Last Run Marilyn Moody Pickard

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makinsmoke
Posts: 2260
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2003 12:56 pm
Location: Texas Hill Country

Last Run Marilyn Moody Pickard

Post by makinsmoke »

It is with deep sadness I report the passing of Marilyn Pickard of Priddy, Texas.

In the late 70's she and her husband Roy moved to a ranch in Priddy, Texas to raise cattle and build what would become the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad.

Below find a page from the IBLS website about Roy and the railroad.
http://ibls.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Roy_Pickard

Anyone who visited the C&IG had the pleasure of meeting both Roy and Marilyn until Roy's passing in 2011. She remained an icon, and her presence at the evening meals continued the sense of being a part of a big family, and brought fond memories of not only Roy, but all who had been to the railroad over the last forty-plus years, and who had gone on to the great Roundhouse in the Sky. Her motto was,"Have fun and play nice."

Marilyn was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, retired Dining Car Superintendent for the C&IG, and a formidable Mexican Train foe. Long after the railroad had gone to sleep, and voices became quieter in the dark, the domino games would be on!

She was a delight to be around. Her friendliness and welcoming of everyone to the railroad made you feel like she had known you forever. I never heard her mention someone that she did not know their name.

She is united once again with Roy, and another of this amazing generation has joined the Ages.

Live steam has lost much, but her family has lost so much more.
Sincerest and heartfelt condolences. Your mother was special.

Brian Banks
Llano, Texas
Pontiacguy1
Posts: 1566
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:15 am
Location: Tennessee, USA

Re: Last Run Marilyn Moody Pickard

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

Echo the sentiments. Mrs. Marilyn was a kind and gracious host always. I went back to the C&IG last fall, and my son and I got to spend about an hour talking with her. You never know when it will be the last time.

Roy told me they moved to the ranch in 1972, and started building track almost immediately. I know the IBLS page says late 70's, but they were there long before then. They started building down at Commanche and built out from there. Roy said they built this big bridge to get up the hill there where helper cutoff is now. They didn't use treated lumber, so it all rotted out in about 3 years or so. The grade there was also really steep, which is why they made that loop there at Helper, so that it would make the grade much less.

The Pickards also used to come to Mid-South Live Steamers' meets at least once per year, all the way through the 1980s. I will attach a picture of Roy, Marilyn, Frank, and Mr. Plagens (their son-in-law). This is from 2009, and was the last time that they came to Mid-South.
the pickards 2b.jpg
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