Ida Straus was the wife of Macy Store owner, Isador Straus. She and her husband enjoyed expensive and exotic trips around the world. Having just finished their greatest vacation in the French Riviera, they wished to go home. So they boarded the Titanic and stayed in room C 55.
Their son was unable to join them on Titanic, but was going to New York on the Amerika. The Strauses were very eager to hear from him because they had been communicating via wireless.
On the night of the 14th, the two retired to their cabins until news came around that the Titanic had hit and iceberg. They went up on deck around 1:10 am. Colonel Gracie led Ida to a boat and she refused. Isador tried to urge her to go. They then made their way to lifeboat number 8. Their maid got on board first and then Ida began to. The officer attending the boat noticed how old Isador was and gestured for him to follow Ida. Another man said, "I'm sure no one would protest if an old gentleman broke the unwritten law of the sea." But Isador Straus refused. He said, "I will not go before the other men." Ida heard what he had said and she got out of the boat. She said, "We will not be separated. As we have lived together so will we die together." They then joined hands and walked back to their stateroom, never to be seen alive again. Unfortunetly, only Ida's body was recovered.
