Who was Mrs Adāl Naṣr Allāh?

Mrs Adāl Naṣr Allāh, also known as Adele Nasrallah, was a Syrian-Lebanese survivor of the Titanic disaster. Born on March 19, 1895, in Zahlah, Lebanon, she was just 17 (seventeen) years old when she embarked on the ill-fated voyage that would change her life forever.

Early Life and Family

Adāl was born into a large family in Zahlah, a city located 55 km east of Beirut. Her parents were Habīb Hakīm and Attur Jaraysātī. She grew up with five siblings:

Ilyās (1890-1916)
Abraham (1893-1964)
Mahībā (b. 1896)
Rashīd “Richard” (1901-1973)
Mary (1907-1993)

Marriage and Titanic Journey

How did Adāl come to be on the Titanic?

In early 1912, Adāl married Niqūlā Khalīl Naṣr Allāh, a fellow native of Zahlah. Niqūlā had previously emigrated to the United States around 1908 and was believed to have settled in San Francisco. He returned to Lebanon to find a wife, and after marrying Adāl, they planned to return to California together.

The newlyweds boarded the Titanic at Southampton as second-class passengers. Their ticket (number 237736) cost £30, 1s, 5d, making them the only Lebanese passengers traveling in second class. Their last place of abode before boarding was listed as Paris.

Titanic Disaster and Survival

On the night of April 14-15, 1912, when the Titanic struck an iceberg, Mr. Naṣr Allāh escorted his young wife to a lifeboat. In a heart-wrenching moment, he was not permitted to join her, and they were forced to bid farewell. Adāl later recalled the extreme cold of that night and, although unable to see the ship sink, she could hear the cries of those left behind.

What happened to Adāl after the Titanic sank?

Following her rescue and arrival in New York aboard the Carpathia, Adāl was met by relatives, including a brother. She spent time recuperating in a hospital before traveling to Cleveland, Ohio, where her sister Mahībā Anter resided. Adāl received monetary assistance from various relief funds and was reported to have written to Mrs. Astor late in 1912 seeking help.

Life After the Titanic

How did Adāl rebuild her life after the tragedy?

Tragically, Adāl was pregnant at the time of the disaster. On December 9, 1912, she gave birth to a son, but the child lived only a few hours.

Around 1914, Adāl and her brother Ilyās moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was here that she met her future husband, Albert Ayoub Shamaley, a Lebanese-born confectioner. They married in early 1916, though later that year, Adāl suffered another loss when her brother Ilyās died at the age of 26.

Family Life in America

Adāl and Albert moved to El Paso, Texas in 1917. In 1922, Albert established Shamaley Co., an office equipment firm that grew to employ about twenty people. Adāl, now known as Adele in America, settled into life in El Paso with her new family.

The couple had five children:

Selma (1916-2007)
Ayoub Albert John (1919-2000)
Lee Joseph (1920-2011)
Albert (1922-1923)
Anne (b. 1927)

Later Years and Legacy

Adele’s life was marked by both tragedy and resilience. She was joined in the USA by several of her siblings, and her mother Attur also immigrated in 1929, living with Adele for a time.

Adele’s husband Albert died on August 18, 1969, following injuries sustained in a three-car collision. A devout Catholic, Adele was a member of St Patrick’s Cathedral in El Paso. She spent her final months living at 400 Mississippi Avenue in the city.

When did Adāl Naṣr Allāh pass away?

Adele died in hospital on January 20, 1970, just five months after her husband’s passing. She was 74 (seventy-four) years old. Her death was caused by a heart attack, bringing to a close a life that had witnessed one of the most famous maritime disasters in history and the subsequent building of a new life in America.

Adele Nasrallah’s story is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to overcome tragedy and build a new life. From a young bride aboard the Titanic to a matriarch of a large family in El Paso, her journey exemplifies the immigrant experience and the resilience of Titanic survivors.