RMS Titanic
Douglas, who had retired on 1 January 1912, was known as a "Captain of Industry," having amassed of fortune of over $4 million. He and his wife spent three months in Europe looking for furnishings for their new home near Lake Minnetonka before booking return passage to the United States aboard the RMS Titanic. Douglas died in the sinking, and his body was recovered by the CS Mackay-Bennett and brought back to Cedar Rapids to be buried in the Douglas family mausoleum at Oak Hill Cemetery. His wife survived the sinking along with their maid. Mahala Douglas was the very first survivor to board the RMS Carpathia in the early morning hours of 15 April. Upon her death in 1945 she was buried beside him.
A provision in Douglas' will required that George C. Douglas, his younger son from his first marriage, earn $2,500 in two consecutive years, in order to receive his share of the estate, but this provision was waived by the trustees of the will because the son had served in the British Army for five years during World War I, being wounded twice and being cited for bravery by Field Marshal Lord French.
Read more about this topic: Walter Donald Douglas