Gus Edwards Holderness
Position Held
Dining Car Head Waiter and Waiter
Railroad Line Illinois Central
Trains City of Miami, City of New Orleans Panama Limited
Routes Fulton to Chicago, Chicago to Miami, New Orleans
Years Worked 1940s-1971
Lived in Fulton KY and Chicago, IL while working on the railroad.
Home Town
Paducah, KY
dob: 8/3/1912
Gus Holderness' Kentucky Oral History Commission Interview is currently being transcribed. The video will be available for viewing in the Fulton KY Library shortly.
A Daughter Remembers
My father, Gus Edward Holderness, was born August 26, 1912, in Paducah KY. His mother was Hester Cheeks who married John Thomas and they raised four children: Louise (married name Farley), Gus, John Fitz (JF) Thomas, and Dorothy Jean (married name Fourston). Though daddy’s formal education was not extensive, he was well spoken and... Scroll to below photos for full story.
Mr Gus Holderness,
Dining Car Head Waiter and Waiter
A Daughter Remembers...
My father, Gus Edward Holderness, was born August 26, 1912, in Paducah KY. His mother was Hester Cheeks who married John Thomas and they raised four children: Louise (married name Farley), Gus, John Fitz (JF) Thomas, and Dorothy Jean (married name Fourston). Though daddy’s formal education was not extensive, he was well spoken and extremely intelligent with a voracious appetite for reading and all types of word puzzles.
A hard worker, dad was always known to work, and as early as thirteen, held jobs, that allowed him to contribute to the household of his mother, sisters and brother.
I’m told, that when he was twenty-four, he was a waiter in one of Paducah’s best hotels and enjoyed a reputation of being a handsome suave young wheeling dealing upcoming man of the street. Gun toting, whiskey drinking. Fast women and a fast life were pretty much his forte until the summer of 1935 when a pretty eighteen year old soon to be college co-ed from Jackson TN, visiting her cousin in Paducah, captured his heart. Her name was Dorothy Walton, she, as well, was swept off her feet by the dashing young man and they married in August of the same year.
The following August, their first child Lawanda, was born followed in two years by second child, Sandra.
After successfully riding out the big Paducah Flood of the early 40’s, dad, moved, to Fulton with his young bride, and toddlers, for work on the Illinois Central Railroad. They settled nicely into a house on Holder Street, next door to Rev JT Gains and Mama Cynthie; across from Antioch Church and in 1944 I was born, Linda, daughter number three.
As a child, one of our most exciting adventures during those days was meeting daddy’s train. Sometimes he was just passing through, could not stay, and would not be able to actually come home for another few days. Even so, for the train’s 2:00am arrival, mother dressed us all up, in shiny little patent leather shoes and our best dresses and little double breasted coats with little velvet collars from Homers Department store and we’d go huffing and puffing up the hill to the train station to meet daddy’s train. We’d excitedly watch as the pin light in the distance grew bigger and bigger and the wail of the whistle grew louder and louder and then like magic, it would be there! And dad would swing daringly off the still -moving train (like Zorro in the movies) and sweep mom into his arms with a great big kiss and we would all be so excited that it would actually take our breath away. And then he’d grab tight to each of us and in a blur of “we miss you -hurry home- how’s school, - we love you -be careful, the water bill is due and I’m so sorry I’ll miss your recital,” he was back on the train and gone. again. And off we’d go, back down the hill to our home on Holder street.
In the early 1950’s the Illinois Central transferred daddy to Chicago. Mom and dad were thrilled with the move and in 1958 added Debbie, daughter number four to our family. The only man in a house with a wife and four daughters daddy often joked that he was destined to a house of women as he’d had a boy dog once, but even he ran away.
Chicago to the north and New Orleans and Miami to the south served as the “ends” for Daddy’s run. For all the reasons we know that railroad work is hard work, many days were better than others. Dad did not absolutely love his work as Waiter and Head Waiter, especially in the later years but he was proud and precise, very good at his job and on every trip, dedicatedly earned his pay and more …a favorite joke when he’d arrive home from a run was “whew” my feet are killing me, I walked over 1100 miles this run, all the way from Chicago to Miami!
DAD’S WINTER AMBROSIA
In the dead of winter, in cold frosty Fulton, KY Daddy would bring home, fresh Florida oranges as big as grapefruits and grapefruits as big as cantaloupe from his Miami run and he would make for us- winter ambrosia. His creation was truly, as the traditional definition for ambrosia reads, “food of the gods.” My recall of his recipe follows.
