Mrs Herbert Fuller Chaffee (Carrie Constance Toogood), 47, was born on August 28, 1864 Manchester, Iowa.
In 1886 she entered Oberlin College, Oberlin Ohio where she studied at the Conservatory of Music (1 year) and the College - Art (1 year). She enrolled for 3 years but in 1887 she met Herbert Chaffee. they were married on on December 21, 1887 and a son was born on September 28, 1888. Earlier that year they had moved to North Dakota where Herbert took charge of the family farming business so neither Carrie nor Herbert graduated.
Trained in music, she gave voice lessons to the children of prairie farmers while managing a complex household and giving birth to six children: Eben Whitney Chaffee, Dorothy Chaffee Stroud, Herbert Lawrence Chaffee, Florence Adele Chaffee, and Lester Fuller Chaffee (one other child died in childhood). Mrs Chaffee was renowned for her decisive mind and her willingness to confront any situation.
Mrs Chaffee and her husband boarded the Titanic at Southampton as first class passengers (cabin E-31), they were returning from a European trip to their home in Amenia, Cass Co., North Dakota.
Mrs Chaffee was rescued from the Titanic (probably in lifeboat 11), but her husband was lost. After his death Carrie took an active role in managing the Land Company's assets, and was also a leader in charitable work in North Dakota and in Minneapolis MN, she was a charter member of, and active in, the American-Chinese Education Committee, Canton, China. She died 4 July 1931 in Amenia, ND and was buried at Amenia Cemetery where there is also a cenotaph for her husband.
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Did Carrie Constance Toogood, wife of Herbert Fuller Chaffee, remarried after the death of her husband on the Titanic? Thanks. Charles
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Carrie Constance Toogood Chaffee remained unmarried until her death on 4 July 1931 in Amenia, North Dakota. The Cassleton Reporter (Cassleton, North Dakota) reported on its front page "Mrs. H. F. CHAFFEE DIES AT AMENIA." Mrs. Chaffee had been sick for a number of months.
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It seems I am late realizing that the family stories from my Great-Grandmother, Carrie Toogood Chaffee, might be of interest to the Titanic community. Carrie, a first class passenger travelling with her husband, Herbert Fuller Chaffee, made away from the Titanic on Lifeboat 4. As the last full-size lifeboat to pull away, the boat had quite an adventure, following along with lifeboat 14 searching for survivors. I have been working on an "historical fiction" account of her journey, based on the formal testimonies and family stories, and finding the research just goes on and on, deeper and deeper. So in honor of the 100th anniversary, I am going to attempt to post an account of part of her experience, for all to share. The work has helped me find closure for my extended family over the loss of our beloved Great-grandfather, Herbert. For all those who remember, may we find peace and inspiration in the end. Prologue for this chapter: The evening before this chapter...
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Forward of Lightoller on the officer’s promenade, Quartermaster Arthur John Bright and Able Seaman William A. Lucas were setting the falls from the empty Lifeboat No. 2 davits to Collapsible Lifeboat ‘D’. A crowd of steerage passengers were making their way up from the forward well deck by way of the officer’s deck stairs, coming on to the officer’s promenade deck next to the collapsible lifeboat’s bow. Perkis stepped back from the gunwale holding the falls tail not quite hand taut as angry shouting broke out on the officer’s promenade deck about twenty feet behind Lightoller’s back. Unfamiliar voices at Collapsible ‘D’ shouting “Ay!” “Hey!” and English voices shouting “Get back, you!” and an American shouting, “What the hell do you think you are up to!” Perkis could see a couple of men attempting to commandeer Collapsible Lifeboat ‘D’ and he could make out the voices of Bright and first-class passengers Ryerson and Duquemin shouting them...
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As she looked forward up Titanic’s side, she noticed Titanic’s bow had settled further into the ocean and that the water was over the forward well deck and just below the bridge. From behind her, out of the corner of her eye she noticed a light breaking across the water not thirty feet aft on the ship’s port side. The forward gangway door leading into the first class dining area on ‘D’ deck had been opened. The door opened from the aftward side and swung out so that the door blocked her view of anyone who might be standing there or looking out. Carrie blinked several times and looked around the boat, first looking forward at McCarthy and then aft at Foley, and then around at the other women. “Well,” she said, “Don’t you think we should get under way?” Up on the boat deck, Ryerson, Duquemin, Bright, and Lucas had locked arms around Collapsible Lifeboat ‘D’ along with several other passengers and crew. Lightoller had regained control of the...
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Perkis rubbed his hands together, made loose the aft falls tail, and got it under his right foot. He got to the aft davit winch and brought the davit up so that the falls came in to about four feet of the deck, letting the tail slip out under his foot. He made the tail fast again, got up on the edge of the deck, took hold of the davit with his left hand, and leaned out over the empty space to fetch the lifeline with his right hand. He called down to the boat. “Mind the lifeline below!” “Aye,” Foley called back. The lifeline was reeved to the davit span with a small eye, and the forward tip of the Titanic caused the rope to slide toward the bow. Perkis looked up at the span, shook the lifeline twice to pull it tight to the aft davit, and got it to hook up over the davit tip. He looked down at the lifeboat below, and took a long slow breath. “Easy,” he whispered to himself. He looked down again and creased his forehead as he gauged the distance. “She’s just below...
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Still standing at the aft falls, Perkis’ shoulders slowly sagged just briefly. He looked down, took a deep breath, and straightened himself up. Still holding the ropes with his left hand, he rubbed his chin with his right. He looked up and looked at all the women, who were listening now with their full attention. He looked down again, took another deep breath, and looked up again. He let go the ropes, rubbed his hands together, and squared his shoulders as best he could. “Titanic is taking on water,” he said, “and she’ll not be going much further. “Murdoch, First Officer Murdock . . . . they, uhmmm. They say . . . Murdoch says he was told she should stay afloat some time. Maybe twenty-four hours. He says we have word from the Marconi, that would be the wireless telegraph, says, Murdoch says, that we have word there’s a ship on the way, maybe a couple, and we should be loaded up and off to New York by morning.” “We are to cast off and stand by and look for more...
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Having upload issues, more to come . . . I will add later. I attempted an attachment also, see if that works.
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Hi Robert, Great article. There is a bit on Carrie in the new Titanic book, On a Sea of Glass from an interview she did. Best Mike
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I would like to read more of your story,it is very interesting thank you for the download link.
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I bought the home Herbert had built for his wife in amenia in 2005 ,i sold it in 2014 . It's still a very nice house today. Sad deal the family business fell apart. Herbert and carries headstone at the amenia cemetery is amazing. Good job telling they're story . Sure gets rid of all the rumors of what people think happened
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