Libby Klucina Hruby, 99, passed away on Saturday, November 6, 2004. As a young girl of nearly 10, Libby was with her sister and brother-in-law aboard the Eastland. When the ship capsized, Libby crawled through the starboard railing with a helping hand from her sister.

(Editor's note: While CBS-2 TV and WGN-9 TV in Chicago accurately reported that Mrs. Hruby was one of the last survivors of the Eastland Disaster, many other newspaper and television accounts of Mrs. Hruby's passing wrongly stated Libby was the last survivor. There are indeed survivors of the Eastland Disaster still living.)

We first met Libby Hruby in 1999, shortly after our appearance on WGN Radio's Wally Phillips program. And while our access to Libby was quite constrained over the years, we did have the opportunity to speak with her several times.

In July 2000, Libby was one of our two special guests of honor at the EDHS commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the Eastland Disaster. That evening Libby met and sat with fellow survivor Marie Hrabacka, the only time the two would ever be together. We always wondered if Libby and Marie might have "bumped elbows" while boarding the ship for the excursion and picnic.

On another occasion, Libby wrote us a short note encouraging us in our endeavors by saying, "We must never forget those friends and families who perished on that tragic day."

We won't forget, Libby.

This past summer, EDHS had an opportunity to tour the Lucent Technologies archives. Located in Holmdel, New Jersey, the archives are managed by Corporate Archivist Ed Eckert.

After you have read about the Lucent archives (by following the link above), take a peek inside the state-of-the-art climate and humidity-controlled archives by viewing the photo album from our recent visit.

Several years ago when we first organized EDHS, Siemens Building Technologies very generously made a donation of several hundred high-quality Eastland baseball caps. The caps have been sold and selectively handed out over the years to help us share the story of the Eastland Disaster.

This form of marketing has been very helpful. People wear them on the golf course, to family reunions, to shop at the mall, or whatever. Invariably someone will inquire about "What is Eastland 1915?" In response the story of the Eastland Disaster is shared with one more person.

The promotional use of these caps has now taken on new meaning. Can you guess who is hiding behind the sunglasses and wearing the Eastland cap in this photo?

William Walter Fitzgerald had to be at work and could not accompany his family to the picnic. His father, mother, and his two younger brothers boarded the Eastland. Only two of his family members would survive.

To help continue the growth of the valued services that EDHS provides to the constituents we serve, we have been growing the size of our EDHS Board of Trustees.

Lani Gill Flesch (top photo) has been with AT&T for over 20 years. A charter member of Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery, she is a descendant of Bohemians and Czechoslovakians from the State of Iowa.

Christine Harmon has always been a huge supporter of EDHS as a member and advocate, and will now be continuing her support formally as an EDHS Trustee. Christine has a well-known personal connection to the Eastland Disaster: Her great-great-granduncle was George Sindelar, Sr., who perished along with his wife, five children, and sister-in-law.

It's not too late to order the perfect holiday gift for your friends and family: an Eastland Disaster Historical Society membership! Members receive a 25% discount on all merchandise purchases and tickets to special events, invitations to our special events, and much more.

Having a hard time finding something for that person "who has everything?" Choose from two recently released books including The Sinking of the Eastland: Amercia's Forgotten Tragedy by Jay Bonansinga and Wrigley Field: An Unauthorized Biography by Stuart Shea. (Wrigley Field includes a small section regarding the Eastland Disaster.) Both books were just released in October.

You won't have to fight holiday traffic and crowds to find just the right thing. To purchase a gift membership or merchandise, visit our Web site or call us toll-free at 1-877-865-6295.

Order soon to ensure timely delivery for the holidays!