Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

The River Remained in Her Bones: A Recovered Eastland Story

• Natalie Zett • Season 4 • Episode 144

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The River Remained in Her Bones: A Recovered Eastland Story 

A single line in a 1922 obituary can change the shape of history. We follow that thread to Chrissie McNeal Lauritzen, who survived the SS Eastland capsizing by clinging to the overturned hull, “was never well since,” and died seven years later from complications tied directly to that morning on the Chicago River. This isn’t just a moving story; it’s documented evidence that challenges the fixed perception of the Eastland death toll and reveals how disasters reverberate through families, records, and time.

We explore the documentation: a death notice from a Rockford newspaper, filled with names and places, reflecting the family connections that supported those words on the page. We also examine the genealogical methods that transform a single paragraph into a comprehensive family network. 

Along the way, we meet Chrissie’s husband, Charles, through a 1917 passport application that holds a rare photo and a remarkable corporate letter from International Harvester. Those pages pull us inside wartime bureaucracy, frequent overseas travel, and how companies vouched for employees navigating citizenship questions and tightened State Department scrutiny during World War I. The documents don’t just fill gaps; they give texture to a home life shaped by illness, work abroad, and a daughter growing up in the long wake of 1915.

The takeaway is clear and urgent: numbers that become legend need revisiting, and primary sources—obituaries, passport files, small-town columns—can restore lives to public memory. We show how to read these records, why women’s names and maiden names are crucial for genealogical accuracy, and what it means to honor those whose suffering extended beyond the day of the disaster.  Learn how a forgotten death notice rewrites the Eastland narrative and what it takes to update the historical record with care, clarity--and evidence.

Resource:

“Mrs. Chrissie Lauritzen Dies of Complications.” Rockford Morning Star (Rockford, IL), April 8, 1922.

