November 10, 1975 – November 10, 2025
Today marks the 50-year anniversary 29 men lost their lives aboard the “Queen of the Lakes” ship, the Edmund Fitzgerald. It was christened as such, being the largest ship on the lakes when it launched in 1958.
It is always a somber day for the family members and friends who are remembering this tragedy. Lake Superior does not give up her dead, which continues to inspire speculation on how she sank.
The ripple effect is immeasurable. The owner of the ship, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company named the ship after their president, Edmund Fitzgerald. Reportedly, he was "never the same" after the sinking of the freighter that bore his name.
Family members and friends were devastated. For some of the souls on the ship, this run was to be their last, as they had plans to retire.
Another ripple, Eddie Bindon, a crewman on the ship, purchased a 2-carot diamond ring for his wife for their 25th anniversary. He mailed it just before they left Wisconsin with a note asking her to wear it when she picked him up in Detroit.
The ring is the only thing that made it, three days after the ship sank. His wife wore that ring for the rest of her life. It is a heartbreaking account that highlights the personal losses associated with this disaster.
If you have been reading my newsletters, you know about my experience with the memorial swim. I participated in the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim that took place over the summer. A group of swimmers, under the guidance of Jim “The Shark” Dreyer, followed the path the ship could not complete. We carried iron ore pellets like the ones laying at the bottom of Lake Superior. We swam in relay, from the gravesite in Lake Superior 411 miles to Detroit, where the ship was scheduled to finish 50 years ago today.
It was an adventure for us all, and I have made lifelong friends by participating in the swim.
Afterwards, a service was held at the Maritime Church in Detroit. Melia Howard, Deputy Mayor of Detroit read the names of the men lost as the swimmers lined up to ring the church bell.
When my turn arrived, she read the name of the ship’s cook. I rang the bell in memory of Richard Rafferty. It seemed serendipitous that a chef got to acknowledge Robert. I recognize the challenge of operating the galley under conditions involving waves of hurricane magnitude.
Rest in peace, the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald. You are in my heart, and my prayers.
— Sally
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