FORT WORTH GRANDMOTHERS ENJOY TRAIN RIDE TO GRAPEVINE FOR MOTHER’S DAY LAUGHS AND LUNCH.

 

FORT WORTH GRANDMOTHERS ENJOY TRAIN RIDE TO GRAPEVINE FOR MOTHER’S DAY LAUGHS AND LUNCH. 

April 8, 2026

FORT WORTH — The race to the train was almost as memorable as the destination itself.

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum Sr. and his wife, Tonya Tatum, found themselves jogging toward the TEXRail platform Friday morning, catching the train just moments before the doors closed.

But once aboard, the hurried start quickly gave way to joy.

Inside the train sat more than 35 smiling grandmothers, laughing, talking, and preparing for an annual Mother’s Day weekend tradition from Fort Worth to Grapevine — a celebration organized by New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church to honor the women many families call the backbone of the community.

“What they saw once inside was one of the most beautiful sights they could see,” Pastor Tatum said. “A train full of grandmothers excited to fellowship, laugh, and simply enjoy the day together.”

The group boarded the TEXRail in downtown Fort Worth and traveled to historic downtown Grapevine for a day centered on food, faith, fellowship, and appreciation.

The annual outing included lunch at Willhoite’s, a longtime Grapevine restaurant known for its Texas-style comfort food, buffet dining, and lively atmosphere. Guests enjoyed favorites ranging from fried catfish and chicken-fried steak to burgers and salad bar selections inside the historic building dating back to 1914.

For the Tatums, the event carries deep personal meaning.

Pastor Tatum lost his mother in 2001, while Tonya Tatum lost her mother in 2015. Since 2019, the couple has organized the annual trip as both a remembrance of their own mothers and a celebration of grandmothers still serving as pillars in the lives of children, families, churches, and neighborhoods.

“We want them to know they are loved and that we have not forgotten about them,” Tonya Tatum said.

Many of the women on the trip proudly shared stories of large families and generations of descendants.

“We have seven children and 15 grandchildren,” Tonya Tatum said.

Another participant, Sarah Bee, said she has 23 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren.

Pastor Tatum said this year’s outing carried additional significance after years in which many seniors experienced isolation and loneliness.

“They’ve been through seasons of separation and loneliness,” he said. “We just wanted to encourage them to get out, enjoy the sunshine, walk around, laugh together, and create beautiful memories.”

Throughout the day, the grandmothers — representing churches, families, and organizations across Fort Worth — shopped along Main Street, shared stories, posed for photos, and reflected on the importance of older generations in family life.

“It’s important that we recognize grandmothers because when there is no mother, many times the grandmother steps in,” Tonya Tatum said. “Children naturally gravitate toward them for love, wisdom, and stability.”

Participants also emphasized the role grandmothers play as keepers of family history and wisdom.

“If you want to know something, just ask a grandmother,” Bee said with a laugh. “Most of them know.”

For one afternoon, however, the grandmothers were not asked to cook, babysit, solve problems, or carry burdens.

Instead, they were simply invited to smile, ride the rails, enjoy one another’s company, and celebrate Mother’s Day weekend surrounded by love.

As the train rolled back toward Fort Worth later that afternoon, the laughter and conversations aboard made clear that the journey had become about more than a train ride.

It had become a moving tribute to motherhood, memory, resilience, and the enduring strength of grandmothers.