Families, friends recall deadly train-car wreck 50 years ago that claimed 5 lives - Gainesville Times

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Families, friends recall deadly train-car wreck 50 years ago that claimed 5 lives

Local officials working on marker to commemorate young victims

Betsy Elrod, Ricky Boleman's niece, points to Boleman's belongings that his family holds onto at the Boleman home on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Boleman and four other teenagers were killed after a train collided with a car in January 1968. - photo by Austin Steele

09092018 TRAINWRECK 002.JPG — Betsy Elrod, Ricky Boleman's niece, points to Boleman's belongings that his family holds onto at the Boleman home on Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. Boleman and four other teenagers were killed after a train collided with a car in January 1968. - photo by Austin Steele

The items kept in Betsy Elrod’s cedar chest carry the legacy of a young man for whom she has faint memories: 18-year-old Ricky Boleman, who died 50 years ago with four others when a train struck their car.