November can be a treacherous month on the waters of the Great Lakes. Storms and hurricane force winds often visit the lakes. On November 10, 1975, The Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter measuring 729 feet long and weighing over 13,000 tons ,loaded with iron ore, wrecked killing all 29 men on board.The storm that day is reported to have whipped up 35 foot waves and 100 MPH winds on Lake Superior. The Captain of the ship contacted the Coast Guard in Sault Ste Marie at 7pm to say they were taking on water. Nothing else was heard from the Captain and crew after 7:15 pm that day. The ship was approximately 15 miles north of Whitefish Point, Michigan when it went down. The Edmund Fitzgerald was later found at the depth of 535 down in two pieces.

In 1995 a pair of divers retrieved the bell that was on the ship which is kept at the Great Lakes Shipwrecked Museum along with the memorial posted very close to the shores of Lake Superior where I took these photos. I have to be honest to say that just standing there and looking out towards the lake, I became very emotional. The day I was there was windy but probably only like 10 mph winds. I could not image hurricane force winds out on that lake. Tears streamed down my cheek as I stood quietly to honor those 29 men who lost their lives.

These photos posted are special to me. You see, the story I grew up singing along with about the Edmund Fitzgerald stuck with me to this day. RIP to the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald and to their families I send my condolences. To Gordon Lightfoot, thank you for writing and singing the song " The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". I was only about 10 years old when I first heard it and it helped me to understand how precious life is.