Julia Cathrine Monnin Ducray. Born Julia Monnin, her family was from Switzerland and they had emigrated to Pennsylvania. Living next to them in Pennsylvania, was the Ducray family. The Ducray’s had boarded a steamship in France in 1839.

The journey was almost fatal for 15 year old Jean-Baptiste Ducray, his parents and eight brothers and sisters. Southeast of Nova Scotia, the steamship began taking on water. The passengers and crew feared they would sink and began to throw all of their possessions overboard. The Ducray family threw overboard their wooden chest containing $2,000 in gold and everything else they had brought with them. Jean-Baptiste’s mother kept only a wooden cross bearing an ivory carving of Jesus.

The ship sank, and everyone from the ship was left shipwrecked on what is now known as Sable Island. They went days without food. They were starving, crazed. A passenger from the ship overheard the ship’s crew planning to kill and eat Jean-Baptiste and his father. He hid them by burying them in sand. Luckily, only a day later, a passing ship rescued them. They arrived safely, settling in Pennsylvania, next to The Monnin family. Julia and Jean-Baptiste Ducray fell in love and were married.