County had a 'Titanic' connection

To the Editor:

In recent days, the media noted the passing of a 97-year-old lady who was the last living survivor of the Titanic.

There is a connection between Brazil and the Titanic.

When I was a lad, my mother made sure that the family attended church on Sundays, starting with Sunday School and continuing through the adult service. Part of that adult service was the offering of open prayer by members of the congregation. I noticed that a typical body attitude for payer was to have the head lowered and the eyes closed.

An exception to this was an older (or so I thought) lady who sat upright with head erect and eyes open during her prayer. It was as if she was seeing something on a distant horizon. Except for her quiet voice, the only other sound was an occasional reverent Amen.

When her prayer was completed, she would close her eyes and slowly bow her head.

I finally got up enough courage to ask my mother why she did this. Mother said she didn't know but she might be seeing something that was beyond our sight. In thinking about it in these later years, I believe she knew the answer to my question, but felt I was too young to be told.

I have known for years now that the lady's name was Mrs. Thomas

She was on the last lifeboat to leave the sinking steamship Titanic in 1912.

Wayne M. Jenkins,

Brazil