Millvina Dean born February 2, 1912 has died May 31, 2009 at age 97. She passed away quietly at the private nursing home near Ashurst in the southern English county of Hampshire, England where had resided these last few years. Three years ago she was forced into the nursing facility after a fall left her with a broken hip.
Millvina's last years were sadly marked by financial hardships. Like so many, she had out lived her money, but not all her resources. After her injury, she was forced to put many of her life's treasures up for auction in 2008, raising the equivalent of $53,900.00 not alot by today's standards.
One of the items Dean sold was a hundred year old suitcase filled with clothing donated to her, her mother and her brother when they arrived in New York City in the spring of 1912. Other items include rare prints and compensation letters send to her mother.
Their origianl plans had been to leave the UK and move to Kansas and open a tobacconist shop.
However with the passing of her father, the family returned to South Hampton.
Who is Millvina Dean and why am I writing about her? Some times events in our lives are so large, they help define our identity and in Millvina Deans case this is certainly true.
Millvina Dean was the youngest passenger on RMS Titanic and the last survivor to pass on. With the death of Dean, the last living link to Titanic passes with her. Lillian Asplund who died in May of 2006 at age 99 was the last U.S. Titanic survivor and now there are none.
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