Charlotte Emilie Plamondon

Plamondon Disasters:  Charlotte and her cousin Emily Plamondon survived the Iroquois Theatre fire in 1903.  Her parents, Charles and Mary Plamondon, were both killed in the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915.  A cousin of Charlotte's father Charles, Edward K. Plamondon and his family were on the Eastland when it sank in the Chicago River in 1915.  Edward's wife Susan died and his two daughters both suffered from shock.

"Miss Charlotte E Plamondon, the daughter of C. A. Plamondon, of the Chicago Beach Hotel, was one of a theater party at the theater. Last night she told a vivid story of her escape.

"Miss Plamondon was one of those in the party taken to the playhouse by Mrs. Rollin A. Keyes of Evanston, the entertainment being for her daughter. Miss Catherine Keyes.  All of those in the party had narrow escapes in the rush from the theater.  For some time it was believed that some had been killed, but eventually all were accounted for.  In the party were: Mrs. Rollin A. Keyes;  Miss Catherine Keyes; Miss Charlotte Plamondon;  Miss Elsie Elmore, Astoria, Ore; Miss Mary Peters, Columbus, OH; Miss Cornelia Armsby, Evanston; Miss Grace Hills of 4419 Greenwood avenue; Miss Josephine Eddy and Miss Elizabeth Eddy, Evanston; and Mrs. Harry Pierson, Evanston."  (Chicago Tribune, Thursday, December 31, 1903 p 6, col 1)

See also The Evening World (New York, New York) Thursday, December 31, 1903, Page 3

Charlotte married Allen Bradford Ripley on April 9, 1910. They had two children. Charlotte's son Bradford William Ripley was missing in action at Pearl Harbor in 1943 and is buried at the Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. (See The Miami News (Miami, Florida) Thursday, April 15, 1943, Page One, for details.)