alice McVicker/Eugenia Alice Cullivan Mulligan was unveiled Saturday afternoon at Neighbor to Neighbor.
The 38th Orphan Train Rider statue was sponsored by John and Janice Strait in loving memory of Wilfred “Joe” and Gloria Hamel.
Cora McVicker was born in 1902 to Arthur and Emma McVicker. Just a few weeks after her birth, she was left in the care of the Sisters of Charity at the New York Foundling Hospital. She lived at the Foundling for two years, until 1904, when she was selected for placement in a western home.
Cora arrived in St. Mary's, Kansas, and was placed with Catherine Cullivan of Belvue, Kansas. Her name was changed to Eugenia Alice Cullivan and she enjoyed a happy childhood with her adoptive mother and siblings.
Catherine died in 1915, and although most orphan train children would have been returned to New York, Eugenia remained with the Cullivan family, living with her adopted siblings.
Eugenia graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1917 and continued her education at the Nazareth Convent and School in Concordia. She graduated from the Nazareth Academy in 1921 with a teaching certificate.
Eugenia taught school in Wamego and Manhattan. She dated Thomas Mulligan for two years and they were married in 1923. After the Mulligans wed, they moved to Topeka, where they raised their six children.
Thomas and Eugenia both passed away in 1989.
The 37th Orphan Train Rider statue honoring Mary Mullen Leikam Kraus Jacobs Hardt was unveiled on Friday at the Brown Grand Theatre. It was sponsored in loving memory of Hannalesa and Jack Roney.
Mary Mullen was born to Mary Ann Mullen in 1899 in New York City. As an infant, she was taken to the New York Foundling Hospital, to be cared for by the Sisters of Charity. Soon, she was selected for placement in a western home, and traveled to Ellis County, Kansas, to live with John and Ottilia Leikam.
The Leikams were young Russian immigrants who lived in WaKeeney, Kansas, and had no children of their own.
Mary and her adoptive parents relocated to Chicago around 1914. There, Mary met her first husband, Henry Krause. They had one son together before Henry passed away. Mary then married Anthony Jacobs, and the pair raised five children together before divorcing after 1940.
Finally, Mary married Henry Hardt. They remained together until Henry's death in 1981.
Mary passed away in 1992 at age 92. She left behind eight children, twenty-nine grandchildren, thirty-three great-grandchildren, and multiple great-great-grandchildren.