Dr. Alice Leader

May 10th, 1862 - April 20th, 1944

She is a Taurus.

Alice Leader was born Alice May Farnham in Batavia, Genesee, New York to Reuben Humphreys Farnham (1827 - 1902), a prominent New York businesswoman, and Frances Elizabeth Humphreys (1841 - 1909); both natives of New Yorkers. She had 4 siblings: Anna Elizabeth (born 1868; later Clarence Newton Dwight), Edith (born 1871), Reuben (1873 - 1919), and Jessie (born 1877; later Mrs. Donald Tolles) and the family appear on the 1880 census living in Attica, Wyoming, New York. Her father was a native of Attica, New York and came from an old American family of English ancestry. He had studied law in Ballston Spa, New York and was admitted to the Bar in 1852. Instead of Pershing a law career he travelled to Kansas where he dabbled in real estate where he made his fortune before returning to New York in 1860 and establishing the First National Blank of Batavia in 1864. In 1869, he and his family returned to Attica where he was prominent in the affairs of the town and he operated a bravery before his death of April 2nd, 1909.

Alice received a privileged education and graduated from the Attica Union Academy entering medical school in Philadelphia, a career path most uncommon for women at the time. She studied in Paris and later returned to the USA and served in the Willard Insane Asylum and the Insane Asylum of New York City. She was married on November 2nd, 1892 in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo, New York to John Augustine Leader. John was the son of Irish immigrant parents Richard Leader and Ellen McCarthy and he was born in Auburn, Maine in January of 1863 and grew up in Lewiston, Androscoggin, Maine. Alice and John, who had no children, were prominent physicians in John's home town of Lewiston. John died suddenly in Boston on December 9th, 1900 at the age of 37. 

Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912:
Alice had spent 3 months on vacation in Panama and France, in the company of Margaret Swift and returning to her home and medical practice in New York. She boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton as a first class passenger. She occupied cabin D-17 with Margaret. She was also aquatinted with Mr and Mrs. Frederick Kenyon whilst aboard.

She was rescued in lifeboat 8 with Margaret and Mrs. Kenyon. Mr. Frederick died in the sinking.

After The Sinking/Later Life/Death:
Following her survival, Alice relates that she saw no panic aboard the ship during evacuation and spoke of the generosity of those aboard the RMS Carpathia towards the survivors. Alice returned to New York and retired in the 1920's (one source says 1936). She was a frequent visitor to the Orlando, Florida area where a married sister lived.

Alice died whilst visiting relatives in Orlando on April 20th, 1944 at the age of 81 and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Attica, New York.

Rest In Peace Dr. Alice Leader.

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