Ida Straus was a German American homemaker and was married to Isidor Straus a US congressman and co-owner of Macy’s department store. Her husband, Isidor, came from a middle-class family as his father was an itinerant merchant. By the 1870s, together with his brother, Isidor and Nathan imported glassware, porcelain, and kitchenware from China and sold in New York City. They ended up co-owning Macy’s store in a decade and continued to grow the business. Isidor was a wealthy businessman and served in Congress to represent New York’s 15th District. Ida and her husband die together during the tragedy and sinking of the Titanic.
Ida Straus Personal Life
Ida Straus was born in 1849 in Worms as the fifth of seven children. She married Isidor, a German American businessman in 1871. They had seven children; Jesse who served as US Ambassador to France born in 1872, Clarence who died as a toddler, Percy born in 1876, Sara Straus, Minnie, Herbert, and Vivian born in 1886.
Her family grew and some of her great-granddaughters are stars like King Princess, a singer and the widow of Stockton Rush Wendy Rush. Ida and her husband were very close and she would accompany him on most business trips as they seemed to enjoy each other’s company. When Isidor’s body was recovered during the Titanic tragedy, he had a gold and onyx locket with photographs of his children Sara and Jesse.
How Did Ida Straus and Her Husband Isidor Die?
Ida boarded the Titanic at Southampton accompanied by her husband, her maid Ms. Ellen Bird, and manservant John Farthing occupying cabins C 55 57. They had left New York for the winter holiday and spent time in Cape Martin in Southern France. She was to enter Lifeboat 8, which was rescuing women and children but she turned back to join her husband even after everyone tried to persuade her and responded by saying, ‘We have lived together for many years, where you go, I go’. They went and sat together on deck chairs where they were last seen as the Titanic sank.
How they ended up on the Titanic is a mystery and others saw it as fate to die together. Isidor’s body was successfully recovered but that of Ida could not be traced. Their love story, sacrifice, and bravery were acknowledged and celebrated as seen in several articles and newspapers. A song about the love story called The Titanic’s Disaster was released and was popular among Jewish Americans.
Various actresses have portrayed Ida in different films recreating the Titanic scene from 1953 to 1997. The actresses include Helen Van Tuyl in 1953, Helen Misener in the film, A Night to Remember, Nancy Nevinson in 1979, Janie Woods in 196, and Elsa Raven in 1997. Several memorials were made to honor Ida and her husband Isidor in their home in New York City one in the Cenotaph at Woodlawn Cemetery, Straus Park at the intersection of Broadway and West End Avenue, New York public school, and the 34th Street entrance to Macy’s Department Store in Manhattan.
