Margie Bearss, the lady who personally cleaned all the items salvaged from USS Cairo back when it was raised, passed away last week just shy of her 81st birthday. Her contribution to Civil War naval history can not be overrated. Margie was the wife of Ed Bearss, and a pretty fair historian in her own right, as anyone who has read her history of the Meridian Expedition will attest. She was also a very nice lady. She will be missed.