In Episode 58 of Flower in the River Podcast, we explore more untold stories of the Eastland Disaster through the lives of two victims, Mary Helen Egan and Theodore Hallas, whose stories bring to life the diverse richness of early 20th-century Chicago. We'll explore their family backgrounds, their communities, and the historical context that shaped their short but impactful lives.
Mary Helen Egan's Story
Introduction to Mary, her family background in Chicago's Irish Catholic community
Discussion on her family’s life in Chicago, their struggles, and societal contributions
Calvary Cemetery Spotlight:**
Historical significance of Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, IL - Mary's resting place
Theodore Hallas' Story
Introduction to Theodore, a Greek immigrant
Exploration of the vibrant Greek community in Chicago's Greektown
The impact of Greek culture and immigration on Chicago
Elmwood Cemetery Spotlight
Significance of Elmwood Cemetery--Theodore Hallas' resting place-- and the Greek community in Chicago
Excerpt from "Graveyards of Chicago: The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries," by Hucke and Bielski
In Episode 58 of Flower in the River Podcast, we explore more untold stories of the Eastland Disaster through the lives of two victims, Mary Helen Egan and Theodore Hallas, whose stories bring to life the diverse richness of early 20th-century Chicago. We'll explore their family backgrounds, their communities, and the historical context that shaped their short but impactful lives.
Mary Helen Egan's Story
Introduction to Mary, her family background in Chicago's Irish Catholic community
Discussion on her family’s life in Chicago, their struggles, and societal contributions
Calvary Cemetery Spotlight:**
Historical significance of Calvary Cemetery in Evanston, IL - Mary's resting place
Theodore Hallas' Story
Introduction to Theodore, a Greek immigrant
Exploration of the vibrant Greek community in Chicago's Greektown
The impact of Greek culture and immigration on Chicago
Elmwood Cemetery Spotlight
Significance of Elmwood Cemetery--Theodore Hallas' resting place-- and the Greek community in Chicago
Excerpt from "Graveyards of Chicago: The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries," by Hucke and Bielski
Hello, I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River.
Speaker 1:
This podcast, inspired by my book of the same name, explores the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago and its enduring impact, particularly on my family's history. We'll explore the intertwining narratives of others impacted by this tragedy as well, and we'll dive into writing and genealogy and uncover the surprising supernatural elements that surface in family history research. Come along with me on this journey of discovery. Hello and welcome to episode 58 of Flower in the River podcast. This is Natalie, in case you were wondering. I hope you had a good week and since, as usual, there's so much material, I'm going to dive right in. So in this week's episode, we'll be shining a light on the quieter corners of history by exploring the other cemeteries that are the final resting places of various Eastland disaster victims, the final resting places of various Eastland disaster victims. These are not small places by any stretch of the imagination, but what's so interesting is that, as huge as these places are, there aren't as many Eastland victims buried in these locations as, say, concordia or Bohemian National, or even Bethania, which is where my family members are buried, and I wanted to take a closer look at these places and people. These cities of the dead are also interesting on their own. So I was looking at Find a Grave and I've mentioned it a lot, because several people have created a virtual Eastland disaster memorial site that has photos, stories and a lot of information in one location. Now, again, this is for the people who actually died on the Eastlands. So if you're looking for them, most of them are there, and what's nice about this is that if you see something that needs correcting, you can submit the correction to the Find a Grave people and they will make the corrections for you. But please, please, please, have the sources cited. Okay, and what I'm going to do is go into depth about Find a Grave, what it is and how it works, because people have asked and I think I'm at a disadvantage in a way, because I spend so much time immersed in the world of genealogy that I can sometimes forget that people who don't know what this is. It makes no sense. So I'll try to make sense of it next week for you and we'll go through an actual case where we need to correct something. I actually found something this week that we need to fix, so you can help me with that.
