In Denver, Colorado, we are fortunate to have access to many fantastic resources of Western history in general, and specialized repositories and museums such as the Molly Brown House Museum. The staff at the Molly Brown House has done their usual magical planning by hosting Muffet Brown for the 100th Anniversary of the RMS Titanic Steamship’s Maiden Voyage and ultimate demise in 1912. Last evening, Margaret Brown’s great granddaughter spoke and answered questions to a roomful of history buffs at the historic Brown Palace Hotel. I was able to visit with her briefly, and gave her a copy of my book, Unsinkable: The Molly Brown Story.
Muffet Brown’s presentation was enlightening and entertaining. She is thoroughly charming, intelligent, and a real person. Margaret Brown, her great-grandmother, must be smiling and appreciative of the job Muffet is doing to preserve the family legacy and to share its fascinating part in history in an open and unobtrusive manner. Her opinions and observations are fair and provocative. It was truly a pleasure to hear her speak. While in Denver, she is also visiting school classrooms, and a gala Titanic dinner celebration, which will bring out many historians dressed in period costume.
It occurs to me that descendants of historic figures carry a responsibility to maintain and preserve the stories and artifacts of a time past, to solidify their place in history, share their stories with those who wish to learn more, and to clarify the truth from past events whenever possible. I found this to be true when writing about Eliza Routt, Colorado’s Original First Lady, the first woman to vote in Colorado, and my cousin from my Illinois homeland. Accepting her induction in the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame was an honor I will not soon forget.
Joyce B. Lohse
LohseWorks.com