Mr John Bertram Brady, 41, was born in Satsop on the Puget sound on December 3, 1870. Brady had a brother E.R.Brady, and a sister Ella Brady as well as a half sister R.L.Rush. At the age of 8 in July 1879 he came with his parents to live in Pomeroy, WA where he would be educated before leaving to study at Bishop Scott's Academy in Portland.

On completing his education he returned to Pomeroy to manage the family store, succeeding his father, but in 1903 he sold the business to F.J.Elsensohn when he was made a vice-president of the Pomeroy Savings Bank. Brady had held stock in the bank since its inception and had been a director since 1894. He also had a one-third interest in the Weller Livestock Company. In addition brady was a member of the Masonic lodges in Pomeroy and of the Commandery in Walla Walla and Elkatiff Temple at Spokane.

In 1906 he left Pomeroy briefly to help his family in San Jose whose house was destroyed by shocks from the San Francisco earthquake. His mother reportedly had her hand smashed and his sister was 'thrown around a bit'.

John Bertram Brady known to his friends as Bert had been holidaying throughout Europe when in early 1912 he booked passage on the Titanic (ticket number 113054, £30 10s, Cabin A-21). However, on Februay 21, 1912 he wrote to an acquaintence W.B.Morris expressing some doubt over the forthcoming trip:

On February 25, 1912, while in Rome, he wrote to Peter Weller of the Weller Livestock Company:

On March 30, 1912 he wrote to Fred Matthies from the Grand Central Hotel, Belfast.

On the same day he wrote back to W.B.Morris:

Brady wrote many more letters that have survived, one that he wote to his friends Lois, Florence and Willena Long mentioned that he was bringing them some Coral he had acquired while on holiday in Europe. Bert frequently went fishing with their father and the girls brothers, often camping in the mountains.

The Titanic was not held up by the coal strike and Bert Brady boarded the vessel at Southampton as a first class passenger. The last letter he wrote, addressed to J.R.Stevenson was posted in Edinburgh, Scotland and said simply:

Bert Brady lost his life in the disaster. With the slow trickle of information following the tragedy the press in Pomery held out hope that he might yet have survived however, on April 20, 1912 they reported that '[Brady's] brother-in-law, R.L.Rush received a telegram from M.H.Houser, then in New York, NY saying that "Bert is lost. Latest reports say very few men saved, account few lifeboats.'The following friday Mr Rush learned that the Carpathia had docked and that Bert was not amongst the rescued.'

A memorial service was held in Pomeroy for Mr Brady on April 28, 1912.

References
Contract Ticket List, White Star Line 1912 (National Archives, New York; NRAN-21-SDNYCIVCAS-55[279])
The East Washintonian, April 20, 1912 & September 11, 1985

Contributors
Hermann Söldner, Germany
Lynn Soderberg, USA
Doris Ann Wolf, USA