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Metro Atlanta woman owns collection she says belonged to couple who died on Titanic

By Berndt Petersen, WSB-TV
By Berndt Petersen, WSB-TV

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Forsyth County woman has had quite the brush with history. She has a collection of items she says belonged to a husband and wife who were passengers on the Titanic.

Donna Laub loves history and is especially interested in the events of April 15, 1912 when the famous ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

"Read every book I could get my hands on. I've always found it to be interesting."

Laub showed Channel 2's Berndt Petersen her small collection of items she said belonged to two of the ship's wealthiest passengers, Ida and Isidor Straus.

The couple owned Macy's department stores and they were two of at least 1,500 people who died in the disaster.

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Laub's collection includes three small women's handbags, a pair of spectacles and a lady's makeup compact.

"When I'm handling it, the purses and such, I feel like I'm almost there," Laub said. "There's a little 'window.' And you open it up and it has the most beautiful red lipstick I've ever seen in my life still in there."

Laub received the items from the great-granddaughter of the Straus family's personal assistant. 
The assistant often traveled with the couple and Laub believes she was supposed to take the items to them.

Had that happened of course these personal effects would have ended up at the bottom of the ocean. Laub told Petersen she would like to return them to the Straus family if possible.

"I did try reaching Macy's and tried to speak to somebody in the corporate office. But nobody knew what I was talking about," she said.

Laub said she is going on what she knows from the personal assistant's relatives. The Straus family hasn't owned Macy's in decades. But Laub believes if she can find them, she can complete the puzzle.

Cox Media Group

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