Alina Vilhelmina Backberg

http://www.iltasanomat.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000001158854.html Includes incredible surviving stoty of 27 year old Alinas surviving story from Titanic with many familyfotos. '
http://www.titanicnorden.com/folk/Johnson_Alice.html

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/elisabeth-vil...

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• Name: Mrs Elisabeth Vilhelmina Johnson (née Backberg)
• Titanic Survivor
• Born: Friday 21st April 1884 in Helsinki, Finland
• Age: 26 years
• Nationality: Finnish
• Last Residence: in St. Charles, Illinois, United States
• 3rd Class passenger
• First Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
• Ticket No. 347742 , £11 2s 8d
• Destination: St. Charles, Kane. Illinois, United States
• Rescued (boat 15)
• Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
• Died: Thursday 19th December 1968 aged 84 years
• Buried: North Cemetery, St. Charles, Illinois, United States
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-lifeboat-15/ Life Boat No. 15
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-deckplans/ R.M.S. Titanic deck plans

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180034560/alice-vilhelmina-johnson

Mrs Oscar W. Johnson (Alice ?Elisabeth Vilhelmina Backberg), 24, was born 24 January 1885.

Elisabeth was Married to editor Oscar Walter Johnson and lived with him and their children Harold Theodor and Eleanor Ileen in St. Charles, Illinois.

She and the children were returning from a visit to Oscar's parents home in Ramkvilla, Småland, Sweden. They travelled via Malmö (where they bought their tickets) and Copenhagen. They boarded the Titanic at Southampton.

Elisabeth and her children got into one of the last lifeboats on starboard side either lifeboat 13 or 15. A man, probably Gunnar Tenglin stepped out of the lifeboat to offer a place. After that he found there was still room left in the lifeboat and stepped back in.

In New York she was quartered on St. Lucas Hospital, where Red Cross gave them an unknown sum of money and a new trunk. 24 April she travelled via Chicago on her way home to St. Charles.

Her husband died in 1917, she then married Carl Peterson who died in 1964. Elisabeth Peterson (late Johnson, née Berg) died 19 December 1968.

Notes Another source suggests she was in Finland visiting her dying father.

References Claes-Göran Wetterholm (1988, 1996, 1999) Titanic. Prisma, Stockholm. ISBN 91 518 3644 0

Contributors Phillip Gowan, USA Leif Snellman, Finland

Travelling Companions (on same ticket) Master Harold Theodor Johnson Miss Eleanor Ileen Johnson Related Articles and Documents

Chicago Daily Journal (1912) PITIFUL APPEALS FOR NEWS AT OFFICE HERE UNGRATIFIED
New York Times (1912) LOST TWO IN IROQUOIS FIRE
Chicago Daily Tribune (1912) MERCHANT FAINTS FROM JOY
Chicago American (1959) 3 VICTIMS LAUD TITANIC FILM

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Johnsson Alice

Rouva Alise Johnsson (Alina Vilhelmina Backberg), s. 21.4.1884 Dalsbruk. Vanhemmat Stefan ja Amanda Backberg.

Alina Backberg lähti ensimmäisen kerran Amerikkaan vuonna 1905. Huhtikuussa 1907 hän solmi avioliiton ruotsalaisen Oscar Johnsonin kanssa. Heille syntyi kaksi lasta, Harold ja Eleanor. Alimam isä Helsingissä oli sairastunut ja Alina päätti lähteä lastensa kanssa käymään kotomaassaan. He viettivät Suomessa ja Ruotsissa sukulaisten kanssa monta kuukautta. Keväällä 1912 he olivat palaamassa Ruotsista kotiinsa Illinoisiin ja päätyivät Titaniciin.

Alice Johnson ja lapset Harald ja Eleanor pelastuivat. Alice Johnson on merkitty Suomen kansalaiseksi, mutta lapset Yhdysvaltain kansalaisiksi. Koska Alice oli aloittanut matkansa Ruotsista, hänet on eri lähteissä listattu ruotsalaiseksi.

Alicen aviomies Orcar Johnson kuoli vuonna 1917. Alice solmi vielä kaksi avioliittoa ja kuoli 19.12.1968.

