BERT JOHNS, SURVIVOR OF 1912 TITANIC DISASTER, DIES
Port Huron Times Herald
Page 1, columns 6-7
Bert Johns, 66, survivor of the Titanic disaster in 1912, operator of Bert's Tavern, 622 Water Street, for 15 years, Port Huron resident 32 years, died Saturday in his home, 216 Broad Street, after an illness of one month.
He was a member of St. Stephen Catholic Church.
Mr. Johns was born in Hardin, Syria, April 10, 1885, and came to this country in 1912 aboard the ill fated Titanic.
He and Miss Elizabeth Hassey were married July 16, 1912.
He is survived by his widow; two sisters, Mrs. Peter Simon and Mrs. Peter George, both of Kingston, PA.; two brothers, Simon and Alex Johns, both of Hardin, several nieces and nephews.
The remains are in the Karrer-Simpson funeral home. Funeral arrangements have not been completed.
On the night of April 14, 1912, Mr. Johns, who knew only a few English words, was one of the 2,224 passengers aboard the ill-fated luxury liner, Titanic, bound from Southampton, England, to New York.
The big ship, queen of the ocean, cost $10,000,000 and was considered unsinkable.
It was 883 feet long and its furnishings were superb with palm gardens, Turkish baths, gymnasiums, elevators and other luxuries.
At 10:25 P.M. that night the Titanic struck an iceberg 600 miles off Halifax.
Mr. Johns jumped into a lifeboat almost entirely filled with other passengers.
He recalled being in the lifeboat until late the next morning when they were picked up by the Carpathia, another passenger ship and landed in New York.
A brother, then living in Port Huron, went to New York and brought him here.
He worked at a number of industrial plants and for eight years he and Mrs. Johns conducted a fruit store in Marlette.
Returning to Port Huron he opened a fruit store on Quay street.
Later he went into the tavern business.
Bert Johns, 66, survivor of the Titanic disaster in 1912, operator of Bert's Tavern, 622 Water Street, for 15 years, Port Huron resident 32 years, died Saturday in his home, 216 Broad Street, after an illness of one month.
He was a member of St. Stephen Catholic Church.
Mr. Johns was born in Hardin, Syria, April 10, 1885, and came to this country in 1912 aboard the ill fated Titanic.
He and Miss Elizabeth Hassey were married July 16, 1912.
He is survived by his widow; two sisters, Mrs. Peter Simon and Mrs. Peter George, both of Kingston, PA.; two brothers, Simon and Alex Johns, both of Hardin, several nieces and nephews.
The remains are in the Karrer-Simpson funeral home. Funeral arrangements have not been completed.
On the night of April 14, 1912, Mr. Johns, who knew only a few English words, was one of the 2,224 passengers aboard the ill-fated luxury liner, Titanic, bound from Southampton, England, to New York.
The big ship, queen of the ocean, cost $10,000,000 and was considered unsinkable.
It was 883 feet long and its furnishings were superb with palm gardens, Turkish baths, gymnasiums, elevators and other luxuries.
At 10:25 P.M. that night the Titanic struck an iceberg 600 miles off Halifax.
Mr. Johns jumped into a lifeboat almost entirely filled with other passengers.
He recalled being in the lifeboat until late the next morning when they were picked up by the Carpathia, another passenger ship and landed in New York.
A brother, then living in Port Huron, went to New York and brought him here.
He worked at a number of industrial plants and for eight years he and Mrs. Johns conducted a fruit store in Marlette.
Returning to Port Huron he opened a fruit store on Quay street.
Later he went into the tavern business.
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