Speaker 1:
So when I was scrolling through the Eastland Memorial on Find a Grave earlier this week I filtered on the search for cemetery and, just so you know, the default for the search are names of the people. But I wanted to look at the specific cemeteries to see how many people who died on the Eastland were in each cemetery. So the first cemetery that came up with not a whole lot of Eastland disaster victims was Calvary Catholic Cemetery, and Calvary Cemetery is located in Evanston, illinois. And I want to highlight one of the Eastland victims who is buried in Calvary Cemetery. And I'm doing this specifically because at first this girl doesn't seem to have an extensive biography and I knew this was going to be challenging, which is why I selected her. Or I don't know, maybe she selected me, but this stuff I never know. But I will have to say this it's the challenging cases, the challenging individuals, where I learned the most, and I always realized that afterward. So at first glance, this very young woman has very little for us to work with as genealogists. Ah, here's the thing. But when you look at this girl in the context of her family, there are some stories to be found and these stories give a hint of who she might have been and who she may have become had she lived long enough. This is the very brief story of Mary Helen Egan, who was 15 years old when she died on the Eastland, and we'll talk also about the family she came from and what happened to them in the years before she died and what happened afterward. Mary's obituary is printed in the July 31st 1915 Chicago Tribune. Egan. Mary H Egan, july 24th 1915, age 15 years, beloved daughter of Redmond J and Julia A Egan. Redmond J and Julia A Egan, nay Sweeney, fond sister of Redmond J, edward E, donald W and Julia E. Funeral from Parents' Residence 819 South Kilbourne Avenue, formerly 45th Avenue. Wednesday, july 28th, at 8.45 am to St Mel's Church where high mass will be celebrated. Autos to Calvary. So, even though Calvary Cemetery has approximately five Eastland victims buried there there might be more, by the way, but this is what I have on record at this point.
Speaker 1:
It is interesting because it's located in Evanston, illinois, and it is one of the oldest and one of the most notable cemeteries in the Chicago area cemeteries in the Chicago area. It was established in 1859, making it a significant historical site in its own right. Here's a brief overview of its history and importance. The residents of Calvary are predominantly Irish Catholic, as was Mary Egan. Calvary is located in Evanston, and this part of Evanston is located along the Lake Michigan shoreline, just north of Chicago. So for those who enjoy cemeteries and love history, this is a place you want to visit if you go to Chicago or if you live in Chicago.
Speaker 1:
Calvary Cemetery has been the final resting place for many notable individuals. Again, they're often from the Catholic community in the Chicago area. It includes graves of many Irish immigrants who were among the early settlers of Chicago, as well as several other ethnic groups that formed the mosaic of the city's Catholic population. And when I was doing a search for Mary Egan on FamilySearchorg which is a free site, by the way I found her burial card. I think these are index cards that many cemeteries kept at one point to keep track of their residents, and what it has is 728-15 Mary Egan it tells you the lot, block and section where her grave is located Said she died on July 24th 1915 in the Chicago River, and her age is not given here. And well, that's the end, or is it? Hold on, let's go back a little bit here.
Speaker 1:
So, born on May 12, 1900 in the city of Chicago, mary Helen Egan was the first born of Redmond Egan and Julia Sweeney. The family resided in the West Garfield Park area, a neighborhood that mirrored the vibrant and often harsh realities of early city life. Mary was baptized just a few weeks after her birth at St Mel's Church. For those who are curious, and why wouldn't you be St Mel? That's M-E-L, or I've seen it spelled sometimes M-A-E-L. St Mel was an actual person, an Irish saint and purportedly a nephew of St Patrick, and St Mel was revered for his role in evangelizing Ireland. His dedication and the spiritual community he nurtured are probably what attracted Mary's family to this particular parish.
Speaker 1:
But here's some questions that may not be able to be answered easily. Who was Mary amongst her friends and family? Well, she was likely a bright-eyed girl with dreams as large as the city skyscrapers. Perhaps she was with friends or family on the Eastland that fateful day. We really don't know how she ended up there. It doesn't appear that her parents were Western Electric employees, so this is an ongoing mystery of her life.