Alina Vilhelmina Backberg

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/elisabeth-vil...

http://jartsi50.mbnet.fi/Index_files/titmat03.htm

http://www.iltasanomat.fi/ulkomaat/art-2000001158854.html

Alina oli muuttanut siirtolaiseksi Amerikkaan 1905 käyttäen aviomiehensä sukunimeä Neffling. Pariskunnalle tuli kuitenkin avioero 1907. Kauaa Alinan ei tarvinnut olla yksin, sillä jo samana vuonna hän avioitui uudelleen. Ruotsin Smoolannista lähteneen toisen siirtolaisen, toimittaja Oscar Johnsonin kanssa.

Heille syntyi kaksi lasta: Harold 1908 ja Eleanor syyskuussa 1910.

PIAN Eleanorin syntymän jälkeen Alina sai huolestuttavan kirjeen Suomesta. Hänen isänsä oli kuolemansairaana ja toivoi vielä näkevän rakkaan tyttärensä. Alina teki uskaliaan päätöksen: hän matkaisi pikku-Haroldin ja Eleanor-vauvan kanssa takaisin Atlantin yli isänsä tueksi.

– Alina tuli Suomeen, koska hänen isänsä teki kuolemaa, vahvistaa Ritva Hälikkä isotätinsä vierailun syyn.

– Ajatella kuinka vaikeata se oli. Hän 25-vuotias nainen, ei puhunut juuri ollenkaan englantia ja matkusti kahden pikkulapsen kanssa, ihmetteli Eleanor aikuisena äitinsä rohkeutta.

Saavuttuaan keväällä 1911 vanhempiensa kotiin Mikonkatu 22:een Helsingissä kohtasi Alinaa kuitenkin järkytys. Hän ei ollut ehtinyt ajoissa vaan hänen isänsä Stefan Backberg oli kuollut 65-vuotiaana helmikuun lopulla 1911.

Alina käytti seuraavat yhdeksän kuukautta tavaten sukulaisia Suomessa ja Ruotsissa.

– Minä vietin ensimmäisen syntymäpäiväni Suomessa, muisteli Eleanor.

ALKUKEVÄÄLLÄ 1912 Alina ja lapset lähtivät takaisin kotiin Yhdysvaltoihin. Matkalla Alina poikkesi lasten kanssa näiden ruotsalaisten isovanhempien luona Ramkvillassa.

Siellä hän tapasi kaksi nuorta ruotsalaisnaista, Elin Brafin ja Helmina Nilssonin, jotka liittyivät Alinan seuraan muuttaakseen Yhdysvaltoihin. Seurue jatkoi Malmöhön, josta Alina osti 3. luokan laivaliput Yhdysvaltoihin.

He saapuivat Kööpenhaminan kautta Southamptoniin. Vasta satamassa Alinalle selvisi, etteivät he pääsekään luulemansa höyrylaivan mukaan hiilikaivoslakon vuoksi, mutta Titanicille he mahtuisivat.

Alina päätti vielä käydä satamassa otattamassa kuvat matkamuistoiksi.

Alinan lisäksi on säilynyt kuva pikkutytöstä, vain puolentoista vuoden ikäisestä Eleanorista, joka seisoo tuolille nostettuna kauniissa vaaleassa mekossaan.

KUVIA ei otettu Titanicilla, koska laivalla tai ylipäätään White Star Linella ei ollut mukana matkamuistovalokuvaajia. Siksi kuvat otettiin ennen Titanicin lähtöä satamassa ja laitettiin laivan nimellä kirjattuihin pahvikehyksiin.

Ennen Titaniciin nousua Alina muisti postikortilla siskoaan Annaa: ”Terve Anna! Tervehden sua tämän kortin kautta ja annan tietä että olen Englannissa. Matka on mennyt tähän asti hyvin. Olimme vähä merikipee Pohjan merellä. 10. päivä lähemme täältä. Voi hyvin. Terveisi kaikille. Minä kirjoita kun tulen amerika. Alina”

Kortin etupuolella on värikuva Southamptonin satamasta. Kortti on leimattu edelleen Helsingissä 12.4.1912.

Todennäköisesti Alinan sisko sai kortin vain hieman ennen kuin tieto Titanicin uppoamisesta alkoi levitä ympäri maailmaa.

ALINA nousi muiden suomalaismatkustajien tavoin Titanicin kyytiin Southamptonissa 10. huhtikuuta, kuten oli korttiin etukäteen kirjoittanut. Alina kirjattiin matkustajaluetteloon nimellä rouva Elisabeth Vilhelmina Johnson. Hänen kotipaikakseen merkittiin St. Charles, Illinoisin osavaltiossa Yhdysvalloissa.

