Marian Longstreth MorrisThayer

[Marleen Weijman]

Hi everybody

Im busy with a theatre project about one of the passengers of the Titanic, Marian Thayer. Why? I thought it was VERY interesting she died on the same day the Titanic sank. She missed her husband a lot and I wonder if she committed suicide. (cause I found out she held séances to get in touch with her husband's spirit, never remarried and got dark, angry and lonely after John died) The date is such a coincidence.

Anyway, I'm still searching for more background info about her, who she was, and especially her thoughts about life.

Hope you all can help me.

x
Marleen

 

[Michael H. Standart]

You can find some very basic information HERE. Her death was listed as being due to natural causes. The details I'll leave to the passenger people who know the personalities far better then I do.

 

[John Clifford]

interesting footnote, Marleen: It was about a year or so after Marian Thayer died that her son, Jack Thayer, committed suicide: he slashed his wrists following the death of his mother, and the loss of his son, in World War II.

 

[John Clifford]

Update: John Thayer Jr. died on September 20, 1945, age 50.
That was 17 months after Marian died, at age 71.

For Marian Thayer, her death was probably due to natural causes.

The obituary, for John Jr. (posted on the Passenger Information site) mentions the death of Mrs. Thayer:
"'....he had redoubled his efforts in the war period, especially after the death of his son, Edward, in the Pacific, which was followed closely by the death of his mother.' Mr. Thayer's mother, Mrs. Marian Longstreth Morris Thayer, died at her Haverford home April 14, 1944, which was the 32nd anniversary of her husband's death on the liner Titanic, which sank after striking an iceberg in the Atlantic....".

Marleen, what you might want to research was the closeness of mother and son, in the years after the tragedy. How did Marian Thayer's death affect her son? This may make an interesting aspect for your project.

 

[Marleen Weijman]

Thanks for your help.
I'm going after Jack, this is very interesting. The story is so sad. I think the family was never really happy again after the disaster.

I'm writing a play and this can help. It's Marian in fight with her thoughts remembering the disaster. If any of you have some other tips you can of course tell me

Anyway, I'm still interested in Marian's way of life and her thoughts. I hope somebody knows more about that, for I can't find hardly anything on the net.

xx
Marleen

 

[George Behe]

Hi, Marleen!

On April 21, 1912 Mrs. Thayer wrote a letter in which she expressed the belief that she and a well-known Titanic passenger (not her husband) had known each other well in a past life. (Perhaps you could work the idea of reincarnation into your Thayer script?)

All my best,

George

 

[Marleen Weijman]

Yay thanks, this info is very useful

Thank you very much!

x
Marleen

 

[Walter Poturalski]

Does anyone know if Marian Thayer had any expensive Jewelry. I read about some contents of her will somewhere but cant remember where.