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 144 of Flower in the River Podcast. And I hope you're doing well. Before we get started, I meant to do this quite a while ago, but I want to give a belated welcome or greeting to the number of listeners who are from Frankfurt am Main und Berlin, Germany, of course. And I want to say to you viel dankfur Zuharndes Podcasts und Ich Freuer Mixer Dasind. Thank you all, no matter where you are, for joining me on this adventure. We're going to jump right in because as always, there's a lot to talk about. Seven years Seven years is how long a body is supposed to take to renew itself completely. At least that's what I've heard throughout the years. Every cell replaced, every wound healed. Seven years to become whole again. But some wounds, well, they just don't heal. In 1922, in an Illinois town, a death occurred that ought to force us to reconsider everything we think that we know about the Eastland disaster. Not because of how this person died, but because of when. And because of one line in an obituary that connects this death directly back to that July morning in 1915. It's as if this message was left in a bottle, a virtual bottle, waiting to be discovered. And over 100 years later, it's been discovered. Let's back up a little bit. So as you may know, there's a death toll number that gets repeated about the Eastland disaster, but this number was never verified. It's never been substantiated. It was simply part of research that was going on when scholar George Hilton was trying to put together all the primary sources. For those people who died on the Eastland disaster, it was just a beginning. And it was never ever meant to be set in stone or to be frozen or to be unquestioned. Here's what I've learned in the two years of deeply researching the people of the Eastland Disaster. This is a strange observation, but this is what I have noticed. Once a story like the Eastland Disaster drifts away from its own history, it can start to take on a life of its own. I know that's a lot to think about, but bear with me on this. The actual scholarly rigorous approach to the event or to the tragedy, well, that sometimes seems to take a back seat. However, one thing that I've seen not just with this history but with history in general, eventually the truth makes its way to the surface and it stands there and asks, What are you going to do now? Well, I don't know about you, but this is what I have been doing. When I first started putting the pieces together and realized that a lot of what I had been told about the Eastland disaster was questionable, I began to wonder what is true. And what do I do? I simply look for evidence. I don't have an agenda, by the way. Well, that's not true. I have an agenda, and that is to make sure anyone, everyone who was involved with the Eastland disaster one way or the other, that their lives are recorded, that their biographies are recorded, however large and however small. That's the agenda. And I've discovered other people who died during and after the Eastland disaster. And today I am going to introduce you to one of them. This is a person whose suffering stretched across seven years. Yes, indeed, the Eastland was still claiming victims long after the funerals ended, long after July twenty fourth. I would like to introduce you to Chrissie McNeal Laritzon. Here is her death notice. This is from the Rockford Morning Star, that's Rockford, Illinois, Saturday, april eighth, nineteen twenty two. Headline Monroe Center, April seventh. Mrs. L. Streeter received word Thursday morning of the death of her sister, Mrs. Chrissie McNeal Lauritzen, whose demise occurred at her home in Hinsdale, Illinois Wednesday, April 5th, of a complication of diseases brought on from her terrible experience at the time of the Eastland disaster in Chicago, July 24, 1915. Mrs. Lauritzen was a passenger on the boat at the time it capsized, clinging to the side of the boat until rescued after what seemed hours to her. She has never been well since that time. She was born on a farm near Monroe Center, July 24, 1875, was married in 1899 to Mr. Charles LaRitson of Sycamore. Beside the husband, she is survived by a daughter, Viola. One sister, Mrs. Ella Streeter of Monroe Center, three brothers, Abe McNeal of Belvedere, Jake McNeal of Cassen, Minnesota, and Dan McNeal of Hinsdale. A sister, Mrs. Flora Banahan, died several years ago. Funeral services will be held Saturday morning at the home in Hinsdale. The body will be brought to Monroe Center on the 1245 train, and burial will be at the Dutchtown Cemetery with short services at the Union Church at 1 o'clock. As a reminder, what you just heard was published seven years after the Eastland. And this death notice is extraordinary for a lot of reasons. Chrissie McNeal Laritson was pulled from the Chicago River after clinging to the side of the capsized boat for what seemed, at least to Chrissie, to be ours. The obituary says it plainly. She, quote unquote, never had been well since that time, and died, quote, from a complication of diseases brought on from her terrible experience. This is an incredible piece of history that almost was lost until now. And this is primary source documentation, contemporary evidence from 1922 explicitly linking her death to the Eastland disaster. I'm going to read a paragraph from the Rockford Morning Star, The Register Gazette, and this is from Tuesday, March 14th, 1922, so just a few weeks before Chrissie died. Jake McNeal of Cassen, Minnesota, came Thursday for a short visit with relatives, returning to Chicago to visit his sister, Mrs. Laritson, who was very ill. Now let's return to Chrissie's obituary. I know the genealogists who are listening know what I'm going to say, but I'm going to say it anyway. This isn't just your usual death notice. It's a genealogical goldmine. We not only have Chrissie's married name, we have her maiden name, her birth name, McNeal as well. When you research women from certain eras, it can be very difficult because a lot of times you will see a name like Mrs. John Smith. You don't know what her first name is, you don't know what her original birth name, maiden name was. So that makes it extremely challenging. So I'm very grateful for all of this information about this family. And we have her husband's name, Charles Laritson of Sycamore, Illinois, her daughter Viola, who was 18 years old when her mother died. Then we have her sister, Ella Streeter of Monroe Center. We have the names of three brothers, Abe McNeal of Belvedere, Jake McNeal of Cassun, who was just mentioned in that brief paragraph, and Dan McNeal. And we have the name of the church. The Union Church seems to no longer be there, and it's difficult to determine its denomination. And Dutchtown Cemetery is now Roseland Cemetery in Monroe Center. Monroe Center is a village in Ogle County, Illinois, and it is about eighty-seven or eighty-eight miles west of Chicago, not too far from Rockford, Illinois. As I've shared with you, I create family trees for every one of these people associated with the Eastland disaster. Sometimes it's more difficult than others, but this one was so easy. I was able to reconstruct Chrissie's family network by using the information that was provided in that death notice, finding census