Elisabeth Johnsonin 3. luokan matkalipun numero oli 347742. Matkastaan hän maksoi lapset mukaan lukien reilut 11 puntaa.

Alina ja lapset jakoivat hytin laivan takakannella Elinin ja Helminan kanssa. Alinasta ja 20-vuotiaasta Elinistä oli ehtinyt tulla hyviä ystäviä.

MATKAN alku sujui heiltä ilmeisen hyvin, sillä yksi 3. luokan ruokailusalin stuerteista oli tykästynyt Alinan seurueeseen. Hänestä tulikin Alinan ja lasten hengenpelastaja. Titanicin kohtalonyönä naiset havahtuivat törmäykseen, jonka voimasta vuoteessaan nukkunut 4-vuotias Harold lensi lattialle.

Helmina meni yhdessä Alinan kanssa katsomaan, mitä oli tapahtunut. Kannella lojui jäävuoren paloja, joita naiset innostuivat potkimaan toisilleen. Paikalle sattunut miehistön jäsen käski naiset takaisin hyttiin, sillä laiva jatkaisi pian matkaansa.

Alinan ”nimikkostuertti” tiesi kuitenkin paremmin. Hän juoksi koputtamaan Alinan hytin ovea, käski kaikkia laittamaan pelastusliivit ylleen ja ohjasi joukon läpi laivan pelastusvenekannelle.

Useat 3. luokan matkustajat eivät edes tienneet reittiä sinne, koska heillä ei matkan aikana ollut pääsyä yläkansille.

– Meitä ei päästetty ylemmille kansille, koska laivan miehistö yritti pelastaa vain 1. luokan matkustajia. Ensimmäisen luokan matkustajat olivat tärkeämpiä, muisteli Harold katkerana Titanic-elokuvan A Night to Remember ensi-illassa 1958.

– Meillä ei ollut aikaa ottaa tavaroitamme mukaan. Äiti ei edes ehtinyt laittaa minulle kenkiä, kertoi Eleanor, jolle äiti oli tämän vartuttua kerrannut kohtalonyön tapahtumia.

Alina lapsineen ohjattiin pelastusveneeseen numero 15. Se oli Titanicin ”suomalaisvene”, koska sillä pelastuivat suurin osa henkiin jääneistä 20 suomalaismatkustajasta.

PELASTUSVENEIDEN luona oli jo täysi paniikki. Erään lähteen mukaan ruotsalainen Gunnar Tenglin näki Alinan lapsineen ja nousi veneestä tarjoten Alinalle paikkansa. Tenglin pelastautui toiseen veneeseen nro 13.

Backbergien sukutarinan mukaan Eleanor olisi laskettu äitinsä luo nyytissä. Eleanor kertoi haastattelussa 1997 muistavansa kokemuksen, vaikka oli niin nuori.

– Voin yhä nähdä mielessäni kaikki kädet, jotka kurottelivat minua kohden alhaalta. Minut laskettiin äitini käsivarsille.

– Minä itkin. En olisi halunnut lähteä. Ja muistan ne äänet. Kaikki huusivat ja itkivät ja kirkuivat, Eleanor kuvaili.

Hänen pelastumisestaan on ehkä todistajanlausunto. Veneessä numero 13 ollut britti Lawrence Beesley kuvaili New Yorkiin saavuttuaan Reutersin toimittajalle dramaattista hetkeä:

– Juuri kun venettä alettiin laskea, ryntäsi kaksi naista läpi ihmisjoukon B-kannella. Vauva, noin 10 kuukauden ikäinen laskettiin heidän jälkeensä veneeseen.

HELMINAN mukaan Alina nousi veneeseen Eleanor sylissä ja pyysi sen jälkeen Elin Brafia ojentamaan tämän pitelemän Haroldin. Braf oli kuitenkin kauhusta jäykkänä. Venettä alettiin jo laskea ja Alina huusi hätääntyneenä.

Silloin kansimies nappasi pikkupojan Eliniltä ja heilautti Haroldin veneeseen.

– Se oli viimeinen kerta, kun näimme Elinin. Äiti järkyttyi täysin ystävänsä kuolemasta.

Helmina sen sijaan pelastui, ilmeisesti veneessä numero 13.

