Airline searches for 'Tracy from Minnesota,' who showed 2 refugees kindness on their way to the U.S. in 1999

Hope Schreiber
·Writer
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is searching for “Tracy from Minnesota,” who showed kindness to two refugee sisters back in 1999. (Photo: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is searching for “Tracy from Minnesota,” who showed kindness to two refugee sisters back in 1999. (Photo: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)

On May 31, 1999, two Yugoslavian sisters, aged 17 and 12, were leaving their war-torn country on a flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis-Saint Paul. The sisters sat beside two passengers, a woman named Tracy and her friend. The older sister, who could speak English, told them of their experiences in Yugoslavia.

Right before the four disembarked from the KLM 655 flight, Tracy handed the young girls an envelope and told them to open it after they left the plane.

Inside was $100 and a pair of gold earrings.

The note read, “To: The girls from Yugoslavia. I am so sorry that the bombing of your country has caused your family any problems. I hope your stay in America will be a safe & happy one for you — welcome to America — please use this to help you here — a friend from the plane — Tracy.”

Now, 19 years later, the sisters are both successful college graduates in the United States. They never forgot Tracy’s generosity, however, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is hoping to reunite them with the help of social media so they can finally thank her.

In the airline’s blog, they list all that they know about Tracy, as their archive doesn’t contain passenger data from 1999. Tracy was aboard the KL 655 flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis on May 31, 1999. They assume she lived a couple of hours away from the airport, probably somewhere in Minnesota. They know she played tennis in Paris.

KLM is encouraging anyone with leads on Tracy from Minnesota to email them at socialmediainput@klm.com.

KLM did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.

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