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I thought someone may find this useful. I am researching the Murtagh name.
Massachusetts newspaper December 17, 1943
"Sgt. N. J. Vaillencourt His Wife and Daughter Enroute Home for Xmas Among the 69 Who Lost Lives When Two Crowded Coast Line Trains Piled Up
Staff Sgt. Nelson J. Vaillencourt, 29, his wife, Mary Teresa (Murtagh) Vaillencourt, 24, and their infant daughter, Catherine Mary, of Framingham were killed yesterday at Lumberton, N.C., when two crowded Atlantic Coast Line passenger streamliners piled up in an early morning wreck, killing at least 69 persons and injuring upwards of 50.
The bodies have been identified and are to be sent from Fayetteville, N.C. to Framingham for funeral services to be conducted in St. Stephen's church. Interment will be in St. Stephen's cemetery in charge of Eugene J. McCarthy.
Mrs. Vaillencourt was born in Framingham, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Murtagh. She graduated from Framingham High school and was employed in Dept. 16 at the Dennison Mfg. Co. until early March when she went to West Palm Beach, Fla., to be married there to Staff Sgt. Vaillencourt. She is survived by her parents and four brothers, Francis A. at Fort Devens, George R. of Camp Pickett, Va., Harold E. in the Army at Spokane, Wash., and John of Morse road, Framingham. The brothers in the Army have been notified by the Framingham Red Cross home service committee.
Staff Sgt. Vallencourt was born in Lowell and graduated from the High school there. He is one of the 13 children of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Vaillencourt of 1004 Moody Street, Lowell. He was a chef and had been employed at the General Electric in Lynn and the Stoneham County club, and before entering the service in April 1942 he had resided in Framingham for seven years. At one time he was employed at the Kendall hotel. Three of his brothers' are sergeants in the army overseas and he has a sister, Mrs. Romeo J. Lozeau of Beacon Street, Framingham.
He had been stationed with the Air Force at Morrison field; West Palm Beach, Fla., since he entered the service and he was due to go overseas at an early date. He was bringing his wife and infant daughter of Framingham; where they were to remain for the duration of the war. They were expected to arrive last night and relatives had gone to Boston to meet them. Soon after their return home word came of the accident. Sergt. Rowell of Morrison Field has been detailed to accompany the bodies home, according to word received from there this morning.
A broken rail was blamed by Atlantic Coast Line officials for derailment of three coaches of the Florida-bound Tamiami West Coast Champion near the little town of Buies. At least one person was killed in that derailment.
Some 40 minutes later, an eyewitness said, the northbound Tamiami East Coast Champion rushed past hastily lighted newspaper bonfire signals and ploughed into the derailed coaches of the first train which lay sprawled across double track.
Five cars of the second train, the witness said, leaped the track and folded together like an accordion. A railroad spokesman said most of the dead were on the northbound train. The wreckage was so twisted that workers with acetylene torches still were trying to cut into three coaches late in the day..."
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