OHIO TITANIC MEMORIAL

Speakers

Andrew D. McDowell
Vice President, Exhibits and Building Operations, Great Lakes Science Center

Mary Ann Whitley
Co-Chair, “Titanic: From Sinking to Salvage,” Great Lakes Titanic Society

Cheryl Parker
Great-niece of Mary Davison, Titanic survivor

Unveiling of the memorial

Cheryl Parker and Marjorie Thomas

Dedication prayer

Reverend John F. Uhle (retired)
Bethany English Lutheran Church, Cleveland, Ohio

“Let us pray:

Almighty God, creator of the seas and their depth, the skies and their heights and lights and the earth upon which we stand: we humble ourselves that we are not beyond your knowing. We marvel that we cannot pass through this life or out of this life without your notice. We read you mark the fall of a single sparrow and know even the count of the hairs on our heads.

Of special interest to us here gathered are those persons who sailed over 90 years ago on the great ship Titanic. Especially do we memorialize those who were sailing on that ship to this beautiful Ohio, to start a new life, pay a visit or continue life here.

As we try to document details of these lives, we realize you know them Heavenly Father. Whether they reached this land by this lake or were lost in the great Atlantic sea, they now are all gone beyond us. Grant a special benediction to them and to all who knew them and especially to those who mourned friends or loved ones lost at sea.

May this plaque, bound so firmly to this granite base, be a bold reminder of an event and persons so tragically or heroically involved. Perhaps it might even inspire some to want to learn more about them, those lost as well as those saved in that tragedy.

It is said folks may little note or long remember events that take place. May this monument say, ‘Some did take notice and have tried to remember in their minds and hearts as well as with a monument.’ Now with a few moments of silence we pay reverent honor to your name and the persons memorialized with this monument.”

Moment of silence

Musical selection

“Nearer My God to Thee” – Mitchell Malleo on trumpet

When the Great Lakes Titanic Society, an informal group of Titanic enthusiasts in the Great Lakes region, heard that “Titanic: The Exhibition” was coming to Cleveland’s Great Lakes Science Center in 2002, we wanted to do something special. We began planning a conference, and decided that any proceeds raised would be used to create a memorial honoring Titanic’s Ohio-bound passengers. The conference (“Titanic: From Sinking to Salvage”), held June 29-30, 2002, was a great success with over 50 people in attendance. Thanks to their generosity, more than $730 was raised. Over the last two years that total has grown to over $800.

Initial efforts to establish a memorial were directed at obtaining an Ohio Historical Marker. The Ohio Historical Society was actively seeking applicants for markers to celebrate the state’s 2003 Bicentennial. Under the leadership of Janet White, the committee submitted a marker application and a grant proposal in September, 2002. In November we learned that, while we had been approved for a marker, our request for matching grant money had been denied. Unwilling to give up on our goal, we decided to pursue a plaque on our own.

Many questions had to be answered if we were to succeed in erecting a memorial for the Ohio-bound passengers. Where should the plaque be located? What sites were appropriate and available? How large should the plaque be? How should it be mounted? What should the wording be? Conference committee co-chair Denise Hunyadi directed the process of finding answers to these and other questions, and the project began to take shape. In the end, we decided that a bronze memorial plaque mounted on a granite boulder would be our ultimate goal.

We approached the Great Lakes Science Center with our idea, and they graciously agreed to allow us to place the memorial in a landscaped area next to their building. A boulder was chosen and the plaque was ordered. We still had to endure some frustrating delays and overcome the inevitable setbacks, but everything finally came together in the spring and summer of 2005. The plaque was cast and mounted to our granite boulder. In early October the memorial was delivered to the Science Center where it was carefully placed in the site prepared for it. Our goal had at last been reached!

It is with great pride that the Great Lakes Titanic Society and the Great Lakes Science Center present the new Ohio Titanic Memorial. May it preserve and perpetuate the memory of Titanic’s Ohio-bound passengers for generations to come.

• All those who attended the GLTS conference, “Titanic: From Sinking to Salvage,” over the weekend of June 29-30, 2002. Your participation provided the funds which made the memorial possible.
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• The Great Lakes Science Center for their support and generosity – we never could have done it without you!
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• All-Craft Wellman, Inc., which cast the bronze plaque. Special thanks go to company president Gil Wellman, for his patience and expertise.
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• Van Ness Stone, Inc., for providing the granite boulder on which the plaque is mounted. Fred, we are grateful for your generosity!
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• Solon Granite Memorial Works, Inc., which mounted the plaque to the boulder. Thanks to Ed, Ray, and Alan Dynowski for a job well done.
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• Dedication program participants Cheryl Parker, Rev. John Uhle, and Mitchell Malleo.
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