Constance Willard

Who was Constance Willard?

Miss Constance Willard was a young American woman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. Born on June 6, 1890, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she was 21 years old when she boarded the ill-fated ship as a first-class passenger. Willard’s experience during the disaster and her subsequent life make her a notable figure in Titanic history.

Early Life and Family

Childhood in Minneapolis

Constance Willard was born into a prominent family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents were David Willard, a lumber dealer, and Cora Day. Constance was one of five children:

• Irma (later McCall) (1880-1976)
• Paul Day (1882-1956)
• Eugenia (Jean) Florence (1892-1893)
• Louis Gray (1894-1896)
• Constance (1890-1964)

Tragically, two of her siblings, Eugenia and Louis, passed away in early childhood.

Family Dynamics

The 1900 U.S. Census provides a snapshot of the Willard family’s life in Minneapolis:

• David Willard: Listed as a lumber dealer
• Cora Willard: No occupation listed
• Children present: Irma, Paul, and Constance

By 1910, the family had moved to Duluth, St. Louis, Minnesota. The census that year shows:

• David Willard: Listed as retired
• Cora and Constance: Listed as jobless

This change in residence and occupation status suggests a shift in the family’s circumstances as Constance entered her early adulthood.

The Titanic Journey

Boarding the Titanic

Miss Willard boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a first-class passenger. Her ticket details were as follows:

• Ticket Number: 113795
• Price: £26 11s (equivalent to about £3,000 or $3,700 in 2023)

The Night of the Disaster

Constance Willard’s account of the Titanic’s sinking provides a vivid and personal perspective on the tragedy. In her own words:

“I had been reading in my bed late Sunday night… I had just shut my book when there was a tremendous crash. I sat up in bed. The crash was followed after a moment by a great trembling; then for a moment it was unnaturally quiet because the engines had stopped and with them the vibration. I had a peculiar sensation that something had happened which I had been expecting. I was not in the least alarmed.”

Rescue and Survival

Initially reluctant to board a lifeboat, Willard eventually did so after some persuasion. She recounted:

“I finally did get into the fourth from the last to leave the ship. There were only 15 people in the boat I was in and of these there was only one other first-class passenger. The others were five sailors and the balance steerage passengers.”

Her vivid description of the Titanic’s final moments is haunting:

“We had not gone off the Titanic 20 minutes before she went under. The ship was lighted until it disappeared under the waves. Shortly after it had sank the cries of those in the water rent the air.”

Life After the Titanic

Post-Disaster Years

Following the Titanic disaster, Constance’s life took several turns:

• 1920: U.S. Census lists her living with her uncle Eugene Day, Aunt Mabel Day, and grandmother Lavinia Day in Riverside, California.
• 1930: U.S. Census describes her as a single 39-year-old woman without a job, still in Riverside.
• 1940: U.S. Census records her as a retired single woman who had completed one year of college.

Mental Health Struggles

In her later years, Constance reportedly suffered from mental illness and was hospitalized at Las Campanas Hospital in California. A staff member described her as:

• Quiet and reserved
• ‘Prematurely aged’ with long white hair
• Accompanied by several cats, her sole companions

Interestingly, when the hospital showed the film “A Night to Remember” about the Titanic disaster, Constance watched impassively. She never discussed the sinking, and on the 50th anniversary of the disaster, hospital staff were instructed to avoid the subject and discourage reporters from interviewing her.

Final Years and Legacy

Constance Willard never married. She passed away on April 25, 1964, in Compton, California, at the age of 73. Her remains were cremated and buried at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Her obituary in the Riverside Press on April 27, 1964, read:

“WILLARD - In Compton, Calif., April 26, 1964, Miss Constance Willard, late resident of 4310 Orange Street, Riverside, Calif. Sister of Mrs. Irma McCall of Altadena, Calif., Paul Willard of Minnesota and Jean Adair Wortz of 4310 Orange Street, Riverside, California. PRIVATE services will be conducted Tuesday morning at 11:00 o’clock in the M.H. Simons & Co. Chapel with Rev. Harold V. Harlsough officiating. Cremation in Evergreen Cemetery.”

Constance Willard’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the long-lasting impact the Titanic disaster had on its survivors. Her reluctance to discuss the event in later life underscores the profound psychological effects such a traumatic experience can have, even decades later.