Death of Lillian Asplund 19062006

[Michael Findlay]

My pleasure. Like you said, Shelley, those days can never be erased from memory. Images of Ruth Blanchard tenderly touching Michel's arm - remembering the little boy she never forgot whose cabin adjoined hers, Frank Aks joking with "Kinky" Pope, Marjorie and Millvina seated together as oldest and youngest survivors, Eleanor and Beatrice exchanging greetings in Swedish, and Bertram Dean - a gentle man with a smile to warm your heart.

There will never be another gathering like it.

 

[Shelley Dziedzic]

I spent nearly an hour in the lobby chatting with Bertram Dean, not knowing who he was! Such a humble, unassuming fellow, always seeming somewhat bewildered so many people made such a fuss over him.

 

[Lucy Steigerwald]

I found out only yesterday about Ms. Asplund, because I have been off on a trip.

On one hand there is my fascination with all things Titanic...But think about the poor woman. She was utterly passive, a five year old girl, taken on a ship by her parents. She lost THREE brothers and her father and no matter what she did in life that SHE decided on, people were always going to ask about a tragic event she had no say in, that happened when she was five.

Once I asked a man who was in the real Great Escape whether he minded that that was what he was known for, he said no. After all, that was DOING something, something brave. Ms. Asplund was five...It must have been a bad thing to live with.

So I hope she rests well with her earlier departed loved ones.

I tried to write a poem about this yesterday...The idea that there is finally nobody left who remembers the Titanic. The first-hand memories are gone.

 

[Clifford Ismay]

I have just found this thread and noticed the mails from Teri L Milch and Aiden Bowe (May 10). While I think there is often cause to 'let sleeping dogs lay' I feel that in this case there is room for further comment. Most of us know that when we send mail over the web the sentiment behind it often goes un-noticed and I think this is the case here.
I make no apologies for Teri, as I don't feel any are due but, I do feel that Aiden has missed the point here, and perhaps if he takes another look at Trei's message then he may feel that he would like to make his own apology to Teri. In any event, I don't think that personal remarks like this should be made, especially on such a respected site as ET.
Cliff Ismay