RMS Titanic Book 2

Mara Banski

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March 17th, 1881 - January 13th, 1930

She is a Pisces.

Mara Osman was born in Vagovina, Croatia (Austrian Empire) to Mijo and Maria Osman of that village. She brought her 3rd class ticket from the agent Victor Klaus-Wildi, Buchs for Swiss francs and boarded the RMS Titanic in Southampton.

Mara survived the sinking and was rescued by the RMS Carpathia, but by which boat is uncertain. After arriving in New York, she supposedly went to her "sister" Mrs. Rudolph Pavlović. It's possible that Mara was acquainted with Stefo Pavlović in Steelton, Pennsylvania. Perhaps Mara was a relation by marriage to him? Following her recuperation, it's reported that she lost much of her hair as a result of shock. There is a lot of very conflicting and confusing information about Mara. Reports of time suggests she had a husband who was in prison for murder. Newspaper articles from 1909 suggests that as well as killing a lodger Mele (or Meler Osman) had also shot and injured his "wife".

But the 1912 article suggests Maria was coming to America to see her husband whom she had not seen since he left Croatia. Therefore, either the injured female victim wasn't Mara, or, possibly, that the newspapers have confused 2 different couples and 2, equally dramatic, stories. According to the list of survivors on the RMS Carpathia, Mara was an unmarried domestic, at the age of 30, born in Poland, her mother's name was Maria Osman and place of origin was Vargonvina, Poland. The list of Austrian survivors has her being married. The US senate listed her as Miss Maria Osman" but didn't give a destination in the USA. The Red Cross files simply describe her as a domestic, at the age of 30, of Polish extractor.

It has been suggested that Mara married Miška Banski (September 24th, 1875) in Croatia around 1898 and the couple had 3 sons: Antun/Anton in 1900, Ivan (May 12th, 1902, and Franjo/Frank (November 14th, 1904.
Miška left Croatia around 1905 to settle in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with the intention of saving enough money to eventually bring his family across and settle with him. When that time came only Mara would make the trip with the boys to follow later. Mara "Mary/Maria" and Miška "Mike" eventually settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin, appearing on the 1920 census as Bouski. By then they had been joined by their two younger sons Ivan "John" and Franjo "Frank". Maria had sent for all 3 of her sons shortly after arriving in America but  Antun elected to remain in Croatia. He was reportedly killed during the First World War.

Maria and Miska possibly later divorced, as it has been suggested that she later married a Croatian-American (possibly a Doctor) called Isaac Kolic/Kolich, but no marriage record has been found, nor has her husband been traced.
Maria Osman/Banski/Kolich died on January 13th, 1930 in Kenosha due to stomach cancer, at the age of 48 and was later buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Milwaukee. Her simple headstone reads:

MARY BANSKI
KOLICH
1882 ✝
1930

John later married and had two children, remaining in Kenosha where he died on September 29th, 1995. Frank died in Woodland, California on October 27th, 1980.  Miška died in Kenosha on April 12th, 1935.

Sources:
www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Rest In Peace Mara Banski.