The P.O. and Grace Gaylord Family Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility: All
Area of Interest: Pre-Engineering

Criteria:

The recipient shall be one who demonstrates via his high school record the ability to pursue a curriculum in pre-engineering.

Preston Otis Gaylord was born in Marshall County, Iowa on November 27, 1884 and Grace Mae (Farmer) Gaylord was born near Hay Springs, NE on March 27, 1880. P.O. grew up in Chadron, NE and starting working for the C. & N. W. Railroad in 1998. He was promoted to trainman in 1905. He and Grace were married in 1910. They had two children; Otis O. and Earl F. They lived on a homestead at Orin near the Old Cedar Tree Spring. They lived in Orin during the summer and Chadron in the winter. They moved to Douglas, WY because of railroad work in 1919. During the ensuing few years P.O. took a pilot's job (conductor) and held it for 18 years. P.O. then worked a short time in Casper-Chadron passenger run. In 1944 he became the conductor on the Chadron-Rapid City, SD and the Chadron- Long Pine, NE passenger runs. He retired in 1950 and the family lived in Chadron. Both, he and Grace lived 'til age 93.