UWS Grad’s Posthumous Children’s Book About the Edmund Fitzgerald: Ellie’s Pursuit of the Mighty Fitz

By Elle Evenson

eevesnon@uwsuper.edu

Mckenzie Williams, an English and Writing undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS), was working at The Bookstore at Fitger’s when she began receiving repeated inquiries regarding a special topic. Families were looking for children’s books about the SS Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck. Unable to provide an answer, Williams recognized a gap for young readers. In the summer of 2023, she sought out a research grant with the UWS Summer Undergraduate Research program. This opened a door for Williams to spend her senior year writing a book about the Edmund Fitzgerald. By her graduation at the end of the year, a manuscript was developed: Ellie’s Pursuit of the Mighty Fitz.

Ellie’s Pursuit of the Mighty Fitz, Unpublished. Image captured Sept. 24, 2025
Photo by Elle Evenson | The Promethean

Ellie Anderson, the protagonist, is a curious fifth grader who loves learning about history. Before spring break, she has no plans and nothing to bring for her last show-and-tell. When Ellie hears “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot, the song sparks an inspiration to find the mighty Fitz. Teaming up with her quirky Grandma Gigi, they venture up the North Shore, through the Upper Peninsula, and to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Along the way, she uncovers mysteries and memories of that fateful night 50 years ago. “Ellie represents every child who has looked out at the water and wondered what secrets lie beneath the waves,” said Jennifer “Missy” Green, book publisher and Mckenzie’s mother, “Through her eyes, readers learn not only about a shipwreck, but also about the strength of memory, family bonds, and the importance of honoring the past.”

Mckenzie Williams passed away on June 9, 2024, leaving behind her unpublished manuscript. Meg Muthupandiyan was a mentor to Williams during the writing process, and she decided to reach out to Williams’ family with the hope of illustrating and publishing the full book. In December 2024, Green started the process, putting together a team including now UWS alumnae Yvette Klauer, page designer and copy editor, and Elena Theis, illustrator. The group, with some special touches, solicitously developed the manuscript into a book. “It was also a memorial to Mackenzie, so they worked together to copy Mackenzie’s penmanship into a font, and they incorporated that into the book,” said Muthupandiyan. “Elena took source images of Mackenzie at the age that Ellie was, and she nailed it. I mean, it looks just like Mackenzie… and the grandmother’s character. Illustrations of her look a lot like Mackenzie’s grandmother.”

Ellie’s Pursuit of the Mighty Fitz Facebook Page

Covering themes of family, grief, remembrance, adventure, and, of course, history, Williams’ personal fondness for Lake Superior has transformed into a published children’s book. Bringing memories to life for families to enjoy, “it’s a very testimonial to a life, a creative life, but it’s also a way for the family to process,” said Muthupandiyan. Ellie’s Pursuit of the Mighty Fitz reminds readers of all ages to lead with curiosity and explore the mysteries of life.