Vene 15 oli täynnä. Siinä oli noin 70 ihmistä, eli jopa viisi enemmän kuin veneessä oli paikkoja. Vene laskettiin kello 1.35 tyyrpuurin puolelta toiseksi viimeisenä.

Kiire oli niin suuri, että Alinan vene oli laskettaessa murskata alleen veneen 13. Alla olevan veneen taavetin laskuköydet saatiin kuitenkin leikattua viime hetkellä poikki.

Lämpötila oli lähes nollassa ja pelastusveneissä paleltiin.

– Veneen pohjalla oli vettä, jolloin äidin jalat kastuivat. Joku onneksi antoi meille viltin, johon kääriydyimme.

VIIDEN tuskaisen tunnin jälkeen Alinan veneen pelastautuneet nostettiin turvaan R.M.S. Carpathialle. Eleanor kertoo, että hänet nostettiin kannelle laivan postisäkissä.

– Carpathialla joku teki minulle tossut huovasta.

Carpathia, mukanaan 705 Titanicin matkustajaa, saapui New Yorkiin 18. huhtikuuta.

Heikosti englantia taitaneella Alinalla oli kova työ vakuuttaa maahanmuuttoviranomaiset etteivät he olleet siirtolaisia vaan jo Yhdysvaltain kansalaisia.

Lopulta Alina lapsineen vietiin toipumaan St. Lucasin sairaalaan. Pelastusveneessä kylmettyneelle Alinalle oli kehittynyt keuhkokuume.

SAMAAN aikaan Alinan mies Oscar odotti tuskaisena kotonaan Saint Charlesissa tietoa vaimonsa ja lastensa kohtalosta. Oscar ei ollut nähnyt perhettään yli vuoteen.

Ensimmäiseltä pelastuneiden listalta ei nimiä löytynyt.

Vihdoin iltapäivällä 18. huhtikuuta Oscar sai viestin, joka laittoi hänen jalkansa pettämään: Alina ja lapset olivat turvassa.

New Yorkissa Alina sai Punaiselta ristiltä rahallisen avustuksen sekä uuden matkalaukun. Viikkoa myöhemmin, 24. huhtikuuta Alina matkusti lapsineen Chicagoon, jossa Oscar oli heitä vastassa.

ALINA jatkoi elämää uudessa kotimaassaan Yhdysvalloissa. Aviomies Oscar kuitenkin kuoli jo 1917.

Leski-Alina löysi jälleen uuden miehen rinnalleen ja meni kolmannen kerran naimisiin 1919 suvun tiedon mukaan norjalaisen Hans Amundsenin kanssa.

Mutta Alinan kohtalona oli jäädä taas leskeksi jo samana vuonna. Neljännen avioliittonsa hän solmi 1920 Carl Petersonin kanssa.

Alina lapsineen ehti nähdä, kuinka Titanicista kasvoi yksi maailman tunnetuimmista legendoista. Alina, Eleanor ja Harold olivat kunniavieraina A Night to Remember -elokuvan ensi-illassa Chicagossa 1958.

Alinan aviomies kuoli 1964 ja Alina 84-vuotiaana joulukuussa 1968. Samana vuonna kuoli Alinan Harold-poika.

NYYTISSÄ pelastusveneeseen laskettu Alinan tytär Eleanor meni naimisiin ja sai pojan sekä kaksi lapsenlasta. Eleanor Shuman työskenteli puhelinoperaattorina eläkkeelle jäämiseensä 1962 saakka ja vietti loppuelämänsä Elginissa Illinoisissa.

Hänen poikansa Earl Shuman muisteli, kuinka joka kevät Titanicin vuosipäivänä Eleanorille soitettiin ja haluttiin keskustella turmasta.

Eleanor ei tosin yrittänytkään kätkeä Titanic-menneisyyttään. Hänellä oli kotona paikka, jota kutsui "Titanic-nurkaksi". Sinne hän oli asetellut Titanicista kertovia kirjoja ja kuvia.

Kuten äidilleen, jäi Eleanorille kammo merta kohtaan. Vasta vieraillessaan poikansa luona Floridassa 1994 näki Eleanor Atlantin ensimmäisen kerran sitten 1912.