Dad’s Winter Ambrosi
Succulent Florida Oranges
Huge Florida Grapefruits
Shredded Fresh Coconut
Bright Red Maraschino Cherries
Firm Sweet Bananas, if desired
Crunchy Kentucky Pecans
Remove the peel and pith from the oranges and grapefruits and slice into bite sized pieces. Slice and soak bananas in lemon juice to retain color, combine about one and one half cup each of oranges and grapefruits, and add bananas cherries and pecans to taste. Refrigerate a couple of hours if you can before the children discover it. Serve with love. (Speaking of serving, Dorothy Jackson tells that when she was home sick as a child, her dad [Mr. Hardiman], would provide full dining car service for her: covered bowls with warmers on a tray, one arm behind his back, a slight bow at the waist and a napkin folder over his arm J. But that’s another story for another day. Gotta love those railroad dads!)
The final words below are from youngest sister , Debbie’s website:
Gus Holderness was married and the father of four girls, Lawanda, Sandra, Linda, Debra and grandfather to two boys, Phillip and Howard, and one girl, Nneka. He is the great grandfather of three girls, Nicole, Chantelle and Majida and two boys, Phillip III and Xavier. He worked for Illinois Central Railroad for over thirty years. Mr. Holderness was an outgoing man with many friends, a wonderful sense of humor, and an easy to laugh nature. He was fiercely dedicated to his wife and children as well as his mother Hester Thomas, and siblings, John Fitz (JF) Thomas, Dorothy Jean (married name Forston) and Louise (married name Farley). His death of a heart attach on an IC train, while working, has left a tremendous void in the life of many and he is sorely missed.
Death: Dec. 23, 1971
Carbondale
Jackson County
Illinois, USA
L. Bradford AAICWFKRS Project Director
Dining Car Head Waiter and Waiter
A Daughter Remembers...
My father, Gus Edward Holderness, was born August 26, 1912, in Paducah KY. His mother was Hester Cheeks who married John Thomas and they raised four children: Louise (married name Farley), Gus, John Fitz (JF) Thomas, and Dorothy Jean (married name Fourston). Though daddy’s formal education was not extensive, he was well spoken and extremely intelligent with a voracious appetite for reading and all types of word puzzles.
A hard worker, dad was always known to work, and as early as thirteen, held jobs, that allowed him to contribute to the household of his mother, sisters and brother.
I’m told, that when he was twenty-four, he was a waiter in one of Paducah’s best hotels and enjoyed a reputation of being a handsome suave young wheeling dealing upcoming man of the street. Gun toting, whiskey drinking. Fast women and a fast life were pretty much his forte until the summer of 1935 when a pretty eighteen year old soon to be college co-ed from Jackson TN, visiting her cousin in Paducah, captured his heart. Her name was Dorothy Walton, she, as well, was swept off her feet by the dashing young man and they married in August of the same year.
The following August, their first child Lawanda, was born followed in two years by second child, Sandra.
After successfully riding out the big Paducah Flood of the early 40’s, dad, moved, to Fulton with his young bride, and toddlers, for work on the Illinois Central Railroad. They settled nicely into a house on Holder Street, next door to Rev JT Gains and Mama Cynthie; across from Antioch Church and in 1944 I was born, Linda, daughter number three.
As a child, one of our most exciting adventures during those days was meeting daddy’s train. Sometimes he was just passing through, could not stay, and would not be able to actually come home for another few days. Even so, for the train’s 2:00am arrival, mother dressed us all up, in shiny little patent leather shoes and our best dresses and little double breasted coats with little velvet collars from Homers Department store and we’d go huffing and puffing up the hill to the train station to meet daddy’s train. We’d excitedly watch as the pin light in the distance grew bigger and bigger and the wail of the whistle grew louder and louder and then like magic, it would be there! And dad would swing daringly off the still -moving train (like Zorro in the movies) and sweep mom into his arms with a great big kiss and we would all be so excited that it would actually take our breath away. And then he’d grab tight to each of us and in a blur of “we miss you -hurry home- how’s school, - we love you -be careful, the water bill is due and I’m so sorry I’ll miss your recital,” he was back on the train and gone. again. And off we’d go, back down the hill to our home on Holder street.
