Born: February 19, 1854
First Class Passenger
Embarked at Southampton
Ticket #36928 at a cost of £164, 17s, 4d
Traveled With: wife Mary Peebles Wick, Mary Natalie Wick (daughter), Elizabeth Bonnell, and Caroline Bonnell (cousins) - Lifeboat 8
Died: April 15, 1912, age 58 Lost at sea. Body never recovered
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| George Dennick Wick |
In 1899, George Dennick Wick, his business partner James A. Campbell and a group of investors in Youngstown Ohio raised $600,000 in capital to establish Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company and turned it into one of the nation's leading steel producers. Their rival was US Steel, newly founded in 1900 and thriving because they were buying up smaller steel companies. But George and James wanted to keep their company local so they resisted buyouts fand were a thriving company for the first 10 years of the new century. At the end of 1904 George Wick's health started to fail and he was forced to take a leave of absence. He returned in 1909 but his health was never robust again. In 1912, he decided a three month European tour would restore his health.
In January 1912, George Dennick Wick traveled choice cities in Europe with his wife Mary Peebles Hitchcock Wick, his daughter Natalie, two cousins Caroline Bonnell and Elizabeth Bonnell.
On the return trip home, the Wick party booked First Class tickets on the RMS Titanic for its maiden voyage back to New York, boarding at Southampton, England. From there, they would make connections to go back to Youngstown Ohio. Elizabeth Bonnell joined them at Cherbourg France.
At 11:40pm on April 14, 1912, First Officer William Murdoch was on the bridge, the Captain having retired for the night. Frederick Fleet was the Lookout on duty in the crow's nest. As soon as Fleet saw the iceberg, he alerted Murdoch who immediately ordered the ship to make a turn to go around it and for the engines to be reversed which was standard protocol. The Captain was notified and after sending a carpenter to assess the damage, it was more than an hour before Captain Smith ordered the crew to get the lifeboats ready.
The crew organized the passengers, first-and second-class women and children first. Following orders, George Dennick Wick put his wife Mary, daughter Natalie and cousins Caroline and Elizabeth Bonnell in Lifeboat #8. George was last seen standing on the deck waving to them as their lifeboat was being rowed away from Titanic. One can only wonder how he felt at the time, whether he truly expected to join them later or whether he knew he was going to die when the ship sank.
As they rowed a good distance away, Titanic began its plunge into the ocean. Until that moment, no one ever thought the unsinkable ship would sink.
Two weeks later, the municipal government in Youngstown Ohio received official confirmation that George Dennick Wick was indeed lost at sea. They ordered flags flown at half mast and declared all factories, businessess and schools to observe five minutes of silence at 11am on April 24, 1912 to honor his memory. About one month later, a service was held and a monument was erected as a memorial in Youngstown's Oak Hill Cemetery.
George Dennick Wick's body was never recovered. He was 58 years old.
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| Natalie Wick |
Miss Natalie Wick, age 31
First Class Passenger
Cabin C-7
Daughter of George and Mary Wick
Rescued Lifeboat #8
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| Mary Wick |
Mrs. Mary Peebles Wick, age 45First Class PassengerNatalie's stepmother, George Wick's wifeRescued Lifeboat #8
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| Elizabeth Bonnell |
Miss Elizabeth Bonnell, age 58
First Class Passenger
Ticket #113783, at a cost of £26,11s
Cabin C-103
Cousin of the Wick family
Rescued Lifeboat #8
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| Caroline Bonnell |
Miss Caroline Bonnell, age 30
First Class Passenger
Cousin of the Wick family
Shared Cabin C-7 with Natalie Wick
Rescued Lifeboat #8
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