MUTTA Alinan tarina sai vielä yhden luvun lisää. Kesäkuussa 2007 maailman arvostetuimman huutokauppakamarin Christie'sin myyntilistalle ilmaantui kolme vanhaa valokuvaa: Alinan, Eleanorin ja tuntemattoman miehen muotokuvat - kaikki Titanicin pahvisissa muistokehyksissä.

Christie's arvioi niiden hinnaksi 4000–6000 dollaria. Tuntematon keräilijä maksoi Alinan kuvista 2880 dollaria.

Kahden kuvan takaa löytyi ilmeisesti Alinan kirjoittamat viestit tyttärelleen. Niissä luki: ”Pelastin nämä käsilaukustani laivalta jossa olin - Eleanor”, sekä ”Pelastin nämä meidän uponneelta laivalta - Eleanor 1912”.

Lähteet: Backbergien sukuseura, AP, New York Times, AFP, Encyclopedia Titanica, Genealogi.se, Daily Mirror, San Diego Union Tribune, Chicago Daily Tribune, Chicago American.

Juttu on julkaistu alun perin Titanic-erikoislehdessä vuonna 2012.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180034560/alice-vilhelmina-johnson

Translation (Google) from http://www.titanicnorden.com/folk/Johnson_Alice.html

Alice was born as Alina Vilhelmina Backberg in Helsinki, Finland, as daughter of Stefan and Amanda Backberg. She had six siblings; five brothers and one sister.

The father arranged a marriage between Alice and Karl Viktor Neffling; They married 1902-11-16, but it became an unfortunate thing and Alice decided in 1905 to leave him and try to create a new life in America.

I have found an Anna Backberg who arrives in New York on October 19, 1905 with the Teutonic ship. She is 18 years old, which suits Alice's age, unmarried and from Helsinki. She owned $ 40, had paid for the trip herself and was heading to Jersey City, New York. It's not entirely certain that this is Alice, but there are not many Backbergers in the lists on Ellis Island and this seems reasonable. Something Neffling I do not find at all, but if she were emigrating from her unfortunate marriage, it's no wonder she chose to use her girl name instead. To divorce was still something almost unthinkable at that time, and it is therefore not strange that she did not divorce herself.

Alice went west and ended up in Chicago. There she met the Swedish bartender Oscar Johnson and they fell in love. Now, the situation arose that Alice's marriage in Finland was in the way of their happiness, and of course there were heavily important reasons to ensure that the divorce was carried out. They divorced on May 31, 1907. Alice and Oscar probably married the same year because the first child was already on their way.

Harold was born on January 28, 1908 and then Eleanor arrived on September 23, 1910.

The family lived on 215 West 23rd Street in St. Charles.

At the beginning of 1911, Alice received disturbing news from Finland. The father Stefan was seriously ill and wanted to meet his daughter and granddaughter. Alice decided to make him willing and left alone with the children because, due to his work, Oscar could not accompany. However, she did not start the journey until she was told that her father had a deceit. However, she decided to carry out the trip anyway, to meet her own relatives, and also to plan to go to the Oscars family in Sweden.

She spent nine months in Finland and then Sweden, with her husband's parents in Ramkvilla in Småland, before the return began to be prepared in early 1912. First she thought she was traveling in second class, but when asked to escort both girls Elin Braf and Helmina Nilsson, who was familiar with Oscar Johnson's family in Ramkvilla, she changed herself for their sake and made them third-party company.

They for via Malmö, where Alice bought their tickets, to Copenhagen and from there on to England. The Johnson family, as well as Elin and Helmina, left Sweden with a ship belonging to United Steamship Line as far as to Harwich, and then they left the country road to Southampton, where they boarded the Titanic.

Afterwards, Alice had difficulty remembering much of the trip. To take care of the children was of course time consuming and she did not do much more than that.

When Titanic collided with the iceberg, all five were sleeping. A steward eventually came and knocked on the door with the call that they would get dressed. When they left the cabin, after climbing fast but be careful to make sure the children were warm enough, Elin stopped (or returned after having given up, the data varies) to gather some of their belongings.

