Well Kept Titanic SurvivorVictims Graves

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Darren Honeycutt

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I have been to quite a few cemeteries where Titanic victims and survivors have been buried. I was wondering what passengers grave do you think is the most tended to? Is there someones grave where someone still takes flowers on a regular basis or do you think being 94 years since the disaster that most of these graves are just mostly forgotten by their relatives?
 
Hi Darren,

I know the Straus mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York, has fresh Spring flowers planted every year. The Straus family maintains the site as the mausoleum continues to serve as an active burial place for the family.

Although I haven't visited the cemetery for some time, I remember that George Rosenshine's grave was completely overgrown by weeds and shrubbery. The Bayside Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, was generally neglected and I can only hope that conditions have improved.

Mike Findlay

[Moderator's note: This thread was in "General Titanica", but has been moved here. JDT]
 
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Thanks Michael for that very interesting information. I think the only grave that I saw with fresh flowers was Milton Longs and a couple of graves in Halifax. Its sad that some of these grave sites have been neglected.
 
I was trying to recall where I read that someone placed fresh flowers on a Titanic passengers grave every year on the 15th of April every year after the disaster up until several years ago. Does anyone have a clue where I may have read that and does anyone have an idea who that passenger may be?
 
Some graves aren't that well kept up. When the group I run with got together for the Vermillion meet last year, some of us did a tour of the gravesites of various Titanic victims as well as those fortunate enough to make it to New York and thereafter live to a ripe old age.

The most that could be said for some was that the lawns were tended to but vandalism is everywhere a problem. You can see some of where we went starting at http://www.titanicinquiry.org/Cleveland/Index.html

At least the Titanic graves were unmolested.
 
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Darren - Hi from Southampton.
You may be getting a little confused with the yearly flowers - on the Engineers memorial here in Southampton every October a bunch of flowers used to appear with just a little note but no name. After a bit of detective work e.g. date of birth October I did trace the persons responsible but they want no publicity so I respected that. Sadly the flowers stopped a couple of years ago so I guess they passed on.
In Southampton and district there are over 134 different Titanic Memorials and graves and most of them are well kept up and receive flowers from time to time - many are family graves and with so many living relatives still residing locally a constant supply of flowers appear from time to time.
The Friends of The Old Common Cemetery look after the 46 Titanic related graves on the Old Common Cemetery and sometimes flowers appear on different graves.
Fred Fleets graves at Hollybrook Cemetery attracts visitors and flowers from time to time as does the Hemmings grave.
All the major Memorials - Engineers, Musicians, Crew and Dock had wreaths and individual bunches of flowers on them this year as per usual on the 15th April.
Violet Jessops grave also had fresh flowers placed on it for the anniversary.
I received another new grave location only this week it is at Tromso, Norway and the grave of Mr. Karl Edvart Dahl - the grave was covered in snow.
It is so very good that people DO remember.
Best regards


Brian
 
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Having visited several Titanic graves here locally, and some others on various trips, I would report that most we've seen are in no more than "OK" condition. Some are almost impossible to find because of overgrowth. When we visit we try to tidy things up as best we can, but there's only so much you can do.

I don't recall ever seeing flowers at any of the graves we've visited, but we (John and I) left some flowers at the grave of Capt. Edward G. Crosby, his wife and daughter when we visited there (see here: http://www.glts.org/articles/crosby/). Also, we remembered the Titanic and her Ohio-bound passengers on the anniversary date this year by placing a bouquet at the memorial dedicated in Cleveland last October (see here: http://www.glts.org/scrapbook/anniversary/)

Denise
 
I've visited the graves here in Toronto (except one which I haven't seen yet, but I hope to change that soon) and others on my travels, and I also always try to clear the overgrowth and moss that grows. But as Denise stated, you can only do so much.

I have never seen flowers at any of the graves either, but I have left a wreath or flowers on the anniversary of their deaths.
 
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Hello Brian, that may be what I remember reading. I think its such a nice tribute when people do take the time to leave fresh flowers at someone grave. It to me just points out how special that person was and should not be forgotten. Michael, great photos of all those graves. Thanks for posting those.
 
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>>Michael, great photos of all those graves. Thanks for posting those.<<

You're welcome. I'd have to echo Denise's remarks that a lot of the graves we saw were in little more then O.K. condition. That some are reletively unmolested is due in no small part to their being in obscure locations. The Saint Mary's cemetary where we found the grave of Shawneene George (Whabee) was on the opposite side of the town of where it was supposed to be and it was quite an odyssey to find it.

This one did at least have a small pot of fresh flowers by the headstone. Hardly spectacular, but it does speak to somebody locally who knows about it and who keeps an eye on it.
 
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Darren - Yesterday as we were passing by I called into West End, (near Southampton) Cemetery to check on Captain Rostrons grave and there was a lovely bunch of fresh flowers on the grave and all was looking well. Flowers are regularly left on the grave by visitors from all over the world.
Cheers Brian
 
Brian, its good to hear that Rostron has fresh flowers regularly put on his grave. He will always be considered a hero and for that reason alone will live forever in our minds.
 
Its really very depressing when i see unkept/unmarked graves. So almost every time i see such neglect i try to wipe away the dirt and the growth so hopefully these monuments will never will lost forever beneath the ground.
 
My spy in Southampton tells me that you can get into trouble if you just rush in and clean up a headstone. This arose when I mentioned the state of Captain Rostron's stone, which needed a good cleaning, as of 2005. Just be wary of officialdom. (And officialdumb)
 
Thank you Dave. I only do so to those stones of people that i knew or with their families present and i have had grave yard workers thank me when they see me cleaning up neglected grave stones.
 
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