Four young girls lost their lives at sea early the morning of November 22, 1873.
In thick fog at 3am, three-masted sail ship Loch Earn collided with the passenger steamship SS Ville du Havre while crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The disaster claimed 226 lives, including all four daughters of American Horatio Spafford: Annie (12), Maggie (7), Bessie (4) & Tanetta (18 months).
His wife, Anna, survived and, upon reaching Cardiff, Wales, sent a heartbreaking telegram to her husband: “Saved alone.”
While traveling to reunite with Anna, Horatio penned It Is Well with My Soul as his ship passed near the site where his daughters perished.
The hymn went on to become a worldwide classic, sung in churches around the world, with 100 million plays and counting on streaming.
When peace like a river, attends my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, You have taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
On World Rose Day we pause to think of loved ones and scatter a rose on water in their memory.
Originally conceived to remember the four daughters of Horatio & Anna Spafford, we now invite all who wish to honor the memory of loved ones lost, to scatter a rose in remembrance and acknowledgement they are always in our hearts.
In 2025, World Rose Day is being held in California, with plans to expand globally in 2026. Shortly we will be listing World Rose Day Church Ambassadors to assist you with World Rose Day for 2025, so check back here shortly for further information.
Sat November 22, 2025
In the Midst of Great Grief: How Horatio Spafford Wrote It Is Well with My Soul
Horatio Spafford, successful Chicago lawyer and devout Christian faced awful tragedy yet penned the timeless hymn It Is Well with My Soul. How could he find peace amid such loss? His faith and a divine vision could offer the answer.
In 1871, Spafford’s world unraveled. The Great Chicago Fire destroyed his real estate investments, and his young son died of scarlet fever. In 1873, seeking respite, he sent his wife, Anna, and four daughters—Annie, Maggie, Bessie, and Tanetta—to Europe on the SS Ville du Havre. A collision sank the ship and all 4 daughters perished. Anna’s telegram to Horatio read: “Saved alone.”
Sailing to join Anna, Horatio passed over the waters where his daughters died. Overwhelmed, he found solace in God’s sovereignty. Inspired, he wrote words to this famous hymn: his words reflect trust in God’s eternal plan, not a denial of grief.
As Spafford gazed at the sea, we can imagine he saw a vision: his daughters, radiant as angels, safe with Jesus. Their peaceful faces assured him they were at rest, allowing him to find peace in his soul. This divine encounter may have inspired the hymn’s refrain, anchoring his faith in eternal hope.
Despite further trials, the Spaffords served God, later founding a community program in Jerusalem. Horatio’s hymn affirms that faith can triumph over grief, offering rest in God’s promises.
When peace like a river, attends my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, You have taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And has shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, O my soul!
Sat November 22, 2025