Walter and Mahala Douglas

[Mike Herbold]

Jennifer Douglas:
Thank you for including Mahala Douglas' Titanic poem in the Online Exhibit section. Would you please contact me at [email protected]

 

[Philip Hind]

Doubt she'll hear you Mike. Jennifer sent me that sometime in 1998!

 

[Brian Ahern]

I've always been a little confused about how long the Douglases had been married for. Mr Douglas's bio here on ET refers to Mahala as his "new" wife, and I BELIEVE I've seen it said elsewhere that they'd only been married a year.

So was Mahala not Bruce Douglas's mother, even though her obit says she was? Had Walter been married before?

If anyone knows the answer, I'd appreciate them passing it along.
Thanks,
Brian Ahern

 

[Phillip Gowan]

Hi Brian,
Walter Douglas was first married to Miss Lulu Camp and had his two sons by her. Mahala did not have children.

Phil

 

[Bob Godfrey]

'Bruce' was presumably one of the two stepsons, Edward Bruce Douglas - maybe, like J Bruce Ismay, he preferred the use of his middle name. But was there a mysterious third son, who, according to family records, was born and died in December 1901? Too late for Lulu and too early for Mahala. Or has somebody (probably me!) got the date wrong?

 

[Brian Ahern]

Thanks for replying, Bob and Phil. I guess the second son died before Mahala, since only'Bruce' and a 'grandson' named Walter are listed in her obituary.

So is there much known about Mahala's life before her marriage? Was she from Cedar Rapids? Any sort of career? Was her family important? It'd be a nice story if she was leading an ordinary life and suddenly struck gold at 47 when she married Walter.

I know I'm responding to your polite answers by simply firing more questions at you, but these are two people I've always been curious about and have never got around to asking about.
Thanks again,
Brian

 

[Phillip Gowan]

Brian, this old thread might answer some of your questions.

https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/discus/messages/5811/4973.html

Phil

 

[Brian Ahern]

Thanks a million, Phil!

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Brian, here's a link to some fine portraits of other members of the Douglas clan, though none of Walter or his immediate family. Includes the family crypt in Cedar Rapids and a brief mention of the (possible) third son.

http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/prarieboy/family/winter2000/iowadouglases.htm

Here's an excellent portrait of Walter (centre) as a boy with his two brothers:

http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/prarieboy/lineage/georges_sons.jpg

And the entry on Walter in 'History of Minneapolis - Gateway to the Northwest':

http://members.fortunecity.co.uk/prarieboy/lineage/walter_minn.jpg

 

[Brian Ahern]

Thank you for taking the trouble to post all of that, Bob! Walter and Mahala always come across as very impressive people.

Regards,
Brian

 

[Bob Godfrey]

No trouble at all, Brian - all credit to 'Prairieboy'. I'm still wondering about that (alleged) third child, generally listed only as 'Infant Douglas' and born in 1901 to a mother who died in 1899(??) Sending CQ! Are you there, Phil?

 

[Martin Williams]

http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/mphoto.asp

During our recent discussion concerning John and Nelle Snyder, Ben Holme brought to our attention the website of the Minneapolis Public Library, the archives of which include several photographs of the couple in the years after the 'Titanic'. On the off-chance, I typed 'Douglas' into the search engine - Walter and Mahala were perhaps the most prominent passengers from that area aboard the ship, so I thought there might be something. And I was right. There are four or five snaps of the widowed Mahala (her name is mis-spelled 'Mahalia' but I'm confident it is she) available on-line and, whilst she wasn't what you'd call a stunner, she certainly possessed style in abundance.

 

[Thierry Dufournaud]

Hello from Paris!

MAHALA DUTTON-DOUGLAS FORMER PROPERTY IN PASADENA CA IS FOR SALE

Mahala Dutton-Douglas former property located to 95 El Circulo Drive, Pasadena, CA is for sale for 3 millions Dollars.

Built in 1927, Mahala used to go there for Winter season from 1928 untill her death in 1945. She passed away there too.

The Fairbanks Group is in charge for this sale.

This is the Internet link where you could find all the details and pictures:

http://www.thefairbanksgroup.com/properties/index.htm

Regards

Thierry Dufournaud

 

[Richard A. Krebes]

I just wrote and got published a Titanic editorial featuring this fascinating couple.
The URL is:

Deephaven's Titanic ties - Lakeshore Weekly News - Wayzata, Minnesota

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Walter & Mahala Douglas are supposed to have built a palatial lakefront mansion somewhere in Minnesota before their fateful journey to Europe. Does anyone know if it still exists and if so, who owns it? I tried Googling for it without success.

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

See:

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2012/12/21/dream-houses-titanic-sabin-ephrem.html

and

Legendary Homes of Lake Minnetonka

Hundreds of cottages and cabins, mansions and houses line the shores of Lake Minnetonka, one of Minnesota's most beautiful lakes and site of some of the state's most coveted properties. Legendary Homes of Lake Minnetonka invites readers into thirty of these dwellings - built by families like the...

books.google.co.uk