The search is on to track down three women who will be in for a cash windfall after an elderly woman left them money in her will.
Laura Bisset was the matron at the St Christopher's Railway Service Orphanage, also known as St Christopher's Railway Home, from 1951 to 1986 and in that time cared for thousands of children in Derby.
After retiring to Wiltshire, the matron, who was known as Miss Bisset by those who were in her care, died aged 96 in December 2020.
In her will she left money to 67 charities and small bequests to several people, including almost 20 people who were once in her care.
The executors of her will, her nephews Philip and David Lough, have tracked down all bar three of those who have been left money, Derbyshire Live reports.
But the family need help finding the final three after the trail has gone cold.
Philip Lough said: "My aunt Laurie was a deeply philanthropic lady who devoted her life to looking after others.
"We have had dozens of very moving letters and messages from former St Christopher’s girls, many still in the Derby area, who knew and loved her.
"So many have told us what a great influence she had been on their lives.
"We have used various ways of locating them, including the excellent St Christopher’s Facebook page.
"We are now appealing to anyone who might know the current whereabouts of these three former St Christopher’s girls to contact us.
"Their names are Corina Jaffe, Sally-Ann Knight and Sheila Taylor.
"Corina’s last known address was in St Albans Road, Derby and Sally-Ann’s in Allenton, while Sheila is believed to have moved to Lincoln some years ago.
"The trail on all three has gone cold since then."
The orphanage stood on the land that is now used as sports pitches at Markeaton Park, next to Ashbourne Road in the city.
It was founded in 1874 by members of the Railway Servants' Society after children were often left orphaned when their parents died in the course of their work, with Derby chosen as its location due to its strong connection with the railways at the time.
The home originally had just 11 children, but after some adaptations, by the late 1800s the new site cared for more than 300 children from all over the UK and Ireland.
It was renamed St Christopher's Railway Home in 1948, just before Miss Bisset joined as matron.
Demand for places declined through the 1950s and 1960s and the main building was demolished in 1977, to be replaced by two smaller houses.
One of these became a home for the elderly in 1983, before the whole site closed in 1993.
