A former member in the 1880s, Fred Wohlenberg was such a strong supporter of the BLE that he had the union’s logo engraved on his tombstone. His great-grandson Brad recently contacted the BLET to express his family’s continued support for our union.
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The BLET is winning public support for taking a strong stand in its contract dispute with the Long Island Rail Road. In the days after a BLET-led press conference in Manhattan on September 15, one viewer in California reached out to express his support in a unique way — one that carries historical significance and spans generations.
“I’m not a member, and I live in California so the LIRR doesn’t directly affect me, but my great-grandfather was a loyal member of the BLE for decades,” wrote Brad Wohlenberg in an email to the BLET National Division Staff and to Gil Lang, BLET General Chairman for the LIRR membership. “He passed away long before I was born, but the BLE was so important to him that he had the original BLE logo engraved on the upper-right corner of his tombstone. So any time I see the BLET mentioned, I’m rooting for its success against the railroad.”
BLET National Division staff conducted historical research and found an article about Wohlenberg’s great-great grandfather that was published in the May 1931 issue of the Locomotive Engineers Journal. E.A.F. (Fred) Wohlenberg hired out in 1882 as an engine wiper for the Texas & Pacific Railway where he earned the “princely sum” of $1.25 per 12-hour shift. Upon earning promotion to locomotive engineer, Wohlenberg joined BLE Division 187 in June of 1890. He worked in freight and passenger service until his retirement on January 1, 1928, when he was pensioned at the age of 70. He was the oldest locomotive engineer in Fort Worth when he passed away in 1939.
BLET General Chairman Lang thanked Brad for his support.
“The fact that your great-grandfather carried his loyalty so deeply that the BLE emblem was engraved on his tombstone speaks volumes about the bond between railroaders and this union,” Lang wrote. “Your support — especially during this difficult contract fight — reminds us of the generations of strength and solidarity that brought us to where we are today. Please know that we are determined to honor the sacrifices of those who came before us, like your great-grandfather, by fighting for the respect and fairness that every railroader deserves.”