Ralph A. Anderson
Missing Passsenger Is Oldest On U.S. Ship
SS Alabama - June 12, 1919
Ralph A. Anderson
Event Date: June 12, 1919
Submission Date: August 29, 2007
Bruise: Missing
Bruise Location: Lake Michigan
Age: 38
Home Town: Traverse City, Michigan
Cruise Line: Goodrich Line
Ship: Pacific SS Alabama
Details:
Ralph A. Anderson is the oldest cruise ship missing passenger case in U.S. history, on an American registered ship, in American waters.
His disappearance onboard the SS Alabama, which was cruising from Chicago, Illinois to Muskegon, Michigan, has remained a cold case police file.
Ralph Anderson, age 38, had been taking a business trip and was returning home when he disappeared without a trace in the summer of 1919.
A successful business man, he owned a local funeral home in Traverse City, Michigan, Anderson Funeral Home.
The business was frequently advertised in the local newspaper, the Enterprise, with a picture of a horse drawn hearse and a promotion of "robes for gents, ladies and children."
Anderson had taken over and run the family business that was considered a pioneer in the mortuary industry.
The Record-Eagle newspaper reported on their front page his missing passenger case saying, “Grim tragedy cannot but be associated with the mysterious disappearance of Ralph A. Anderson".
The case lead to much speculation among the people in town. But, over the years, not a single clue was found. The case left nothing but questions and no answers for the past 88 years. It remains an unsolved mystery.
He was survived by his wife and two small children, Bobby and Adele.
