User:Jburlinson/draft - Daisy Corning Stone Spedden

Margaretta Corning Stone (married name Mrs Frederic Oakley Spedden; 19 November 1872 – 10 February 1950) was an American heiress who survived the sinking of the Titanic and whose account of the disaster, written as a tale to amuse her young son, was published posthumously to great acclaim some 45 years after her death.

Margaretta Corning Stone Spedden, known as "Daisy", was born on 19th November 1872 in Morristown, New Jersey. She lived with her husband Frederic and son Douglas at Wee Wah Lodge in Tuxedo Park, New York.

Daisy enjoyed photography and travelling and kept detailed diaries of the family's journeys overseas.

In April, 1912, after a season abroad visiting Madeira and various resorts on the Riviera, the Speddens booked passage on the Titanic. She was a 1st Class passenger, embarking at Cherbourg on Wednesday 10th April, Ticket No. 16966, Cabin No.: E34, destination: Tuxedo Park. Also traveling with the family were the family's maid and Douglas' nurse. Daisy was rescued in boat 3 and picked up by the RMS Carpathia, from which she disembarked at New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912. All members of the Spedden entourage survived the disaster. The year after her experience on the Titanic, Daisy wrote and illustrated a small storybook that she gave to her son Douglas for Christmas. "My Story" was told through the eyes of a toy bear, and describes the European travels, the sinking of the Titanic and the subsequent rescue.

The Titanic disaster was but a foreshadowing of deeper pain to come to the Speddens. Just three years after the sinking of the ship, nine-year-old Douglas was killed in a car accident near the family's summer camp in Maine. He was the first auto fatality in the history of state of Maine.

Following the death of young Douglas in 1915, Daisy stopped writing her diaries but continued with her photography and travels. Daisy and Frederic continued to divide their time between Tuxedo Park and Bar Harbor until Frederic's death in 1947. Daisy died February 10, 1950 at the age of 77.

Some forty years later, Mr Leighton H. Coleman III, a relative of Daisy's, discovered Daisy's diaries, photo albums and the storybook in a trunk in the attic. He has had the storybook fully illustrated, and published under the title Polar: The Titanic Bear. The book went on to win a slew of awards for children's literature, including: the Silver Birch Award of the Ontario Library Association, the 1998 BILBY Award (Young Readers Category) , and the Society of School Librarians' Award for International Best Book for K-6.