June 12, 13, and 14 will bring Orphan Train descendants and enthusiasts to Concordia for the Annual Celebration held every year. The theme this year will focus on the New York Foundling Hospital, the Catholic branch of the Orphan Train movement.
Speakers from Missouri, Michigan, and Iowa will be on hand to share presentations with registrants from Kansas, Iowa, Texas, California, and Missouri. New this year is a zoom option for those who are not able to travel to Concordia.
Bringing speakers to Concordia from across the nation is made possible by the following businesses and individuals:
Dan & Judith Jacobus Davis, Seal Beach, CA
Cloud County Travel & Tourism
Reliable Heating & Cooling
Elk State Bank
F&A Food Sales
Citizens National Bank
Joan & Gary Fraser
Central National Bank
Cunningham Fiber
Prairie Land Electric
Thummel Real Estate & Auction
Hood Heating and Air Conditioning
Schendel Pest Control
Gerard Tank & Steel
Drs. Cooper & Banninger
Prairie Land Partners
Style Productions
Greg & Barbara Markway, Jefferson City, MO
Don & Martha Pauley, Iowa
Thursday events will include unveiling the newest window coverings and plaques. Free tours of the Complex will begin at 1 p.m. A special Open House event, featuring wine and finger foods, will begin at 6:15 p.m.
Friday will kick off with the history of the Foundling Hospital, presented by Greg Markway. Markway is a psychologist, author, and Orphan Train historian whose grandfather rode a New York Foundling orphan train to Missouri in 1901. For nearly a decade, Greg has been dedicated to uncovering the Foundling’s history and helping other descendants reconnect with their roots. He founded the Orphan Train DNA Facebook Group to assist families in solving their own orphan train mysteries through genetic genealogy. Greg’s work combines careful research with a deep personal passion for honoring the stories of the Foundling children and the families they built.
In 2024, Greg joined the National Orphan Train Complex Board of Directors. In January 2025, he was elected vice-president.
Saturday speakers include Betsy Rogers, Springfield, Missouri, who is one-half of the DNA ANGEL TEAM. Rogers began working on her family tree as part of a school project over 20 years ago, and never stopped. She practices as a pediatric dentist in Springfield, Missouri, but has also honed her genealogical skills by attending Boston University's certificate program in Genealogical Research and Ramapo College of New Jersey's program in Investigative Genetic Genealogy, where she met Susan. She enjoys completing traditional genealogical reports and helping to solve genetic riddles, whether it be for individuals who were adopted, experienced an unexpected DNA test result, or descended from a rider on the Orphan Trains.
Susan Christin, Detroit, Michigan, is the other half of the DNA ANGEL TEAM. She first heard about genealogy from her aunt in Utah, who took her to the Mormon Genealogy Library several years ago. Christin is a graduate of the Fall 2023 cohort of the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Certificate program, where she met Betsy. She is on the board of the group Adoptee Advocates of Michigan and teaches their monthly class "Obtaining Your Adoption Information in Michigan,” as well as acting as a volunteer genetic genealogist "search angel" for several Facebook search groups, including the nationwide group Search Squad and the non-profit agency DNA Doe Project. Her genealogy work was once included in the PBS series, “Finding Your Roots,” thereby providing Susan her 15 seconds of fame.
Full registration for the three-day event is $80 per person and includes two meals and special entertainment on Friday evening. For a complete schedule of events, visit the museum Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or check our website at orphantraindepot.org on the Annual Celebration Tab.
Find out what other special events will be part of the 22nd Annual Celebration of Orphan Train Riders in next week’s Blade!
