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Neita Ogle was the only daughter of Milan Newton “William” Ogle and Margaret “Maggie” Elizabeth Miles Ogle. She perished in the SS Valencia maritime disaster of January 22–23, 1906, off the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. This infamous shipwreck claimed approximately 136 lives when the coastal passenger steamer ran aground in heavy fog and broke apart in pounding surf. All women and children aboard died, including the entire Ogle family. Neita’s story is one of quiet tragedy within one of the most complete family losses of the disaster—her small body recovered alongside her younger brother Carl, with identification initially uncertain amid the chaos of the aftermath.

The Ogle Family and Neita’s Early Life

Neita Ogle was born in 1901 in Washington state. She was the middle child of three (or possibly four, according to some survivor recollections) traveling with her parents from San Francisco to Seattle aboard the Valencia. Her older brother was Ray Ogle (born August 1899), and her younger brother was Carl Ogle (born 1904). The family had roots in Washington, where her parents married in King County in 1898 after her mother’s previous marriage ended in divorce.

The Ogles suffered one of the most devastating losses in the Valencia tragedy. Shortly after the ship struck the rocks, the family attempted to escape in a lifeboat—likely lifeboat #1. Contemporary accounts describe the catastrophic failure of this boat when its stern falls broke during lowering, spilling its occupants, including women and children, into the violent surf.

The Family’s Final Hours and the Lifeboat Tragedy

Survivor Frank Lehn provided one of the most vivid and heartbreaking descriptions of the launching of what was probably the Ogles’ lifeboat:

“Try the starboard quarter boat,” sang out the captain... ‘Women and children first,’ was the cry of the officers... At last the boat was loaded. Fathers cried goodbye to their children, husbands bade adieu to their wives... Suddenly a cry from every soul on board penetrated the night. The stern falls had broken and she was slipping... The occupants were spilled out like pebbles from a glass and fell with shrieks and groans into the boiling surf. The next wave swept them away... Thirty persons had been swept to their doom before our startled eyes...”

After this early lifeboat disaster, only one Ogle child—almost certainly Ray—remained aboard the wreck for a time, wandering the deck and later cared for by passengers including Miss Laura Van Wyck. Neita, along with her mother and at least one brother, was among those lost in the initial failed evacuation. Grant Willits and other survivors recalled the pitiable scenes involving the Ogle children, though specific individual details for Neita are sparse amid the collective horror.

Recovery, Identification, and Burials

Bodies were recovered over several days and brought to Seattle and Victoria by vessels such as the Princess Beatrice. Identification was difficult and emotionally charged. Early February 1906 newspaper reports noted uncertainty surrounding two children’s bodies initially believed to be those of the Ogles. William’s brother, James Ogle, visited the morgue and was not immediately convinced of the identifications. The remains were held for further inspection.

By early February, the bodies of Neita and her brother Carl were confirmed. A report in the San Francisco Call (February 2, 1906) mentioned the arrival of two children’s remains supposed to belong to the Ogle family. Their joint funeral was held on February 6, 1906, at 10 a.m. from the Bonney-Watson undertaking parlors in Seattle. A large number of friends attended. Neita and Carl were interred together at Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle.

Ray Ogle’s body was recovered several days later and buried alongside his siblings at the same cemetery. Memorial records on Find a Grave document the graves of Neita, Carl, and Ray Ogle. The bodies of their parents, William and Maggie Ogle, were never recovered.