Alice took the lead in finding the way up to the deck, but possibly got help from one of the third-class dining stewards. She was wearing little Eleanor, Helmina followed her and Elin made sure Harold came along. They arrived by lifeboat 13 or 15 and although Alice had very limited English proficiency, she understood enough to understand that she was in the lifeboat. A man, probably Gunnar Tenglin, first got out of the boat and offered them a seat, but then stepped in because he noticed that there was still space in it. A steward, the same steward who had taken care of her table in the dining room (and possibly the same steward who possibly helped her find out on the deck), received Eleanor so that Alice could step down after her. Helmina followed, but Elin was left so terrified that she could not go to the lifeboat. Alice called her to step in, but to no avail. She clung to Harold and in fact he had to be detained by a crew from her grip to join the lifeboat with her mother and sister. Elin stayed on deck and lost.

While Titanic dropped, Alice had lost her head because she did not hurry to see when it finally disappeared under the surface. The memory of the screaming people in the water plagued her afterwards.

When Alice, the children and Helmina Nilsson arrived in New York, they were taken to St. Petersburg. Lukes Hospital to be investigated. Charity groups helped Aliina Vilhelmina Backberg was born in Helsinki, Finland on 21 April 1884. She was the daughter of Stefan Backberg (1845-1911) and Amanda Lovisa Gustafsson (1848-1937) and she had several known siblings: John Ernhard (b. 1874), Brynolf (b. 1876), Josef Aksel (b. 1879), Toivo Edvard (b. 1881) and Anna Dagmar (b. 1886). She was married at a young age to Kalle Victor Neffling (b. 1872) but the marriage was reportedly an unhappy one and they were separated and later divorced. She later emigrated to the USA around 1905. Alice was remarried in Kane County, Illinois on 6 April 1907 to Oscar Walfrid Theodore Johnson (b. 1 January 1882), a journalist originally from Ramkvilla, Jönköping, Sweden, the son of Johannes Johansson and Carolina Sofia Samuelsdotter. Their first two children were Harold Theodor (b. 1908) and Eleanor Ileen (b. 1910). She appears on the 1910 census living with her husband and son Harold at 254 Sixth Avenue in St Charles, her husband being described as a worker in a bowling alley. He later worked as a barman. Alice and her two children returned to Finland owing to the ill health of her father but he died in February 1911 before she could reach him. With plans to return to America she wrote to her husband in Illinois, informing him that she would be travelling aboard Titanic and that she expected to be in New York on 18 April. In her absence he had refurnished their home as a surprise to her return. For the journey Mrs Johnson was escorting two Swedish girls across the Atlantic; the identity of the pair is debateable as the Chicago Daily Journal (17 April 1912) and Chicago Daily Tribune (18 April 1912) states that they were the sisters of her husband. This clearly isn't the case as there are no passengers matching that description and it is generally regarded that the two women were Helmina Nilsson and Elin Braf, both from her husband's birthplace of Ramkvilla where Alice also visited. On the night of the sinking Alice took her two children to the upper decks, accompanied by their two charges. Mrs Johnson and her children are believed to have escaped in one of the aft starboard lifeboats but in which one is not clear (possibly lifeboat 13 or 15); she and Eleanor climbed in, followed by Helmina. Elin Braf, who was holding on to little Harold, remained on deck frozen in fear and would not follow. Alice had to call out for Harold and eventually the young boy was pulled from Elin's arms and pushed into the boat, Elin remaining behind. Alice spent the night in the lifeboat in ankle-deep icy water and developed laryngitis as a result of her ordeal. Her husband received word via telegram that his wife and children were safe and being cared for in St Luke's Hospital in New York and fainted in a dead stupor, overcome with emotion. Not wishing to wait any longer he asked those in his community if he could borrow the money for his fare to New York. Instead on loaning him money, charitable souls raised funds of over $100 for him to travel to New York and return with his family. Back in America Alice and her family resettled in St Charles and in 1913 she and her husband welcomed another child, Herbert. Alice became a young widow when her husband Oscar died on 31 October 1917 aged 35. Alice was remarried on 2 December 1918 to Hans Thorvald Amundson (b. 20 December 1881), a Norwegian man. The marriage was tragically brief and Amundson died less than a month later on 23 December. However, a child was born from this union on 6 March 1919, Vernon Hans Amundson (d. 1983). Alice did not remain a widow for long and she was remarried in Chicago on 28 August 1920 to Carl Oscar Peterson (b. 28 March 1885), a dairy farmer originally from Sweden. Carl had emigrated to the USA in 1902 and settled in Kane County and married Jennie Bergeson (b. 1885) in 1911, having four children: Clifford (1911-1987), Einar Walter (1913-1990), Hedwig "Jennie" (1916-1947, later Mrs Charles Frederick Behrens) and Esther (1918-2012, later Mrs Edwin Rudder). Jennie died earlier in 1920. Alice and Carl went on to have one surviving child together, Irene (1925-1999, later Mrs Marcel VanThournout). Another daughter, arriving in 1923, was stillborn. The large blended family consisting of nine children settled in Wayne Township in DuPage County, Illinois, appearing there on Smith Road in the 1930 and 1940 census records. Alice became a widow a third time when her husband Carl died on 25 April 1964. In the 1950s she and her now grown children Harold and Eleanor were guests at screenings for both Titanic (1953) and A Night to Remember (1958). Alice spent the last few years of her life living with her daughter Irene at 1207 East Main in St Charles and would outlive her eldest son Harold by less than a year. She died in the Delnor Hospital on 19 December 1968 aged 84.

