On October 31, 1936, on the shores of Lake Gogebic in northern Michigan, what began as a day out on the water turned into a heartbreaking tragedy. A motorboat carrying seven men and a 12-year-old boy capsized in deep water roughly 600 feet from shore. The waves were about two feet high, the water cold, and the boat overturned in water some 20 feet deep. One by one, the men and boy struggled to hold on to the overturned hull. Two men drowned while swimming toward shore, and a third lost his grip and was pulled under when the boat drifted toward land.

Heroic Efforts of Violet

Enter local housewife Violet L. Hendrick (34 years old) who heard cries for help and rowed about 1,500 feet out in a small boat to the scene. Despite being a poor swimmer and having little rowing experience, she pressed on. She held her rowboat next to the overturned motorboat, used one oar to steady the two craft, extended the other to help one of the victims, threw a life preserver to another, and drew the 12-year-old boy into her boat, then the 30-year-old teacher, then two more men. At that point, the overloaded rescue boat capsized almost immediately, dumping all back into the freezing water.

Mrs. Hendrick and the teacher, Theodore F. Olson, managed to grab hold of the boat, right it, and climb aboard. But almost instantly it capsized again. Mrs. Hendrick’s fingers went numb with the cold. She released her hold, drifted on a life preserver toward shore, and was met by a man in wadeable water who carried her in. Olson, meanwhile, swam to shore after being unconscious for a time — the only one of the eight in the original party to survive. The final toll: seven lives lost, including six men and the 12-year-old boy.

The Victims

  • Jacob Halama, 71, of Bessemer
  • James Halama, 39, his son, principal of Puritan School
  • Frank Halama, 37, of Bessemer
  • James Halama Jr., 11, son of the principal (though some records say 12)
  • I. H. Dulebohn, 44, superintendent of Bessemer Township Schools
  • Stanley Cory, 32, teacher in the Puritan School, formerly an Ironwood teacher
  • Lawrence Petrusha, 28, principal of Ramsay School

Olson owed his life to Violet Hendrick’s courageous, selfless attempt at rescue. The bodies were recovered in the hours following the accident—Cory at 3:05 p.m., Frank Halama & James Halama Jr. 25 minutes later, James Halama at 4:15, Duhebohn 20 minutes after that, and Petrusha at 5:05. According to news reports at the time, Jacob Halama’s body was not found.

The tragedy struck at the largest inland lake of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and remains a somber part of the region’s history.

Why This Matters

Beyond the sorrow of the lives lost, the incident highlights the bravery of an ordinary citizen — Violet Hendrick — who risked everything to attempt a rescue when the odds were stacked terribly against her. It also reminds us of the raw power of nature: deep cold water, waves, distance from shore all contributed to the disaster. For the local communities of Bessemer, Ramsay, Powers and Ironwood, the loss of six educators and a student was devastating.

As we reflect on this moment from October 31, 1936, let’s remember both the tragedy and the courage. The story of Lake Gogebic’s dark day stands as a memorial to those lost and a tribute to the human spirit that refuses to turn away.