Speaker 1:
In order to understand her life, we have to expand a little bit and set the stage. Let's talk about her father. Her father, redmond, was born to Irish immigrants in Chicago in 1871. And he was a man of the community and he seemed to be working his way up when one day he happened to be caught in a moment of misfortune. Now, this is before Mary's birth. Actually, this is before Redmond and Julia even married, and this is a newspaper article from the 1897 Chicago Daily Tribune, and it details an incident involving Redmond, then a budding lawyer, and this is also a case of well. Sometimes it's true that no good deed goes unpunished. But don't worry, it all works out for Redmond, who was just one of those people who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Speaker 1:
The headline Park Policeman Breslin in Trouble, discharged by West Board for Blackmailing Lovers and Arrested on the Charge of Robbing sleeping man. After being finally discharged by the Employment Committee of the West Park Commissioners last evening on numerous charges of blackmailing in Garfield Park, policeman Edward J Breslin was arrested on a warrant charging him with larceny and taken to the Westlake Street Police Station where he is held. He will be arraigned at the Des Plaines Street Police Court. This morning Breslin was prosecuted before the Employment Committee by attorney William R Betham, representing more than half a dozen young couples who had been caught courting in Garfield Park by Breslin and then compelled, it is alleged, either to pay the policeman a sum of money or submit to arrest. Several angry swains and their sweethearts appeared before the committee and identified Breslin as the policeman who had blackmailed them. The commissioners decided to discharge Breslin who, when he was told of the decision, turned coolly upon his heel and walked out of the building in Union Park, declaring that there were other places. He admitted his guilt, it is said, as he stepped outside, sergeant Michael Toma and Policeman Dean of the West Lake Street Station placed him under arrest on a warrant sworn out by Henry Southwick, 4022 Calumet Avenue, who alleges that several days ago, while he was sleeping in Garfield Park, breslin robbed him of $20, a watch and a diamond pin. Among Breslin's alleged victims are James Ashworth, attorney, 299 Robie Street, redmond Egan, and that would be Mary's father. At that point he was a bank clerk, 140 Dearborn Street, and Thomas Markham, a Washington Street attorney. So two weeks ago they were on their way to a lawn party when a woman fell from her bicycle in the park. When a woman fell from her bicycle in the park, they assisted her to her wheel and then the men allege Breslin and two companions took them to the police station on a charge of disorderly conduct.
Speaker 1:
Sometimes I just let the articles speak for themselves, and this case I'm going to do that as well. Yes, I did do some searching on Breslin, but he seems to have disappeared, at least from the newspapers that I was looking at. But what a character. Getting back to Redmond Egan, he fared out OK because again, breslin stopped the wrong group of people at this point and Redmond continues to appear in the society pages of various newspapers and it's mostly talking about business parties and fundraisers that he was a part of.
Speaker 1:
And according to the 1900 census, he was a lawyer. By 1910, he was a city inspector and he and Julia had five more children, and there was a 15-year-old servant girl living with them as well. So, compared to my family in Chicago at the same time, these people were doing very well. However, 1915 was the great leveler for all of us, wasn't it? 1915 was the great leveler for all of us, wasn't it? That's when the Eastland disaster happened and that's when his firstborn Mary was killed. Post-eastland Redmond is not in the news as much, but his wife, julia, stayed busy in civic affairs. This is from the Chicago Eagle newspaper, may 27th 1922. And, by the way, the tagline for this newspaper is independent in all things, neutral in none. Think about that for a while. Here's the article Lively row over Democratic hair bobbers in 35th Ward.
Speaker 1:
The women Democrats of the 35th Ward had a hair bobbing festival Monday night. According to city clerk James T Ego, women who supported the regular Democratic ticket tried to steal a march on the majority and called a meeting to elect officers at 4111 West Madison Street, when the regular meeting place is at 4039 West Madison Street. Mrs WP Feeney presided and it was charged undertook to gavel through her program. On an appeal from the chair, the other faction, which had learned of the move and arrived in numbers, overruled her and Mrs M Houlihan, vice president, took the chair. The Houlihan faction then elected the following President Mrs Redmond Egan Again, that's Julia Egan, married to Redmond and the mother of Mary. First Vice President, mrs Houlihan. Second Vice President Mrs Jay Hall. Treasurer John McHale. Financial Secretary Alice Ryan. Recording Secretary Alice Ryan. Secretary Alice Ryan. Recording Secretary Alice Ryan. Recording Secretary Anna Shull and Sergeant at Arms Mrs J Fleming. End of the article. What was going on there, do you think? I'll tell you a little bit about this Hair bobber history.
Speaker 1:
Have you heard that term before. Hair bobbers from that era, that would be 1922, refers to women who wore their hair in a bob cut, which was a short hairstyle that became hugely popular in the 1920s. The term was often used to describe young women who were embracing new freedoms and flouting traditional norms, including those involving fashion and hairstyles. In the context of this 1922 article, these Democratic women hair bobbers were likely progressive figures, using their style to make a statement about modernity and women's independence. Sounds like they were pretty cutting edge for their time. I'm sorry I had to do that. So that's who they were. So, as you can see, both Mary's parents were people who were of their time and women had just gotten the right to vote, so they just wanted to keep on staying engaged and making sure that their voice was heard. However, julia Egan, mary's mother, was also involved in other civic activities.