records, tracking ancestors, tracking descendants, connecting the dots between Illinois and Minnesota communities. The McNeal Laritson Family Network is huge according to the number of family trees that I was seeing online. And Chrissie McNeal Laritson is often listed in these trees, but none of them have listed Chrissie's association with the Eastland disaster since I too have created a family tree for Chrissie and have included this article and details about the circumstances of her death. I can only hope that other relatives will find this family tree and this additional information. After reading this death notice, I wondered where did this incredible detail come from? It obviously came from someone who knew Chrissie very, very well. My guess is that Chrissie's sister, Ella McNeal Streeter, either wrote or contributed to this death notice. Here's why I think that, besides the fact that her name was mentioned. This insight emerged after I took a close look at Chrissie's family tree. Chrissie appears to be the youngest child who was born to Daniel McNeal, who was from Pennsylvania, and Christiana Mary Turner, who was also from Pennsylvania. They eventually relocated to rural Illinois. The oldest sibling, according to these records, is Sarah Ella McNeal, that's Ella Streeter, who was born in 1861. Then there are the brothers and the other sister who was mentioned. Chrissie is the youngest child, and she was born in 1875. But what happened afterwards was sad. Just a year later, in 1876, her mother died. My guess is that Sarah Ella McNeal, Ella Streeter, as the oldest sister, more or less became the mother figure for Chrissie. Ella was just fourteen years old when her mother died. I'm guessing that Ella stepped in and helped to raise her baby sister, and had not just the bond of sister to sister, but almost the mother figure to the sister as well. So that's my hypothesis that Sarah Ella McNeal Streeter was the one who either wrote this death notice, wrote this obituary, and Ella not only provided this level of detail, but she advocated for her sister. She wanted to make sure that whoever saw this death notice understood that her sister's death was the result of being part of the Eastland disaster. That was part of her legacy and part of this family's legacy. She wanted people to know how her beloved Chrissie died. And this family, they seemed to be close. They seemed to care about each other deeply. Jake, for example, traveled from Cassen, Minnesota to Chicago to see his sister before she died. That was a journey of about 360 miles. I don't know what that journey was like in 1922, but I can assume he took a train, but still that would have taken a while for him to get there. But he wanted to see her. Chrissie was living in Hinsdale, and part of Hinsdale is in DuPage County, and the other part is or was in Cook County. I'm guessing that Chrissie was living in Cook County, but I don't have any information from 1922 to indicate where the family was or where she was at that point. She very well might have been staying in a different location as she was failing in health. We don't know that. So those are more aspects of her life to research. I'm not sure why Chrissie was aboard the Eastland to begin with. I'm not sure if her husband was there or her daughter was there. But her husband was working as a carpenter for International Harvester, so he very well might have also been working for Western Electric. We've seen that, where people actually work for different companies at the same time. So that might have been why they were aboard the Eastland. And Charles Laritson, that would be Chrissie's widower, died in 1949. And here's his obituary from the Sycamore Tribune. Charles Laritson dies on October 13th. Charles H. Laritzin, 73 of Downer's Grove, former well-known resident of Sycamore, died October 13th following a stroke, which he suffered while raking leaves in the yard of his home. He had been in gradual failing health for a year or more. He was born in Sycamore on february nineteenth, eighteen seventy six, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Laritson. He attended the local schools, growing to young manhood here. He was united in marriage to Chrissie McNeal and moved to Chicago, where he had a fine position with the McCormick Harvester Company, being employed by them for forty years. He traveled extensively in the interest of that company, having gone to South America five times, and also to Australia, Germany, and Denmark. He retired about eight years ago, and he and his wife moved to Downer's Grove, where they purchased a home. Surviving are his wife and a daughter, Mrs. Harry Thedel of Hinsdale, that would be Viola, by the way. Also a grandson, one brother, Herman of Rockford, and a sister, Mrs. Gertrude Moorhart, Sycamore. Funeral services took place at Downer's Grove, and burial was at the Clarendon Hill Cemetery. This is another obituary that's rich with information. Of course, we know that Chrissie died in 1922, and it would seem from the obituary that Charles remarried. But what's interesting is that the name of the second wife was not included. What's equally interesting is the career that Charles had. I mean, at one point he was a carpenter, and now he's doing all of this international travel for McCormick Harvester. So there's a lot going on here. And here's a late breaking discovery that I literally just made a few minutes ago. This is a U.S. passport application dated September 28th, 1917. Charles is about to do some traveling here. He attests that at that point he was working in Chicago as a machinist. He stated that I am about to go abroad temporarily, and I intend to return to the United States within six months with the purpose of residing and performing the duties of citizenship therein, and that I desire a passport for use in visiting the countries hereinafter named for the following purpose. He lists Argentine. The object of the visit is in the capacity as harvesting machine expert. I intend to leave the United States from the port of New York, sailing aboard the vessel Vestris on october twentieth, nineteen seventeen. And on the following page there is a photo. This is the only photo of anyone in the family that I have been able to locate, so this is gold. And there is a long letter to the Department of State from the International Harvester Corporation Harvester Building, Chicago, dated september twenty fifth, nineteen seventeen, that was filed with this application. Gentlemen, in connection with the enclosed application for passport by our Charles H. Laritzin, will say that we are sending him to the Argentine to sail on the SS Vestris from New York october twentieth to assist our organization in that country as an expert for setting up and operating harvesting machinery and reaper threshers with which we are shipping to that country. You will note in this passport we have omitted details regarding the naturalization of mister Lauritzen's father, also time and residence abroad. You will also note that we are not sending a certificate of birth with this application. In connection with these matters, beg to say that Mr. Lauritzen has not made his residence outside of the United States. However, he has made six trips abroad for us during the past seventeen years. Four of these trips