Titanic Memorial dedicated in Michigan

For three long years, several Michigan residents and historians have wanted to recognize the 69 Michigan-bound passengers who were aboard the Titanic. Finally, on a drizzly day in May of this year, a memorial in their honor was unveiled on the banks of the St. Clair River in Nautical Park in Marine City.

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The 69 passengers whose names are engraved on the memorial came from several countries. They traveled in first, second, and third class. Many did not survive. The memorial lists their names and Michigan destinations.

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Among the 70 attendees at the memorial dedication was the descendant of one of the Michigan-bound survivors, Elizabeth Agnes Mary Davies. Her great-granddaughter, Martha Schinderle, shared with those in attendance some of her knowledge about Davies, who was bound for Houghton.

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Margaret Micoff with Martha Schinderle

Margaret Micoff, founder of the Great Lakes Titanic Connection and Marine City resident, thanked all those who had played a part in seeing the memorial come to fruition. A dedication award was given to Titanic historian and author George Behe for his tireless hard work and friendship with the Great Lakes Titanic Connection.

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Micoff presenting historian George Behe with award

The base of his award was constructed from an original piece of decking from Olympic, Titanic’s sister ship. Historians Floyd Andrick and David Kaplan, plus fashion historian Lynn Anderson contributed their knowledge of Titanic passengers. Following the unveiling of the memorial and a sparkling cider toast, the celebration continued with dinner and a viewing of The Titanic Musical at a local theater.

Along with the new Titanic memorial, Marine City is also home to the only official builder’s model of the ship. At 18 feet long, the model is housed at the Mariner Theater. Micoff hopes anyone with an interest in Titanic will pay a visit to her city and see these lovely remembrances of the disaster.

Photo credits: George Behe, Great Lakes Titanic Connection, voicenews.com