Speaker 1:
Here's an article from the Oak Park Leaves. The year is not given. It looks like it's probably the 1920s as well, and the headline is For St Anne's Benefit Hospital Building Fund to Profit from Ballet Divertisement Arranged by Auxiliary For June 4th. Plans have been completed for the Grand Ballet Divertisement to be presented at the Elks Club, 938 Lake, on Wednesday evening, june 4th under auspices of the Women's Auxiliary of the St Anne's Hospital. The program will be followed by dancing. Despite the heavy expense incurred, the price of admission has been kept at $1, and tickets may be obtained from members of the auxiliary or at the hospital. The proceeds will be devoted to the building fund of the hospital. Members of the committee, most of whom are residents of Oak Park, are exerting every effort to make the affair a success, both both socially and financially, and judging from the interest manifested, it promises to eclipse everything given by the auxiliary heretofore.
Speaker 1:
Mrs Redmond J Egan that would be Julia Egan again is the president of the auxiliary and Mrs Sanford Arnold, formerly of Oak Park, the social chairman. All that is to say is that Julia stayed involved. Both Julia and Redmond were committed to staying socially active. They were known for helping out, for making sure that hospitals had the proper funding, and Julia particularly was involved in various church events. So Redmond died in 1937. And in his obituary there is no mention of Mary or several other children who seem to have died between 1915 and 1937, and Redmond, like Mary, is buried in Calvary. Julia lived for nearly 30 years after that.
Speaker 1:
Here's Julia's obit from the Chicago Tribune, 26 January 1965. 1965. Mrs Julia A Egan, 88, of 1448 North Menard Avenue, former president of the 30th Ward Democratic Women's Organization and of the St Anne's Hospital Auxiliary, died yesterday at home. She was the widow of Redmond J Egan and Assistant City Corporation Counsel. Surviving are a son, edward E, a police department captain, two daughters, mrs Julia DeVitt and Mrs Virginia Halverson, 16 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and a sister. Mass will be said at 10 am, saturday in St Angelic Catholic Church, 5758 Potomac Avenue.
Speaker 1:
Once again, there's no mention of the children that Julia outlived, including Mary, and when I was looking at the history of this family, unfortunately I located an article about another one of her children who appeared very troubled and he passed away as a young adults. And, as you can see, this is one big family. So I'm sure that there are descendants of this family who are still alive today and I always wonder do they know about what happened to their ancestors? Do they know what happened to Mary? If you were just looking at the obituaries, you wouldn't know, and that's why these stories are very powerful, but they are also very, very fragile. I wanted to share Mary's story with you and, I have to say, considering the drive, the ambition and the commitment to public service demonstrated by her parents. It is intriguing to ponder what Mary might have achieved, who she might have become had she lived. I also find myself wondering how each family member coped with and moved forward after the Eastland disaster and the profound loss of their child or their sibling.
Speaker 1:
Now we're going to shift a little bit and talk about another person that I found in a place called Elmwood Cemetery, and in this cemetery, as big as it is, I found just one Eastland victim. And first of all, let me tell you about this place. This excerpt is from Graveyards of Chicago, the People, history, art and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries. The authors are Matt Huke and Ursula Bilski and it was published in 1999. Elmwood Cemetery, 2905 Thatcher Avenue, river Grove. By the way, river Grove is in Cook County, but it is a village within Cook County. Okay, quote one of the two largely Greek American cemeteries in the Chicago area. This River Grove site is, on a fair night, something to behold. Hundreds of candles scattered throughout the cemetery set the darkness, glimmering, reassuring passers-by of the brilliance of resurrection set against the blackness of death. In addition to Greek sections and those nearby of Germans and Swedes, the cemetery also hosts gatherings of Albanians, russians, ukrainians, bulgarians, macedonians, romani and others whose mourners have easily traveled to Elmwood via the railroad.
Speaker 1:
From its earliest days, comedian John Belushi, 1949 to 1982, still deeply mourned by his sweet home Chicago, has a cenotaph at this cemetery, although his remains lie elsewhere. The beloved Belushi, a veteran of influential local comedy company the Second City, went on to make a new television show, saturday Night Live, the Rage of a Generation, I'd say the Rage of Several Generations. But Belushi really distinguished himself as Chicago's own with the release of the Hollywood film the Blues Brothers, in which he brought his singing, dancing, ex-convict character of Joliet Jake Blues to life on the streets of the city he loved. Though Chicago is today a filmmaker's town extraordinaire, the Blues Brothers was the first film to showcase the rich atmosphere and culture of the Windy City. In it, chicagoans found a common ground and private jokes that have made the movie and its soundtrack, featuring a slew of rhythm and blues and soul masters, plus Belushi's wailing vocals, among Chicagoans' most sincerely valued pop cultural treasures. That's the end of that excerpt from the book, and I've included the Belushi description for a reason. So hang in there with me.
