Mrs Lily May Futrelle (née Peel)

Mrs Jacques Futrelle (Lily May Peel), 35, was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 26, 1876, the daughter of David G. Peel and Molly Thompson.

May Peel Futrelle was the wife of Jacques Futrelle, Sr. they lived in Scituate, Massachusetts with their two children, Virginia and Jacques, Jr. The chiuldren were born barely 12 months apart. Virginia was born November 8, 1896, married a Mr Raymond, and died in Haverhill, Massachusetts in January of 1981. Jacques Futrelle, Jr. was bon November 20, 1898. He later became the night news editor of the Washington Post and died in Herndon, Virginia in July of 1979.

Jacques Futrelle was a noted author of early science-fiction type novels and also a well-known newspaper reporter. The couple had been in Europe for several weeks while Jacques wrote a number of magazine articles. On the night before sailing, friends had gathered in London to celebrate Mr Futrelle's birthday. The party did not end until 3:00 A.M. and the Futrelle's never went to bed but packed and headed for Southampton. Mrs Futrelle was later to lament that "if my husband had got drunk that night, he might not have sailed, and he might be alive today. But he never did drink much."

On the night of the sinking Mrs Futrelle made her way to the boat deck and encountered a group of men with "smoke-blackened faces" standing silently in a group staring at her. She later commented, "they said nothing but their eyes seemed to say, 'at least you have a chance, we have none.'" May Futrelle was rescued in Collapsible D but Jacques died in the sinking.

Mrs Futrelle returned to Scituate, Massachusetts. She died at the age of 91. Amazingly, local newspapers carried no notice of her death and her grave remains unmarked.

References and Sources

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Certificate of Death
New York Times. 26th June, 1915, Says Ismay Ruled in Titanic''s Boats

Related Articles and Documents

	New York Times  (1912)	BOSTON MAN MISSING
	Worcester Telegram  (1912)	REPORT FUTRELLE SAFE
	Washington Herald  (1912)	PREMONITION CAME TO NOTED NOVELIST
	Washington Times  (1912)	MEN SNEAKED INTO BOATS, SAYS WOMAN
	Worcester Telegram  (1912)	FUTRELLE MET DEATH LIKE HERO SAYS WIFE
	New York Times  (1912)	FUTRELLE'S MOTHER IS DEAD
	The Washington Post  (1913)	TITANIC CLAIMS $10,000,000
	New York Times  (1915)	SURVIVOR SAYS ISMAY RULED IN TITANIC'S BOATS