Frances Marie Lefebvre
Who was Mrs Frances Marie Lefebvre?
Mrs Frances Marie Lefebvre was a 40 (forty) year-old French passenger aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic. Born Marie Daumont in 1872, she was a mother of eight children and was traveling to reunite with her husband in Iowa when tragedy struck on April 15, 1912.
Early Life and Family
Frances Marie Lefebvre, née Daumont, was born on March 18, 1872, in Escaudain, Valenciennes, France. She was the daughter of Anselme Daumont and Catherine David, growing up in a region known for its rich industrial heritage.
Marriage and Children
On January 25, 1896, Marie married Franck Marie Joseph Lefebvre. Their union was blessed with a large family:
- Three children born before their marriage:
- Marie
- Franck
- Celina
- Five children born after their marriage:
- Mathilde
- Anselme
- Jeanne
- Henri
- Ida
The Journey to America
A Family Separated
In 1910, a significant change occurred in the Lefebvre family’s life. Franck, Frances’ husband, made the decision to relocate to Mystic, Iowa, in the United States. He didn’t travel alone; four of their children accompanied him on this transatlantic journey, leaving Frances and the other four children behind in France.
The Fateful Voyage
Two years later, in April 1912, Frances prepared to join her husband with the remaining four children. They booked passage on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, seen as the epitome of luxury and safety in ocean travel at the time.
Titanic Journey Details:
- Class: 3rd Class
- Ticket Number: 4133
- Fare Paid: £25 9s
Tragedy Strikes
The Sinking of the Titanic
On the night of April 14-15, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. As the ship began to sink, chaos ensued. Third-class passengers like Frances and her children faced significant challenges in reaching the lifeboats.
A Family Lost
Tragically, Frances Lefebvre and all four of her children traveling with her perished in the disaster. At the age of 40 (forty), Frances’ life was cut short, along with those of her young children, in one of the most infamous maritime disasters in history.
Aftermath and Legacy
A Husband’s Fate
In the wake of the tragedy, newspapers of the time speculated about Franck Lefebvre’s situation in Iowa. Reports suggested that he had been cohabiting with another married woman named Mary Dupont during his family’s absence.
Deportation
Following the loss of his wife and children, Franck Lefebvre’s story took another turn. He was later deported back to France, though the exact circumstances surrounding his deportation remain unclear.
Remembering the Lefebvre Family
The story of Frances Marie Lefebvre and her children serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of the Titanic disaster. Their tragic fate, along with hundreds of others, continues to captivate and move people over a century later.
For those interested in delving deeper into the Lefebvre family’s story, Olivier Mendez’s work “The Lefebvre Family” provides a comprehensive account of their lives and the circumstances that led them to board the Titanic on that fateful April day in 1912.
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Andre Nolan is an avid Titanic historian and the creator of TitanicUniverse.com, a website dedicated to uncovering the untold stories and forgotten details behind the famous ocean liner.
With a lifelong passion for maritime history, Andre has spent over a decade researching the Titanic, from the personal lives of passengers and crew to the engineering marvels that made the ship an icon of its era.
When he's not immersed in Titanic lore, Andre enjoys connecting with fellow maritime history lovers, exploring historic ships and shipwrecks.