Speaker 1:
It's time to introduce you to someone, theodore Hollis, who may be the only Greek immigrant who died on the Eastland. Theodore was 25 years old and a single young man, probably full of hope and the determination typical of the immigrants who came to America seeking the proverbial better life. He was living with his brother, who ran a coffee shop in the vibrant neighborhood of Greek Town on Halstead Avenue. Theodore was part of a community that was very tight-knit and spirited. Unfortunately, theodore's brother's name is not given in any of the obituaries or the articles. The address where they were living 705, sometimes it's South Halstead, sometimes it's North Halstead was probably an apartment building at that point, because I was able to locate at least 10 other Greek immigrant men who were living at that address in 1917. This is based on their draft registration cards. So you know what I'm going to do.
Speaker 1:
These records provide our fan club for further research on the Hollis brothers. The fan club, again, is if you can't find something directly on the person you're searching, you go to the fans that would be friends, associates and neighbors, or sometimes they'll say family associates and neighbors and do more research. A lot of times their bios can reveal quite a bit about the person you are seeking. So, whether Hollis was their original name or not. That also needs further research. I did locate some naturalization records for people with this surname who were from Greece and living in Chicago, but determining a connection also remains to be seen and I'm going to keep looking for that. When I looked at the various Chicago city directories from 1915 onward, I could not find anyone with that surname at that address.
Speaker 1:
So I was as surprised as anyone to find a Greek immigrant as part of the Eastland disaster, simply because, again, I had in my mind that it was mostly Central Europeans, eastern Europeans and first and second generation Americans and working class. However, since I've been doing this Eastland Chronicles series so far, I've had that blown up several times. The first time, of course, was with Leslie Simmons. I've had that blown up several times. The first time, of course, was with Leslie Simmons, who was one of the Mayflower people and one of the people who came from quite an illustrious background. He was aboard the Eastland because he was to photograph the event and now to find Theodore.
Speaker 1:
So I want to step back a little bit and talk about Greek immigration to Chicago, because it really is a very interesting immigration pattern. Of course, many Greek people went to New York, but they also went to Chicago. So remember that Saturday Night Live skit that was set in the fictional Greek restaurant in Chicago where none other than John Belushi played the exuberant Greek chef who only served Pepsi, no Coke and cheeseburgers. That's why I mentioned John Belushi. Things just come full circle sometimes, and while this might have been many people's first introduction to modern Greek culture, it's a lot more expansive than that. Prior to that, the Greek restaurant's SNL skit, the film Zorba the Greek, which is based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, also provided a very memorable calling card that introduced many, particularly in the United States. That introduced many, particularly in the United States, to Greeks and modern Greek culture.
Speaker 1:
As for ancient Greek culture, that's influenced just about everything, from philosophy to government, from arts and architecture to literature and even science and medicine and the alphabet might look kind of strange to you. People will say things like it's all Greek to me, but I'm telling you you already know a lot of the Greek language. Logic, for example, logos, genealogy. Genea means generations, more or less, and ology logos or study of. So any kind of ology is word or study of, so any kind of ology is word or study of.
Speaker 1:
In my late teens and early 20s. I was fortunate enough to live in inner city Detroit near Belle Isle, if you know that area, and less than a few miles from Detroit's Greek town. Greek town, for all of us who lived in Detroit, was not just a refuge, but it was a magical place Once I experienced that music and tasted that food at the same time. I was a goner and have been in love with Greek culture since that time. There's something about Greek music it's emotional, it's expressive and it's capable of evoking deep feelings of joy, nostalgia, sadness and celebration, all in a single piece sometimes. And the lyrics often reflect Greek philosophy and worldview, touching on the themes of destiny, love, loss, honor and everyday life. Love loss, honor and everyday life. Yes, I'm biased, I just love this culture and my only regret is not being able to do that cooking.
Speaker 1:
The only trouble that the Greek restaurants, particularly the Golden Fleece in Detroit, had was with the drinks. So if we'd order a Pepsi or Coke, yeah, we could get one or the other, it didn't matter. What we got was Coke or maybe Pepsi syrup splayed on top of melted ice cubes. Forget the fizz, but the Saganaki, hot pita, feta cheese and dolmathies made up for the flat. Cokes made up for the flat cokes and the warmth of the people. No matter who you were, they treated you like you were long-lost friends. I think actually, detroit's Greek town and Chicago's Greek town kind of came up around the same time periods.
