Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

An Eastland Story Comes Full Circle: Martha Willig’s Eastland Survival

• Natalie Zett • Season 5 • Episode 180

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Picture it. A survivor, Martha Willig, wrote down what happened on the Eastland the very next day. Then, on July 28, 1915, her gripping account ran on the front page of a New Jersey newspaper. Yet her name, the names of her fellow survivors, and their story are missing from modern versions of Eastland Disaster history — despite that article and later corroboration from descendants of the family.

That contradiction is where this story starts, and it's why I'm bringing Martha Willig and Otto Larsen back to the center of it. She's in many records. She's just absent from the story that got passed down.

Vet Twice, Keep the Originals

That gap is why I discuss heritage and historical organizations. The majority do exemplary work, but they’re not all created equal. Vet the organization, not the label.

Along those lines, I also revisit my own 1998 experience of sharing an article and photo with a venue that seemed very enthusiastic at the time. And then: crickets. Fortunately, I kept the originals. As a result, I finally learned how to curate my own family's history instead of waiting for permission.

That experience turned into a life lesson. When you've done the research, located the records, and confirmed the facts, you don't need to wait for anyone else to acknowledge your family's story. The evidence gives you everything you need to tell it yourself. Run with it!

Martha Willig's Survival Story

Which brings us back to Martha, and to her own words: the crush of the crowd, the moment the ship tips, Otto's efforts to save her, and the loss of her brother-in-law, Louis Kruse. From there, we look at what came after the headlines, including Martha’s sister, Rose Kruse, and her life as a widow and single mother. Some families didn't just lose people on July 24, 1915 — they lost years of stability afterward.

That's the thread running through this episode: the story doesn't end at the waterline, and neither does the responsibility to tell it. If you're interested in the Eastland disaster of 1915, Chicago history, genealogy, or preserving family stories with solid documentation and attribution, pull up a chair. We're doing that here every week.

Resources:

  • “Survivor’s Tale of Eastland Disaster,” Hudson Observer (Hoboken, New Jersey), 28 July 1915, 1; reproducing a letter from Martha Willig to her sister, written 25 July 1915.
  • Natalie Zett, “From Hoboken to Hawthorne: Martha Willig’s Untold Story,” Flower in the River Podcast, episode 64, published 1 June 2024, audio podcast.

Welcome And Why Families Reach Out

Natalie Zett

Hello, I'm Natalie Zett, and welcome to Flower in the River. 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. Hey, this is Natalie, and welcome to episode 180 of Flower in the River. And I hope you are doing well. Throughout the three years that I have been doing this podcast, I occasionally get contacted by other Eastland Disaster family members. And the reason that many of them contact me is that I am their last resort. I know. And I really don't mind. Even my aunt Pearl, who gave me the family history that revealed our Chicago connections, our connection to the Eastland disaster, she had already given that document to so many other family members. And according to Pearl, they ignored it. She said, You are my last resort. Please do something with this. I don't want it all to disappear after I die. So as a lot of people's last resort on this journey, I am always happy to help. During the last two years, especially, a number of people have contacted me looking for more information about their Eastland family members. In many cases, they had already tried other avenues and received either no response or were told that this type of research would cost a considerable amount of money. By the way, it doesn't. And so far, I've been able to track down every one of those Eastland people usually fairly quickly. Not because there's anything extraordinary about what I'm doing, but because I've spent years learning where this type of information lives and how to find it. And in each case, I'm happy to say that I have been able to give the family something they didn't have before, more records, more context, and a fuller picture of the person that they were looking for.

A Screenshot That Changes Everything

Natalie Zett

And last week I was contacted by another Eastland family member. We've known each other now for close to three years, and I'll call this person Chris, and Chris definitely wants to stay in the shadows. We are both extremely introverted, and I think that's one of the reasons we get along so well. Chris lost their great uncle, who was also 19, same age as my great aunt who was killed on the Eastland. Part of Chris's day job is to study and analyze the socials. And Chris occasionally scours the socials for information about the Eastland disaster, and they share things with me that they think might be germane to this podcast. This past week Chris found something, and I'm still reeling from this, by the way. Chris shared a screenshot from 2023, so that's three years ago. Keep that in mind. In their text, Chris said, take a look at this. This individual who posted in 2023 has been asking for recognition for their family members who were involved in the Eastland disaster since 2014. In addition, the person who made this post three years ago, they supplied the biographical information for each family member who was involved in the Eastland disaster. And Chris said, Haven't you already covered these people's stories in a previous podcast? Well, yes, I have. And I'll tell you about that and give you a link in the show notes to the earlier episode. Martha Willig was a survivor of the Eastland disaster, along with her future husband, Otto Larson, and they were the grandparents of this individual who had been trying to get them recognized as survivors. Although Martha and Otto survived, Martha's brother-in-law, Arthruz, did not survive. My podcast episode was published on June 1st, 2024, and it's called From Hoboken to Hawthorne: Martha Willig's Untold Story. This was pretty early in my podcast adventure, and I was so excited to locate an actual survivor's story. It made the front page of the Hudson Observer just a few days after the Eastland disaster. But here's the thing Martha Willig and Otto Larson survivors are not listed anywhere in any online platform in regard to the Eastland disaster. They weren't listed two years ago, and they still are not listed, despite the fact that I've published this podcast episode and despite the fact that this grandchild was trying to get her grandparents acknowledged. Dear grandchild of Martha Willig and Otto Larsen, I will share the story again in hopes that you or your family may hear or see it. And I also want you to know that I might understand what you might be feeling.

