Undertaking Courage: Catherine Wyand's Eastland Story

Eastland Chronicles
Written By natalie zett
This image is a collage for the "Flower in the River Podcast" episode titled "Undertaking Courage: Catherine Wyand's Eastland Story." It features a historical portrait of Catherine Wyand, highlighted with an orange circle, surrounded by other portrai

Collage for Flower in the River Podcast - Ep. 61 featuring various images of early 20th century women morticians

This episode discusses the contributions of women morticians by first focusing on one woman mortician's involvement in the Eastland Disaster—Catherine Wheeler Wyand.

Episode Highlights

  • An obituary from the Oak Leaves dated December 30, 1947, about Mrs. Catherine Wheeler Wyand, who ran an undertaking business in Chicago.

Catherine Wyand obituary

Oak Leaves - December 30, 1947

From Hearth to Hearse: Catherine Wyand’s Journey from Homemaker to Heroine in Mortuary Science

  • Catherine Wyand’s background. The 1880 Cook County, Illinois census reveals that Catherine and her husband John were living in Chicago, with John working as a blacksmith.

  • Somewhere between 1880 and 1895, the Wyands entered the funeral business, with Catherine being the one of the few woman undertakers in Chicago at the time. 

Anna Brenner’s death on the Eastland is listed with Undertaker - Mrs. J. Wyand (Catherine Wyand)

Chicago Ancestors

How I found Catherine, who was well-hidden in the historical documents

  • While exploring the impact of the Eastland Disaster on my family’s neighborhood of South Lawndale (now Little Village) in Chicago, I discovered that 49 residents from this compact, roughly two-mile area perished in the tragedy.

  • Anna Brenner, an 18-year-old Western Electric employee who perished on the ship intrigued me for several reasons. Anna’s Find a Grave biography, contributed by Sonia Sanchez, reveals the tragic story of Anna, her cousin Catherine Heiser, and Catherine’s boyfriend on the day of the disaster. 

  • The Chicago Ancestors page lists Catherine Wyand as the undertaker for Anna Brenner, making her possibly the only woman undertaker who worked with Eastland victims.

History of “Lady Embalmers” at the turn of the 20th Century

  • There is a compelling history of women embalmers/morticians and I highlighted pioneering women in the field, such as Henrietta Smith Bowers Duterte, Lina Odou, Lena Reynolds Simmons, and Mrs. E.G. Bernard— many of whom founded schools of mortuary science and made significant contributions to the profession.

Henrietta Smith Bowers Duterte

Lena Reynolds Simmons

Mrs. E. G. Bernhard

The Eastland Disaster Story Changes with Each Discovery

  • Catherine Wyand’s story adds a new dimension to the understanding of the Eastland Disaster and the often-overlooked contributions of women in the funeral industry.

  • Contemporary mortician Caitlin Doughty continues to challenge and change the funeral industry with her work and advocacy.

  • Anyone can contribute to Find a Grave to help preserve and share historical information. We can keep these stories alive and ensure that the legacy of these remarkable individuals lives on! 

Opening with Gratitude

FIND A GRAVE - CATHERINE WYAND

Before and after edits.

FIND A GRAVE - LENA REYNOLDS SIMMONS

Before and after edits.

natalie zett

I've been a writer, actor, photographer, and musician and have worked as a freelance journalist for magazines and papers since I was in my late teens.

My favorite writing job was working for an award-winning community newspaper in Saint Paul, the Park Bugle.

I’ve also taught others how to write for community newspapers at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN. And, during the last few years, I became a family historian.

https://www.flowerintheriver.com
Previous

Selfless Saviors: Two Extraordinary Rescuers in the Eastland Disaster
Next

Threads of Tragedy: The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the Eastland Disaster