Mrs Hanna Youssef Touma (née Razi)
Mrs Darwis Touma (Hanna Youssef Razi) (1), 29, was born on 10 April 1885 in Assyria (now Lebanon).
She had booked passage aboard Titanic to travel to Dowagiac, Michigan to reunite with her husband, Darwis Touma. She travelled with her daughter Maria, and son Georges.
In 1911 Darwis, also an Assyrian, had purchased a farm near Dowagiac, and after settling in had sent money for his wife and children to come join him in their new home. Hanna with her two children, Maria and George, left their home in Tibinin, Lebanon, and traveled by camel caravan to Beirut, by ship to Marseilles, France, then by train to Cherbourg where they boarded the Titanic on the evening of 10 April 1912. Travelling as third class passengers they held ticket number2650, £15 4s 11d.
The family were rescued in Collapsible C.
After arriving in New York aboard Carpathia, and having lost everything other than a few documents and momentos, Hanna and her children received assistance from a woman's relief group connected with the St. Vincent's Hospital.
Darwis had no idea that his family had been aboard Titanic until he received word from New York on 20 April that they had been aboard the doomed ship and that they were safe.
Hanna and her children remained under the care of the relief group until they were put aboard a train bound for Dowagiac on 25 April. They arrived there the next day and were reunited with Darwis.
On 3 May 1912, Hanna received a check for $90, her share of a fund collected for the relief of the destitute Titanic survivors.
The family later anglicized their name to Thomas, and lived for the next eight years in Dowagiac. They then lived in Michigan City, Indiana, for three years before permanently settling in Burton, Michigan. During this time they had three additional children.
Hanna (Anna) Touma (Thomas) (née Razi/Rassey) died on 28 June 1976.
Notes
Her forename is sometimes spelled "Hanne" or anglicized to "Hannah".
Her surname was anglicized from Razi to Rassey. Her husbands forename is variously
spelled as "Darwin", "Darwis", "Darwish" or "Darwich".
They were listed on the passenger roster under the names of "Hanna",
"George" and "Maria Youseff". Yousseff was the first name
of Darwis' father, and this was a traditional use of his name in their culture.
Certificates
Michigan Department
of Public Health Certificate of Death
Documents
Dowagiac Daily News, May 3, 1912, Article
Flint Journal (Flint, Michigan), 30 June 1976, Death
Notice
Sources
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York;
NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])
South Bend Tribune, 13 February, 1998, Titanic Recollections
References
Stan Hamper (1966) Dowagiac Stories: Windows to the Past. Dowagiac Commercial
Press
Acknowledgements
David Bronson, USA
Phillip Gowan, USA
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Summary
Born: Friday 10th April 1885
Age: 27 years
Last Residence: in Tibnin Lebanon
3rd Class passenger
First Embarked: Cherbourg on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 2650 , £15 4s 11d
Destination: Dowagiac Michigan United States
Rescued (boat C)
Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
Died: Monday 28th June 1976
Cause of Death: Heart Failure / Disease
Buried: New Calvary Cemetery Flint Michigan United States
Travelling Companions (on same ticket)
Miss Maria Youssef ("Mary Thomas") Touma
Master Georges Youssef ("George Thomas") Touma