When Institutions Drop Family Stories

Natalie Zett

Way back in 1998, soon after I learned about my family's connection to the Eastland disaster, as a freelance writer for a number of St. Paul newspapers, I wrote an article about it. And that article was picked up by a number of other newspapers. It kind of took off, and I heard from reporters at the Pioneer Press and at the Minneapolis Star Tribune that they liked what I wrote. That meant a lot. It was such a difficult yet wonderful time in my life. I was still grieving the loss of my dad in 1996, and yet this whole new world opened up to me, courtesy of the family history that my mother's sister wrote. So it was exciting, and it was so nice to get accolades and encouragement during a very rough period of my life. And I knew that what I had written at that time was pretty good. And I was proud of the outcome. Of course, I would do it differently now, but back then with the information I had, it still was as complete as I could make it at that point. And I was more proud of the fact that I did something for my family. In tandem, I also sent the article to my new Chicago friends and acquaintances who were doing work with the Eastland Disaster, such as the late Dave Nelson, such as Mary Bonneville, who created the first Eastland Disaster website, and other people who were working on making sure that the Eastland got some recognition. They all acknowledged the receipt of the article and appreciated it. But there was this one newer venue who seemed really gung ho about getting family histories and stories and photos, etc. And they promised to take care of all the family histories, to publish biographies, and they wanted people to give them information and stories. Well, I gave my article with the photo, they acknowledged it, and nothing ever happened with it. And that was 1998, and even now, the only recognition online that my great aunt Martha Pfeiffer has is the recognition that I've given to her. Her name is acknowledged in Appendix D of George Hilton's book. And shortly thereafter, the Eastland Memorial Society put his Appendix D online, but when they disbanded, other groups got a hold of the list and used it without attribution. But to date, Martha Pfeiffer, if you look any place else, is just a name on a list, and she's more than a name on a list, by the way. Even back then I realized that if anything was going to happen with my family history, I would have to be the person who would take care of it. I could not trust any institution or organization to do that for me. I suppose I should be grateful because Martha Willing and Otto Larsen don't even have their names mentioned. While it's not the most pleasant thing to go back to 1998 and remember what happened, or in this case, what didn't happen, I learned something valuable from that experience that has served me very well ever since.

Consider The Source Before You Share

Natalie Zett

Consider the source, especially when you're collaborating with an organization or an individual on something as delicate as family history and something as complicated as a mass tragedy, like the Eastland disaster or the Johnstown flood. I've had family members involved in both tragedies, so I've had plenty of opportunity from the time I was a child to see how different people and organizations respond to these histories. And there are some terrific ones out there. Wonderful historians, genealogists, historical societies, archives, libraries, and other organizations that do careful work and first and foremost treat families and individuals with respect and are enormously helpful. But they're not all created equal. And if you've done the research and you have the records, and you've established that your relative was involved in an event like the Eastland disaster, and your story is still being ignored, you don't have to spend years knocking on someone else's door, hoping they'll eventually let your family into the story. They're already there. At some point you can stop knocking and curate and care for your own family's history. I will give you some practical hints, things that have worked for me in upcoming episodes because I'm seeing another pattern emerging. The funny thing that my mother said to me right before she passed away and after she had received her copy of my book is that don't forget, this isn't just about us. And she was in her 90s, she wasn't feeling well, and she was on all sorts of medication to ease her transition into the next life. So I just kind of chalked that up to the medication. Now that I think about it, she was imparting a lot of wisdom on her journey into the next life. But really that speaks to who she was as a person, and it also speaks to what I inherited from her in terms of her values. So thanks, Mom, for that reminder.

