Abby Connolly
Kate then led a group back to the crash site so the surviving crew members could be rescued. She ended up saving around 200 people on that passenger train and became a hero.
Newspapers and writers around the country praised Kate, and she was given great rewards to share with her family, like money, flour, gold jewelry, coffee, etc.
The state of Iowa rewarded Kate with a gold medal, and a philanthropist offered to pay her college tuition. In 1901, the Chicago and North Western Railway built a new steel bridge and called it the Kate Shelley High Bridge.
Although Kate was proclaimed a hero, she humbly worked hard to keep herself and her family out of poverty.
She worked several jobs, including one at the Moingona depot as a station agent. She never married or had children and worked until her health began to decline around 1910. She passed away in 1912 at age 48.
Despite Kate’s life being rather short, she was an incredible inspiration and will always be remembered for her courage.
