The “Survivors’ Wall of Stories” in the “Discovery Room” of Branson’s Titanic Museum Attraction.
On July 9th, this 73 year old balding man experienced a bit of Titanic magic as he boarded the Titanic Museum Attraction (Titanic) in Branson, Missouri as nine year old “Master Frankie Goldsmith,” (Frankie) to experience the attraction through a child’s eyes. I will be writing about that experience within the next few days, but I just had to share one part of it separately because, to me, it was such a special moment.
I “boarded” the Titanic and, is the case with all passengers, received a boarding pass. Because I was going as a “child” I received a boarding pass identifying me as “Frankie” and, under the excellent supervision of First Class Maid Jamie, had one of the most pleasant “tours” on the Titanic I have ever had, but then the others were as an adult and this was through the eyes of a child. As we came towards the end of our tour and entered the “Memorial Room” I found out that my mother, Emily , and I had survived the sinking. It was then that Jamie told me the story of how I had been saved.
She related, in that special Titanic way, that a family friend, Thomas Theobald, also a passenger on the Titanic, saw my mother crying while waiting to get into the lifeboat. When he asked her what was the matter she said although she had my hand we had become separated. Mr. Theobald told her he thought he had seen me and would go back and get me. Just before leaving my mother, he gave her his wedding ring and asked that she deliver it to his wife if he didn’t survive. He found me and brought me to my mother in time for me to get in the lifeboat with her, but only women and children were permitted in the boat. He did not survive the sinking. Subsequent pictures of my mother with her arm around me, taken soon after we were rescued, show that she was wearing two wedding rings. She returned Mr. Theobald’s ring to his wife.
After telling me the story we went around the corner into the “Discovery Room” and up to the “Survivors’ Wall of Stories” where I would find out exactly what happened to “Frankie” after surviving the ordeal. The cards and photos are organized alphabetically. As I approached the wall and found “Goldsmith” I was standing next to a lady reading Emily Goldsmith’s card with a girl that I believe was her daughter. When she told me she had the Boarding Pass for Emily Goldsmith I called her “Mom” and identified myself as her “Titanic Son Frankie.”
Because I had just heard the story about how Frankie had been saved, I asked Jamie if she would mind sharing the story again, which she did with the same passion and enthusiasm that she had conveyed to me just a few moments earlier. As she was telling the story, tears welled up in the woman’s eyes and, as she thanked Jamie for sharing the story, it was obvious that it had touched her.
I do not know who she was or why the story brought tears to her eyes and do not know her name, but as we parted I thought to myself, what are the odds? The odds that I would get Frankie’s boarding pass at that time, that day and that, within minutes after First Class Maid Jamie had shared that story with me, I would meet the woman who had received the boarding pass of Frankie’s mom in a chance encounter?
Shortly prior to that encounter, Jamie had explained to me that one of the major purposes of the Titanic Museum Attraction is to honor the memories of the those who were on the Titanic; “We really do believe that when someone passes on, the best way to honor them is to simply tell their story and we get the honor to do that every single day.” My experience that day convinces me that telling their stories not only honors them, but can have an impact on those hearing the stories.
Although I do profess to know why it happened or the end effect of what happened, I will never forget those tears and that special moment when Jamie shared that story with my “Titanic Mom.” Over 100 years later, because someone shared his story, the actions of Mr. Theobald are not only remembered and honored, but having an impact on people’s lives today.