Dedicating The Story To Martha

Natalie Zett

So it's time to share this article again because once was not enough. And it was published in the Hudson Observer, that's Hudson County, New Jersey, Wednesday evening, July 28th, 1915. So just four days after the Eastland disaster, we have this powerful eyewitness account, courtesy of Martha Willig. And I want to dedicate this entire episode to Martha Willig, to Otto Larson, and to their extended family, past and present. Thank you, Martha Willig, for having enough presence of mind. I still don't know how you did this, to write this account down and to share it with your sister. And I thank your sister for sharing it with the Hudson Observer. And the article title is Survivor's Tale of the Eastland Disaster. Miss Martha Willig, formerly of Hoboken, was on Doomed Boat. Local victims. A thrilling description of the disaster is contained in a letter which was sent to Mrs. E. F. McKenna of twelve hundred Washington Street, Hoboken by her sister, Martha Willig of four one zero eight West Twenty fifth Street, Chicago. Miss Willig, with a number of friends, her brother William, Louis Kruse, and Otto Larsen, both formerly of Hoboken, were on the vessel at the time she went over. All of them, with the exception of Louis Kruse, were saved. Otto Larsen, who resides at nine one one Garden Street Hoboken, was on a visit to his fiancee, Miss Martha Willig, the writer of the letter.

Martha Willig’s Eyewitness Letter

Natalie Zett

The letter is as follows Chicago, Illinois, Sunday twenty fifth, nineteen fifteen. So Martha is writing this the day after. Dear Sister Lou, I suppose you have heard about the excursion by this time. Rose and Jeanne and the children did not go. There were four of us. We started out early in the morning for the first boat, and no more than we got on, the accident happened. It was so crowded one couldn't move. We reached the first deck, and that is where Louis said he would wait for Bill, as Bill came with Otto and myself to find seats. We just went up on the other deck from where Louis stood, and were only there four or five minutes when the boat started to go over. We thought it was only a joke until it was almost on top of us. Then we knew what was coming. All we could do was to hold on to the rail of the boat. It just happened quickly, and we were on the side going up. It just kept going over. Otto kept climbing the deck until we reached the top. When we turned over, we were on her side. Bill jumped overboard and was rescued by a tugboat just as he was sinking. We saw no more of Louis, as he had no chance down in the lower part of the boat until he was found in the morgue at 4 a.m. today. It was the worst sight anyone would want to see. If it had not been for Otto, I never would have been saved, as I just held on to his arm. Both of his arms are sore, but otherwise we are alright. I thought it was my last minute on earth. The people screamed and tore each other apart. We saw women and children go down all around us, and we could not do anything for them. All my girlfriends from work are drowned. There are a dozen people dead on every block. Girls from my floor were found without any clothes on. We haven't Louis' body of yet, but Otto went to see about having it brought home. They say it is not marked. Rose is almost crazy over it. Louis was trapped right in the cabin with no chance to get out. Bill didn't know how to swim at all, but he jumped for his life. He did not feel very good yesterday, but feels a little better now. I can't realize that Otto and I got out, but he just held me tight. I can never forget the way he stayed by me. They say there are two thousand people dead. It must be true. Every home around us is in sorrow. Rose wanted to go to the excursion so badly, the people upstairs were going to mind her children, but Rose changed her mind at the last minute. It must have been terrible for poor Louis, as he was out of his mind at the time. It was enough to put anyone out of their minds. Otto had to just hold me up. I could not stand on my feet any longer. We waited in the water for about an hour before anyone came for us. We lost everything we had. As soon as we were rescued, we made for the car without hats. We did not look half as bad as some of them. My hair was all down, and I had only one slipper on. But we can thank God we are alive. Bill told me that Mr. Walcott from 1209 Washington Street, right next to you on the same floor, you know the man who came out here. Well, he and his wife are dead. I was standing on one side when she was going over, and my two bosses were standing right across the deck. Both of them went under, leaving families. I can always see the sight before me. It was one day we will remember. I do not know what Rose will ever do. I thought maybe you would come out, but it would be a quick trip. Well, I have to close, hoping to hear from you right away. My regards to Ed and Ethel. Don't mind writing. We do not know when Louis will be buried. Rose is trying to keep him until Wednesday, but we do not know if we can. Answer soon. Martha. Now that concludes the portion of the article devoted to Martha's letter to her sister. The article does go on to describe other residents and former residents of Hudson County, New Jersey, who were victims or survivors of the Eastland disaster. I'm going to save that part for next week because I want to stay with Martha Willig and Otto Larsen and their families. And

