The SS Edmunds Fiztgerald a family portrait, a family remembrance.

 

Nov. 10, 1975

 "The 29 man Crew of the SS Edmunds Fitzgerald perish on Lake Superior"

 

When you're 2 you don't remember much but as you grow older you begin to see and hear and ask those questions...

I'm the youngest of four of a Steel Family at the wee age of 2 the worst  great Lake storms ripped through our small neck of the Goulais River Mission 6.7 miles from the main road. Dad fighting white knuckled to get to and from work in Sault Ste. Marie to his millwright job at Algoma Steel.

There came a knock at the door, "may we come in?" a voice said, "there's been an accident in the channel" said another.  Several O.P.P officers and other emergency workers turn our tiny 2bedroom bungalow into a "task-force camp" during the search and rescue efforts, we were the only home close enough that had a working phone.

 Dizzying round the clock foot traffic in and out of our tiny home, my mother diligently working on pots of coffee and food, we didn't have much but what we had my mother gratefully gave to help in the rescue efforts.  Extra blankets, but most of all a warm home to give the weary rescue worker a break from the bitter cold.