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 16 2019, 17:38:07 UTC
• Reference: Full text- https://archive.org/details/truthabouttitani00grac/page/n6 "The Truth About the Titanic" by Colonel Archibald Gracie, IV 1913 pp. 296-299

BOAT NO. 15.*

Br. Rpt., p. 38, places this next to last lowered on starboard side at 1.35. No disorder in loading or lowering this boat.

Passengers: All third-class women and children (53) and Men: Mr. Haven (first-class) and three others (third-class) only. Total: 4.

Crew: Firemen: Diamond (in charge), Cavell, Taylor; Stewards: Rule, Hart. Total: 13.

Grand Total (Br. Rpt., p. 38) : 70.

. INCIDENTS

G. Cavell, trimmer (Br. Inq.) :

The officer ordered five of us In the boat. We took on all the women and children and the boat was then lowered. We lowered to the first-class (I. e. A) deck and took on a few more women and children, about five, and then lowered to the water. From the lower deck we took In about sixty. There were men about but we did not take them In. They were not kept back. They were third-class passengers, I think — sixty women, Irish. Fireman Diamond took charge. No other seaman In this boat. There were none left on the third-class decks after I had taken the women.

S. J. Rule, bathroom steward (Br. Inq.) : Mr. Murdoch called to the men to get Into the boat. About six got In. "That will do," he said, "lower away to Deck A." At this time the vessel had a slight list to port. We sent scouts around both to the starboard and port sides. They came back and said there were no more women and children. We filled up on A Deck — sixty-eight all told — the last boat to leave the starboard side. There were some left behind. There was a bit of a rush after Mr. Murdoch said we could fill the boat up with men standing by. We very nearly came on top of No. 13 when we lowered away. A man, Jack Stewart, a steward, took charge. Nearly everybody rowed. No lamp. One deckhand in the boat, and men, women and children. Just before it was launched, no more could be found, and about half a dozen men got in. There were sixty- eight in the boat altogether. Seven members of the crew.

J. E. Hart, third-class steward (Br. Inq., 75) : Witness defines the duties and what was done by the stewards, particularly those connected with the steerage.

Pass the women and children up to the Boat Deck," was the order soon after the collision. About three-quarters of an hour after the collision he took women and children from the C Deck to the first-class main companion. There were no barriers at that time. They were all opened. He took about thirty to boat No. 8 as it was being lowered. He left them and went back for more,' meeting third-class passengers on the way to the boats. He brought back about twenty-five more steerage women and children, having some little trouble owing to the men passengers wanting to get to the Boat Deck. These were all third-class people whom we took to the only boat left on the starboard side, viz., No. 15. There were a large number already in the boat, which was then lowered to A Deck, and five women, three children and a man with a baby in his arms taken in, making about seventy people in all, including thirteen or fourteen of the crew and fireman Diamond in charge. Mr. Murdoch ordered witness into the boat. Four men passengers and fourteen crew was the complement of men; the rest were women and children.

When boat No. 15 left the boat deck there were other women and children there — some first- class women passengers and their husbands. Absolute quietness existed. There were repeated cries for women and children. If there had been any more women there would have been found places for them in the boat. He heard some of the women on the A Deck say they would not leave their husbands.

There is no truth in the statement that any of the seamen tried to keep back third-class passengers from the Boat Deck. Witness saw masthead light of a ship from the Boat Deck. He did his very best, and so did all the other stewards, to help get the steerage passengers on the Boat Deck as soon as possible.