Speaker 1:
Greek immigration to Chicago began in the 1840s, with sailors arriving via New Orleans and the Mississippi and Illinois rivers engaging in Great Lakes commerce. Following the Great Fire in Chicago in 1871, the community grew significantly due to the efforts of Christ Hakonis, who recruited fellow Spartans to rebuild the city. Initially, the migration was predominantly male, with young men arriving to escape poverty or conscription in the Turkish-occupied Greece. The men came first and then the women came afterward, and when they were there they started to build the vibrant community that centered around churches, schools and businesses. In the early stages of Greek immigration to Chicago, many newcomers settled in the near north side of the city City.
Speaker 1:
This area, conveniently located near the business district along Lake Street, attracted a significant number of Greek immigrants from the Peloponnesian Peninsula, a region steeped in history and culture in southern Greece. As these communities grew, they recreated a slice of their homeland in Chicago, establishing Greek restaurants, shops and coffee houses like the ones that Theodor Halas's brother was running that echoed the life they had known. The influence of their Peloponnesian roots was evident in the food, music and social gatherings that characterized the neighborhood, creating a lively cultural hub that retained a distinct Greek flavor amidst Chicago's diverse ethnic landscape. Isn't Chicago amazing? I really think it is. So.
Speaker 1:
By the turn of the 20th century, greeks had been concentrated on the near west side, that's the triangle formed by Halstead, where again the Hollis brothers were living, Harrison and Blue Island streets, and that became known as the Greek Delta. And it was also near Hull House, which was founded by Jane Addams. This area also grew into a bustling enclave with a variety of businesses and cultural institutions. The Greek Star, the oldest Greek American newspaper, was founded in Chicago in 1904. And no, I've not been able to get a hold of any copies, but I'm still looking. And of course, the Jane Addams Hull House, founded in 1889, served as a central meeting point for early Greek immigrants and helped foster a growing community. By the turn of the century, greek businesses were thriving, dominating local markets and establishing vital cultural institutions like the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in 1897 and the Socrates School in 1908, the first parochial school in the country. So it says.
Speaker 1:
So back to Theodor Hallas. What do we know? We know he joined his brother, we know his parents remained in Greece and we know he probably worked for Western Electric, but I did find even some conflicting information about that. But one thing is for sure he was part of this Greek community and he's also part of our Eastland family and he was buried in one of the Greek sections of the Elmwood Cemetery. And we remember Theodore Hollis because he was part of us, he was part of the Eastland disaster family.
Speaker 1:
Through researching these folks, whether it's a 15-year-old girl who is part of an Irish immigrant family or a Greek immigrant, it expands our understanding of the world, of the Eastland Disaster. And I have to say that why I keep doing this, because every week I am surprised by what I find, surprised at what's out there. And I also realize that this episode is definitely a tribute not just to Mary and Theodore but all who perished that day, to those who came from these various communities, like Greektown, like the Irish Catholic community who lived near Garfield Park and worshiped at St Mel's Communities that, in spite of all the hardships, they did help bring together everything that created this rich cultural tapestry that is Chicago and, furthermore, that is the United States. And the other thing again why do I do this? It wasn't too long after I got the information about my grandmother's sister who was killed on the Eastland that I realized that had my mother's older sister not taken the time to type up what she remembered about our family, that information would have been lost. And although my great aunt's name is mentioned in various accounts about the Eastland disaster, had I not taken control of that or charge of that, it would have been, as I usually find it, just a name, date of birth and date of death, and sometimes location, sometimes cemetery, sometimes the person who identified her body, but that's it.
Speaker 1:
So it's a strong and it's a wonderful history, but unless somebody takes responsibility for the stories and brings out this information, it's fragile and it goes away after a while. So what one of my favorite genealogy instructors often says? She wants to make sure her documentation is good for the next 200 years. So think about that for a while. What in your family or what in your own history do you want to have preserved? And as you go on, and as particularly as your elders start to pass away, and even as your contemporaries start to pass away, that's where you begin to realize how delicate and how fragile it all is.
Speaker 1:
So we will continue next week. Hey, that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride. Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes, and for more information, please go to my website, that's wwwflowerintherivercom. I hope you'll consider buying my book, available as audiobook, ebook, paperback and hardcover, because I still owe people money and that's my running joke. But the one thing I'm serious about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of all who experienced the Eastland disaster of 1915. Goodbye for now, you.