Edmund Fitzgerald 50th Anniversary Memorial Service in Detroit

[ChippewaAce]

Good evening friends. Today I had the privilege of attending the memorial service honoring the 50th anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald at the “Maritime Sailors Cathedral” in Detroit. It was a very moving service, with family of some of the crew in attendance, Gordon Lightfoots’ song performed and of course, 29 chimes for each crew member aboard and 1 final toll for all sailors who have perished on the Great Lakes. Here are a few pictures I took of the event.

 

[wyfbane]

That looks like it was a very nice event. Even growing up in the PNW, that song was a staple on the radio when I was a kid. I don't think anyone who hasn't experienced the great lakes can understand the weather caused by the great lakes. Thanks for posting!

 

[beef]

I've driven by this church countless times, but I have never seen the inside. Nice pictures. Can I ask what the connection with Detroit is? Didn't it sink in the Superior? Was the crew mainly from Detroit?

 

[huntertrw]

I originally posted the following (including the quotation) back on November 10, 2023 in a thread titled "Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial":

"...with a load of iron ore 26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty..."

Think of that: 26,000 tons is 52-million pounds. According to the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online Website, the ship's empty weight was 13,632 tons or 27,264,000 pounds. Accordingly, the total weight of the loaded ship was 79,264,000 pounds! It boggles my mind that something that heavy could even float, but it did...until Lake Superior chewed her in half like a dog dispatching a bone.

 

[Lumbridge]

That Gordon Lightfoot tune has always given me chills thinking about what it must have been like for those on board. Rest in peace.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

That looks like it was a very nice event. Even growing up in the PNW, that song was a staple on the radio when I was a kid. I don't think anyone who hasn't experienced the great lakes can understand the weather caused by the great lakes. Thanks for posting!

No, you really cannot. When i lived in Olympia i tried to explain how huge Lake Superior is to a coworker. They couldn't comprehend it until I took a snippet of Superior on google maps and drug it over the state of Washington. She was blown away that the lake covered most if the state.

Ive lived in Duluth and i have lived in Milwaukee for the better part of 20 plus years. I cant imagine myself living far away from the Great Lakes and i missed them when I lived in the PNW.

 

[agnosticpipe]

I happened to be working in Grand Haven Michigan on the 11th in 1975 and we noticed that the waves on Lake Michigan were pretty big, but we knew there had been storms the day before. However it wasn't until later that evening we heard about the Edmond Fitzgerald's sinking. It was hard to believe that a ship that large could sink from a storm, but Lake Superior is a different animal. There was a lot in the news speculating what could have happened to the ship. Later when Gordon Lightfoots song came out it was like reliving it all over again. Not something you'll likely forget about in your lifetime.

 

[prairiedruid]

Split Rock Lighthouse

Here is the ceremony at Split Rock Lighthouse for the 50th anniversary.

 

[Sig]

 

[Sig]

That Gordon Lightfoot tune has always given me chills thinking about what it must have been like for those on board. Rest in peace.

 

[krizzose]

I've driven by this church countless times, but I have never seen the inside. Nice pictures. Can I ask what the connection with Detroit is? Didn't it sink in the Superior? Was the crew mainly from Detroit?

Most of the crew was from Ohio, as the EF’s winter lay-up port was Toledo. The memorial was held in Detroit because the Mariners’ Church is there, dedicated to Great Lakes sailors.

I highly recommend “Gales of November” by John U. Bacon, which was recently released. He was able to get a lot of access to the families of the crew, and provides of lot of detail about the general history of Great Lakes shipping.

 

[krizzose]

Continuing with this theme, my wife and I visited The National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo on Sunday, and got to tour the freighter permanently docked there for a special “Edmund Fitzgerald” tour. The tour guide had worked on tugs in Toledo, and pushed the Fitz around a few times. Well worth the visit, and Tony Packo’s is only about a mile away.

 

[huntertrw]

I still recall the first time I saw Lake Superior. My parents and I were camping in Michigan, crossed into the UP, and viewed it from Marquette. It was early-July. The day was raw, heavily overcast, and windy, and there were big whitecaps. Further, the water was frigid. It was easy, even for me (a high-schooler at the time), to see how she could be a murderous mistress.

To be honest, the experience unnerved me and I was glad when we left.

 

[Briarcutter]

Tony Packo’s is only about a mile away.

Amen to that brother!

 

[huntertrw]

Now this would have been a place to enjoy a pipe!

 

[ashdigger]

Mike Rowe did a really good pod about this.

 

[trudger]

I've driven by this church countless times, but I have never seen the inside. Nice pictures. Can I ask what the connection with Detroit is? Didn't it sink in the Superior? Was the crew mainly from Detroit?

Detroit is where Mariners Church is located since 1842. The crew was from all over

 

[huntertrw]

Here is a link to "The 50-Year Mystery of The Edmund Fitzgerald" an interesting documentary produced by Discover Wisconsin.