As used in this article “employees” includes furloughed, pensioned, and superannuated employees of any common carrier subject to the provisions of this part, persons who have become disabled or infirm in the service of any such carrier, ex-employees traveling for the purpose of entering the service of any such carrier, and the remains of persons dying while in the employment of any such carrier; and “families” includes the families of such persons and the families of persons killed, and the surviving spouses until remarried and minor children during minority of persons who died while in the service of any such carrier.