Showing results by author "Natalie Zett" in All Categories

"Flower in the River" 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.

Martha Pfeiffer, age 19, was one of 844 persons who perished when a ship chartered for the Western Electric annual picnic capsized in Chicago in 1915. Martha's surviving family members never recovered from their grief. The Eastland Disaster has been mostly overlooked in recent years. In 1997, Pearl Pospisil, a third-generation Pfeiffer, composed a family history and delivered it to her niece, Zara Vrabel, who was completely unfamiliar with its contents. Pearl had one request: "Do something with this." Learning of her great-aunt's death on the Eastland Disaster made Zara's heart sink.