to South America, one to Denmark in nineteen twelve, and the last year to Australia. Each of these trips has been on a salary basis and in the same capacity which we are now sending him, namely harvesting machine expert, and each trip was for the harvest season only, so that each time he was absent from the United States only a few months, ranging from five to eight months. With reference to birth certificates, we beg to refer you to application Mr. Luritson last year dated September first, nineteen sixteen. With that application we enclosed an affidavit of birth. Inasmuch as this affidavit was not returned, we presume you can easily locate it in your files. Also, as stated in connection with this application, it appears that Mr. Laritson's father, Peter Laritson, was never naturalized as an American citizen, trusting we have supplied the necessary details and explanation, so you will promptly issue the desired passport. We remain yours truly, International Harvest Corporation, signed by CL Knapp. And there is an addendum attached to this passport application from the International Harvest Corporation dated september twenty seventh, nineteen seventeen. Gentlemen, three of our experts have made application for passports to go to the Argentine, expecting to sail on the SS Vestris. The names of these men are as follows Edward Fickelberg, Charles W. Wilson, Charles H. Laritsen. In making the application for passports they have used in the sailing date for the SS Vestris, October twenty first, we now have advice from the steamship company that they do not yet know the exact date that this vessel will sail, but believe that it will be october fifteenth. Yours truly CL Knapp, International Harvest Corporation. There are lots of reasons for doing a family tree, and this is one of them. What I love about doing genealogy and specifically what I love about researching the lives of the people of the Eastland disaster is that when you go deep, you find out additional information. This is news to me as well, so I'm learning right along with you. So what in the heck was that letter all about and what was it doing inside Charles Laritson's passport application, which you would expect would be straightforward. Here's a summary of what I learned. The International Harvester sends an additional letter with Charles Laritson's passport and tells the State Department that Laritson is one of their export representatives who must travel to Argentina to oversee machinery shipments and export businesses, sailing from New York on the SS Vestris around late October 1917. The company anticipates that Laritson's quote unquote short residence abroad and frequent travel might raise questions for naturalization or citizenship, so they stress that his trips have always been temporary work assignments, each lasting several months, and that he has always returned to the United States between trips. They explain that Luritson's father, Peter Laritson, was naturalized as a U.S. citizen and that Charles derived citizenship through him, which is why no birth certificate or prior passport is attached, and they explicitly point out that his earlier passport has already been forwarded to the department in connection with this application. Not sure what that's all about, but that's another mystery here. And then there is that follow up letter dated two days later that lists three export men, including Laritson, all applying for passports to go to Argentina on the same vessel, and notes that they do not yet know the exact sailing date, but expect it to be around october first or shortly thereafter. Further context for us is that these letters, the timing, they sit at the intersection of wartime bureaucracy and corporate export work. In nineteen seventeen, with the US in World War I, the State Department had tightened passport scrutiny, especially for men who traveled abroad frequently. So International Harvester is proactively managing those suspicions for a key employee and reminding officials that he has already cleared the government's vetting once before. These letters provide the behind the scenes explanation. Laritzin is not an unknown applicant, but a previously documented citizen and trusted corporate agent whose mobility and lack of standard documents, like a birth certificate, make him look irregular in the eyes of Washington. They also reveal how large firms like International Harvester acted as intermediaries and character witnesses in the passport process, framing their traveling salespersons and technicians as patriotic assets, whose foreign trips, though lengthy and repeated, ultimately served American economic and political interests during a volatile global moment. Isn't that fascinating? The other thing though that strikes me is that Chrissie, Charles Luritson's wife, who had been aboard the Eastland, had been sick since nineteen fifteen. With Charles frequently traveling, I was wondering how that worked out in the home. Her daughter would have been really young at that point, so perhaps other family members stepped in. All of these stories give us a sense of who these people were, individually as well as a family unit. It's true that Chrissie died in 1922, but the rest of her family went on and they had lives. Her widower had a very fascinating job, and I'm sure that there's more to learn about all of them. But this is a start. None of our lives happen in isolation. They happen in relationship to each other. They happen in relationship to our neighbors, our jobs, our extended family, our friends. And part of the reason I do this is to make sure that you get a sense of who this person was, your fellow human being who happened to be traveling on a journey that led them to the Chicago River on July 24th. However, remember, they had a life before they got on that boat, and if they survived, they had a life afterward. Even if they did not survive, their loved ones had lives afterwards. In terms of Chrissie's daughter, as we learned, she did get married to Harry William Thetel, and the name is spelled T-H-E-I-D-E-L, and they had one child according to the census records. His name was William, and he was born in 1926, so he probably is no longer with us. In conclusion, as we've learned during the past few months, there are at least two people who were excluded from the original list of names that historian and scholar George Hilton compiled when he was doing his book Eastland, Legacy of the Titanic. But they belong there, and part of this recovery and restoration work that I've been doing is to make sure that their stories are shared and to give them their proper place. Well, as writer Julia Cameron has often said, it's always best to stop in interesting places. And I hope you enjoyed learning about this most interesting individual, Chrissie McNeal Laritzen, and her life and her extended family. We'll have more stories for you next week. Believe me, we're on year three of telling these stories and there's no shortage of them. So I look forward to sharing them with you. And thank you, Duncan Shane, for being here and take care of yourselves and take care of each other. I will talk to you 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 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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