Adella Wotherspoon

Adella Liebenow Wotherspoon (November 28, 1903 – January 26, 2004) was the youngest and last living survivor of the "General Slocum" ship disaster of June 15, 1904.

Birth and siblings

Born Adele Martha Liebenow in Manhattan, she was the daughter of Anna Liebenow (1872-1957) and Paul Liebenow (1871-1910). She was nicknamed Tiby Liebenow. Her siblings Anna C. Liebenow (1901-1904) and Helen Liebenow (1898-1904) died in the fire. Helen's body was never identified and is presumed buried in a mass grave. Two cousins and two aunts also perished in the fire. One of the relatives who died was Martha Liebenow (1875-1904) of 404 5th Street in Manhattan. [ Anna C. Liebenow (1901-1904) birth certificate number "1700"; death certificate number "3323". Helen Liebenow (1898-1904) birth certificate number "32329"; death certificate may not have been issued. Martha Liebenow (1875-1904) death certificate number "3746" ] Adella's family was listed as living at 133 East 125th Street in the official register of General Slocum deaths.

Shortly after the sinking, her parents legally changed her first name to "Adella".

Fire aftermath

After the fire Adella was treated at Lebanon Hospital. At the dedication ceremony, she pulled the rope to release the American flag and unveil the memorial to the fire victims. After her father's death in 1910, Anna moved the family to Watchung, New Jersey. Adella attended Plainfield High School, then studied education at Trenton Normal School, now known as The College of New Jersey. She taught for one year at Cleveland High School in Cranford, New Jersey then taught business administration at Plainfield High School from 1925 until 1961 when she retired. She married James Wotherspoon (1903-1982), but the couple had no children. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Adella Wotherspoon, Last Survivor of General Slocum Disaster, Is Dead at 100 |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E1D6153BF937A35751C0A9629C8B63 |quote= Adella Wotherspoon, the last survivor of the deadliest disaster in New York City history until Sept. 11, 2001 -- the burning and sinking of the steamboat "General Slocum" in June 1904, died on Jan. 26. She was 100, the youngest Slocum survivor having at last become the oldest. She died at a convalescent home in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, said a close friend, Julia A. Clevett. |publisher=The New York Times |date=January 27, 2004 |accessdate=2008-04-06 ]

Death and burial

Adella died, aged 100, in 2004 in Roseland, New Jersey and was cremated. She had requested a secular funeral, but this wish was not fulfilled. Her ashes were buried alongside her husband's at the Wilson Memorial Union Church Cemetery in Watchung, New Jersey.

Archive

*The New York Historical Society has her father's scrapbook and artifacts archived.

References

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=wothers&GSmid=46580804&GRid=8939674&pt=Adella%20Martha%20Liebenow%20Wotherspoon& Findagrave: Adella Wotherspoon]