Titanic Survivor Lived Another 97 Years

For many people, the sinking of the Titanicmake it on board the Titanic. Booked steerage, their
exemplifies the risks of luxury ocean travel - evenTitanic tickets were still a hot property. And, as the
under the supposed best and safest offamily story has it, the family was bumped off the
circumstances. For Frances Taylor and her family, thepassenger list at the last minute in favor of some
Titanic stands for the power of Fate to reshape liveshigher status travelers. They would travel to the
and herald a new beginning.New World on another ship.
Way back in 1912, Frances Taylor was a shy, curlyIs the shock of great loss any the less because the
haired 3 year old. And she was coming to America.news later turns out to have been mistaken?
Her Scottish Dad was already here, making a newFrances' father was crushed by reports of the Titanic
start. Things were looking up - he had rented a newgoing down. His work, his sacrifice - it was for
home for the family and he had saved some money.nothing. Only later did he learn that his family was
So he booked tickets for his wife and five children tosafe. He would have collapsed a second time - this
join him. That passage was on the Titanic.time from relief. It became the stuff of family legend.
Frances knew this story by heart. A bit fromFrances survived the Titanic. Boy, did she survive it.
memory, and a bit from her own parents' telling ofShe survived her near miss on the Titanic by 97
the tale. Much later, from her home in Lake Forrest,years. Talk about making the gods of fate pay.
Orange County, California, she told it many times toFrances Taylor died on October 6, last year at her
her children, and grandchildren, and greatdaughter's home in Lake Forest. Just before that she
grandchildren, who never tired of hearing it.was honored at Disneyland in Anaheim and drew local
Gamrie, Scotland, is a small town on the North Seaheadlines which said "Woman who avoids Titanic
coast, some 40 miles north of Aberdeen. It had beendisaster celebrates 100th at Disneyland". And Frances
many months since Frances' father had left. Now intook one more boat ride - this time on one of those
the States, he was looking forward to being reunitedsmall skiffs sedately ferrying passengers through the
with his brood. He had a lot to tell them. And he"It's a Small World" attraction. She was 100 years old
would have woken early as usual on the morning ofand had survived the sinking of the Titanic by a
April 15, 1912 then washed and dressed for work. Hewhopping 97 years.
probably would not have bought a newspaper - heBefore she passed, daughter Maggie Winn helped put
was Scottish after all - and he needed his money fortogether a custom-made video biography
other things. But he would have heard the news:documentary for her mother - just like "A&E".
TITANIC DISASTER - GREAT LOSS OF LIFESpeaking later she said, "She went peacefully. We
To Frances' family, the dramatic events of 1912 asplayed her video at her memorial and got so many
they impacted the family were indeed a headline - awonderful compliments on it. It was so touching,
personal headline. Watching articles andbeautiful and humorous."
documentaries over the years about the terribleFrances' family thrived after they all arrived safely in
event, they thought that their Frances deserved aAmerica. And her story of surviving the Titanic made
documentary. Her story warranted a proper tellingsuccessive generations even more appreciative of
and a permanent record - like the other survivors ofthe opportunities they were given by that first lonely
the Titanic.Scotsman who thought he has lost it all.
Actually, 3 year old Frances and her family did not