Miss Anna Louise McGowan: A Titanic Survivor’s Remarkable Journey

Who was Anna Louise McGowan?

Anna Louise McGowan, known as Annie, was a 17-year-old (seventeen-year-old) Irish-American passenger who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Born on July 5, 1894, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, she lived a long life until her passing on January 30, 1990, at the age of 95 (ninety-five). Her story is one of survival, resilience, and the lasting impact of a historic tragedy.

Early Life and Family

Annie was born into a family of Irish immigrants:

• Parents: John McGowan (born June 9, 1867) and Maria Heneghan (born circa 1867)
• Siblings: Six younger siblings, including Anthony, Maria, Margaret, Thomas Henry, John, and Bridget

The McGowan family’s journey was one of transatlantic movement:

1. Emigrated from Ireland to Scranton, Pennsylvania
2. Returned to County Mayo, Ireland, around 1896
3. Settled in Massbrook, Addergoole, Co Mayo

Education and Early Years in Ireland

Annie’s formative years were spent in rural Ireland:

• Attended Massbrook School in her parish
• Lived with her widowed grandfather, Anthony McGowan, until his passing in 1908
• Described as a scholar in the 1911 Irish census

The Fateful Journey on the Titanic

Preparation for America

Annie’s desire to return to America led to a life-changing decision:

• Wrote to her aunt Catherine McGowan in Chicago
• Catherine returned to Ireland to accompany Annie to America
• Joined a group of over a dozen steerage passengers from their locale

Boarding the Titanic

• Date: April 11, 1912
• Port: Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland
• Ticket: Number 330923
• Cost: £7, 15s, 7d (equivalent to about £900 or $1,100 in 2023)
• Destination: Chicago, to the home of another aunt, Mrs. Thomas (Mary) McDermott

The Night of the Sinking

Annie’s recollections of April 14, 1912, provide a vivid account of the disaster:

• Attended a party in third class with her aunt Catherine
• Noticed crew members rushing around in panic
• Was informed by a crewman that the ship had no chance of survival
• Survived the sinking, possibly in lifeboat 13
• Lost contact with her aunt Catherine during the chaos

Rescue and Arrival in New York

• Rescued by the Carpathia
• Arrived in New York as an unmarried 17-year-old with no stated profession
• Destination address: 3241 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago

Life After the Titanic

Annie’s post-Titanic life was marked by resilience and new beginnings:

• Hospitalized in New York for shock and exposure
• Assisted by the American Red Cross to attend business school
• Married Raymond Albert Straube in 1920
• Had three daughters: Frances Audrey, Jacqueline, and Mary
• Lived in Chicago, appearing in the 1930 and 1940 censuses

Annie’s Relationship with Her Titanic Experience

Despite surviving such a monumental event, Annie’s approach to her Titanic experience was complex:

• Rarely spoke about the Titanic
• Kept a collection of newspaper articles about the disaster
• Became emotional during a rare 1984 interview with the Daily Herald
• Criticized efforts to retrieve items from the Titanic wreck after its 1985 discovery

Legacy and Final Years

Annie McGowan Straube’s life spanned nearly a century:

• Widowed on July 2, 1965
• Continued living in Chicago surrounded by family
• Passed away on January 30, 1990, at 95 years old
• Buried in All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois

Her death marked the end of an era, leaving only one remaining Titanic survivor from an Irish background, Ellen Shine Callaghan of Long Island, New York.

Annie McGowan’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the Titanic’s human impact, the resilience of its survivors, and the long shadow cast by one of history’s most famous maritime disasters.