My second book about the RMS Titanic and her passengers and crew along with some movie talk. Same rules apply, no drama, trolls, and disrespecting the people on this ship
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May 13th, 1884 - April 15th, 1912
He is a Taurus.
Walter Clark was born in Jefferson, Montana to James Ross Clark (1850 - 1927) and Augusta Miriam Evans (1858 - 1951). His father was born in Pennsylvania and worked in the US mail service and as a bookkeeper in Montana before becoming vice president of the Los Angeles Sugar Company, railroad official and president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He was married to his Ohio-born wife Miriam on April 16th, 1878 in Deer Lodge, Montana and had 2 surviving children: Ella Harriet (born 1881; later Mrs. Henry Carlton Lee) and Walter. Walter's uncle was Montana copper magnate William Andrews Clark (1839 - 1925), a Democrat senator whose son Charles wasn't only a cousin to Walter but a close personal friend, the 2 spent much time together in San Mateo and San Francisco.
The family moved to Los Angeles in the early 1890's and appear in that city of 1900 census, Walter was still described as a schoolboy. A survivor of the San Francisco Earthquake in 1906, he was a graduate of Berkeley, University of California the following year and was a well-liked young man in his local community and in the place of his birth where he still had family and where he regularly visited. It was there that he met Virginia Estelle McDowell (born 1885).
They married in New York on January 5th, 1909. They were shown residing in Los Angeles on the 1910 census and were listed twice; once in the home of his parents at West Adams Street and then at their own home, Severance Street. Their only son James Ross Clark, was born on April 24th, 1910. Around that time, Walter had taken over from his father as general manager of Los Alamitos Sugar Company.
Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912: Walter and Virginia took a belated honeymoon to Europe in early 1912 but cut their trip short to return home and celebrate James' birthday. They boarded the RMS Titanic at Cherbourg as first class passengers on April 10th, 1912 and occupied cabin C-89. Virginia was alone in her cabin when the collision occurred, although noting that the impact was slight she admitted that she felt something was very wrong and immediately dressed and ascended to the promenade deck: she found Walter in the smoking room playing cards with acquaintances. They made enquiries with officers and other crewman as to the situation but was told that the ship had struck some ice and that there was no danger. Upon their return to the cabin, Walter and Virginia saw a man pass by carrying a lifejacket and soon learned that all passengers were to proceed to the boat deck.
Walter and Virginia dressed warmly and they headed topside where they stopped to watch the proceedings, reportedly meeting with the Astors and Strausses with whom they conversed. Walter reportedly felt no apprehension about the situation and fully expected to see Virginia later; the last she saw of him was him hanging over the railing and waving to her. Robert Williams Daniel also claimed to have seen Walter and John Jacob Astor IV leaning against the railing and conversing late in the proceedings; but considering that RWD left the ship in one of the 1st lifeboats this is highly questionable. Walter died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
His estate was estimated at $78,310 with James to inherit $40,000 of that. Further to this, Virginia had a hasty and surprise remarriage in September of 1912 leading to a custody battle between her and Walter's parents. The result was joint guardianship was awarded to both parties whereby they had custody six months each year in turn. Virginia was remarried twice and remained living in California where she died in 1958. James died on February 24th, 1962 in Riverside, California.
A church in Long Beach, California and now named Lakewood Village Community Church was built in 1937 and was named The Walter Miller Clark Memorial Community Church. Miriam, donated the land and the funds for its construction. At the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038, a tribute plaque to Walter Miller Clark is located inside the Mausoleum for James Ross Clark (April 10th, 1850 - September 18th, 1927). The plaque lists Walter Clark, Lost at Sea, SS Titanic.