In the early 1950’s the Illinois Central transferred daddy to Chicago. Mom and dad were thrilled with the move and in 1958 added Debbie, daughter number four to our family. The only man in a house with a wife and four daughters daddy often joked that he was destined to a house of women as he’d had a boy dog once, but even he ran away.
Chicago to the north and New Orleans and Miami to the south served as the “ends” for Daddy’s run. For all the reasons we know that railroad work is hard work, many days were better than others. Dad did not absolutely love his work as Waiter and Head Waiter, especially in the later years but he was proud and precise, very good at his job and on every trip, dedicatedly earned his pay and more …a favorite joke when he’d arrive home from a run was “whew” my feet are killing me, I walked over 1100 miles this run, all the way from Chicago to Miami!
DAD’S WINTER AMBROSIA
In the dead of winter, in cold frosty Fulton, KY Daddy would bring home, fresh Florida oranges as big as grapefruits and grapefruits as big as cantaloupe from his Miami run and he would make for us- winter ambrosia. His creation was truly, as the traditional definition for ambrosia reads, “food of the gods.” My recall of his recipe follows.
Dad’s Winter Ambrosi
Succulent Florida Oranges
Huge Florida Grapefruits
Shredded Fresh Coconut
Bright Red Maraschino Cherries
Firm Sweet Bananas, if desired
Crunchy Kentucky Pecans
Remove the peel and pith from the oranges and grapefruits and slice into bite sized pieces. Slice and soak bananas in lemon juice to retain color, combine about one and one half cup each of oranges and grapefruits, and add bananas cherries and pecans to taste. Refrigerate a couple of hours if you can before the children discover it. Serve with love. (Speaking of serving, Dorothy Jackson tells that when she was home sick as a child, her dad [Mr. Hardiman], would provide full dining car service for her: covered bowls with warmers on a tray, one arm behind his back, a slight bow at the waist and a napkin folder over his arm J. But that’s another story for another day. Gotta love those railroad dads!)
The final words below are from youngest sister , Debbie’s website:
Gus Holderness was married and the father of four girls, Lawanda, Sandra, Linda, Debra and grandfather to two boys, Phillip and Howard, and one girl, Nneka. He is the great grandfather of three girls, Nicole, Chantelle and Majida and two boys, Phillip III and Xavier. He worked for Illinois Central Railroad for over thirty years. Mr. Holderness was an outgoing man with many friends, a wonderful sense of humor, and an easy to laugh nature. He was fiercely dedicated to his wife and children as well as his mother Hester Thomas, and siblings, John Fitz (JF) Thomas, Dorothy Jean (married name Forston) and Louise (married name Farley). His death of a heart attach on an IC train, while working, has left a tremendous void in the life of many and he is sorely missed.
Death: Dec. 23, 1971
Carbondale
Jackson County
Illinois, USA
L. Bradford AAICWFKRS Project Director
**
Photo #6
With four girls in the family, Dad often joked of the dilemma of living in a house full women. Some may think that would account for the pained expression on his face in the photo. But, alas, it was just that he was very close to his girls and it’s more likely that the frown reflects, (though fond of her new husband) a bit of sadness with the giving away of daughter # 3. The stories in this book of waiters AK Hardiman and Harvey Vick mention special father –daughter closeness. In researching railroad stories this closeness may well be a theme for waiters, a bit more so than others. Theme or not, it was certainly the case in our family. Dad was very devoted to each of us and we to him; and though we appreciated the living he made for us on the road we resented every packed bag and every run that took him, for days at a time, away from us. And most especially we resented his final run that never brought him back.
Photo #6
With four girls in the family, Dad often joked of the dilemma of living in a house full women. Some may think that would account for the pained expression on his face in the photo. But, alas, it was just that he was very close to his girls and it’s more likely that the frown reflects, (though fond of her new husband) a bit of sadness with the giving away of daughter # 3. The stories in this book of waiters AK Hardiman and Harvey Vick mention special father –daughter closeness. In researching railroad stories this closeness may well be a theme for waiters, a bit more so than others. Theme or not, it was certainly the case in our family. Dad was very devoted to each of us and we to him; and though we appreciated the living he made for us on the road we resented every packed bag and every run that took him, for days at a time, away from us. And most especially we resented his final run that never brought him back.