Emma Springer McGee and Lera Mae McGee
Victims of the boat Mary Francis
Buried together in this grave are a mother and daughter, both victims of the worst maritime disaster in Tuscaloosa, that being the capsizing of the Mary Francis.
On June 15, 1919 the Mary Francis capsized on the Black Warrior River while giving free rides to families from Tuscaloosa. The boat, loaded with 62 people, well beyond the boat’s capacity, rolled over while making a turn at the confluence of North River. Most of the passengers were women and their children. Twenty six people died. There is a cache located near the dock were the passengers boarded the Mary Francis that fateful day, “The Capsizing of the Mary Francis” (GC49WM3).
The owner of the boat, Samuel Alston, purchased burial plots for most of the victims, these being in Evergreen Cemetery. Emma and Lera Mae were laid to rest here at Dunn’s Creek Cemetery.
To locate the final, solve:
N 33 22.8AB
W 087 49.3CD
A = Add together the first and second digits in the date of Lera Mae’s death.
B = The third digit in the year of Lera Mae’s birth.
C = At the bottom of the marker is a statement that begins with the word “Victims”. Count the number of letters in the last word of this statement.
D = On the marker is a statement that starts with the word “And”. Count the number of letters in the last word of this statement.