Rose Kruse And The Aftermath

Natalie Zett

that brings me to Martha's older sister, Rose, who was mentioned in the article. Rose was married to Louis Kruse, and of their group, Louis was the only one who lost his life on the Eastland. In my own Eastland research, I found Louis's name on a list, but no biography. And this is one of those moments when the genealogist in me starts waving her arms because if anyone had just built a family tree for Louis, the connection to the Willig family would have appeared immediately. Louis Kruse was born. In New Jersey in 1885 and died on July twenty fourth, nineteen fifteen, when Louis died. According to the nineteen twenty census, Rose was left with three little girls under the age of six with a fourth child on the way, and she had another little girl who was born in early nineteen sixteen, which meant Rose was pregnant when the Eastland capsized, and that immediately made me think of my own grandmother. She was pregnant too at the time, which is why she didn't board the Eastland that morning. Instead she gave her tickets to her younger sister, also named Martha. And of course that didn't work out well for our family either. And back to Rose. In nineteen twenty she was living in New Jersey and was living with her daughters. She wasn't listed as working, so I can only hope that she had some support from her extended family. As for Martha Willig, she and Otto Larson married shortly after the disaster and also returned to New Jersey. By the nineteen thirty census, Rose was about forty five years old and living with two of her daughters. I haven't yet determined where the other daughters were. They may have been married and living elsewhere by then. And Rose was working at a school, but the census doesn't tell us what she was doing. Just nine years later, Rose died. I haven't found anything yet that tells us whether she had been ill or exactly what happened, but she was fifty five years old. On the morning of the Western Electric Picnic, Rose made a last minute decision not to go. That decision very well may have saved her life, but surviving that morning was not the same as escaping what came afterward. Her husband was dead. She had three little girls and another baby on the way, and like my own family, Rose and her daughters had to live with the aftermath. We hear stories about people who survived disasters and supposedly went on with their lives. Indeed, that's the way a lot of the Eastland disaster stories are presented. In some families there were many difficult days and years still ahead. Some survivors and family members, including my grandmother and Rose, died relatively young and left children behind. What about those people? When I think about them, I remember something another family member, Rosemary Petersick, once said to me about relatives who also survived the disaster, but whose lives went badly out of kilter afterward. Rosemary said, they may not have died on the Eastland, but they most certainly died of the Eastland. That distinction has haunted me ever since Rosemary shared it with me. Because the people who died of the Eastland may be among the easiest people to overlook. Not to say that the others haven't been overlooked, they most certainly have. And all of them are part of this history that continues to reveal itself because much of it has not been researched. I will share the final portion of this article next week, and we'll share the biographies of the various Hudson County residents who were also part of the Eastland disaster. And before I go, I have to thank Chris, who had the patience and frankly the fortitude to go through old social media posts. And when they were doing this, they found that post written by Martha Willig and Otto Larson's grandchild. Martha Willig and Otto Larson, after all this time, are still excluded from lists of Eastland people. As of this morning, I still couldn't find them anywhere else other than on my website and in my podcast list. And this is despite their grandchild supplying additional information about them. And despite Martha's own eyewitness account appearing on the front page of the Hudson Observer just a few days after the Eastland capsized.

Authority Means Responsibility And Proof

Natalie Zett

That raises a lot of questions. This is not another case of the missing source citations which we pretty much have every week, but it's more about what happens when a venue or a platform presents itself as an authority on a historical event, but seems to forget that with authority comes not just power but responsibility, not just the responsibility for telling the stories of a select few. When you take something like this on, you are agreeing to tell the stories of every person who was involved, and not just the high-level superficial details, but you have to research down into the depths to reveal what really this thing called the Eastland disaster is about. That is overwhelming, I'll admit, especially for one person. But nonetheless, that is what we agree to. I don't have an easy answer for how to fix this sort of thing, but I have a lot of ideas. In upcoming episodes, I'll give you some practical ways to preserve your own family's history, share it, document it, and this part matters. Protect it so that your research doesn't wander off into the world someday without your name attached to it. I have seen that way too many times with the Eastland Disaster History, and I will speak to ways that you and I can protect ourselves when we engage in this type of work. And here's one takeaway that I hope you will remember. Your family's history, your family's story does not require anyone else's approval. It's nice to have recognition. I get that. I really do. But please make sure that the person or the place that you're trying to get recognition from has a good and proven track record and has demonstrated that it can handle this type of information. In memory of Martha Willig, 1896 to 1975, and Otto Larsen, 1893 to 1971, and their families and their many descendants. And thanks again for joining me on this journey. We really never know week to week what's going to happen. I don't even know, but this happened this week, and I am grateful to bring Martha Willig's story front and center again. Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other and stay safe. I'll talk to you next week.

How To Support The Work

Natalie Zett

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 www.flowerinthher.com. 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.

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Natalie Zett

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