THE people

Marenka Homola

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

STATUS: 
Survivor
DATE OF Birth:
November 21, 1911
City of Birth:
Cicero,
 Illinois,
 Cook County,
  United States
Year OF DEATH:
2003
City of Death:
Kalamazoo,
 Michigan,
  Kalamazoo County,
 United States
GENDER:
F
OTHER KNOWN NAMES:
Marie; Hrabacka
MAIDEN NAME:
Homola
ETHNICITY:
Bohemian
KNOWN ADDRESS:
5527 West 23rd Place ,
 Cicero ,
 Illinois,
  United States
RELATED TO:

Vaclav Homola, father
Zofie Homola, mother
Vlasta Homola, sister

At the time of the tragedy.

AGE:
3
MARITAL STATUS:
Single
ROLE:
passenger

other information

CEMETERY:
Resurrection
OTHER NOTES:

...never went into the water or on a boat again...

Vaclav and Zofie Homola took their two daughters, Marenka (3-1/2 years old) and Vlasta, on the excursion and picnic. Their family was one of the many young families who were on board the Eastland when it rolled into the Chicago River. Father, mother, and both daughters were thrown into the river, with Marenka grabbing onto her father's neck and holding on for dear life. The family fought desperately for their lives, but Marenka's mother and younger sister both perished.

Marenka (pictured with her father) never went into the water or on a boat again. Years later as she entered high school, Marenka was determined to graduate in three years: One of the senior year requirements was a swimming class. Marenka did graduate in three years.

Following the Disaster, the front page of the Denni Hlasatel carried the story of the Homola family. The captions announced that Vlasta and Zofie drowned, while Marenka and Vaclav survived.

Marenka was one of the last known survivors of the Eastland Disaster. Known as Marie, she passed away on February 21, 2003, at the age of 91.

CITATION:

Eastland Disaster Relief (Chicago Chapter, American Red Cross) · 1918 · Page 72
Eastland Disaster (Cook County Coroner's Office) · July 24, 1915· Page 7
Eastland Disaster victims' ledger (Western Electric Company) · Page 23
Tribune (Chicago, Illinois) · July 31, 1915, Saturday · Page 14
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169478887/marenka-hrabacka

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Carol (Hrabacka) Gilchrist, Pamela Gilchrist Corson
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