Mr Johan Martin Holthen

Mr Johan Martin Holthen, 28, from Horten, Norway, had been studying to become a mate for seven months in Kristiansund, where he had been living earlier. In 1912 he got married to Bertha Gunhilde Holthen, she was 27 years old. She had been working as maid for seven years for a dealer named Henriksen in Bergen. Johan also left behind his mother Elen Holthen and a sister Anna Hansen.

Holthen was travelling from Horten to New York together with Albert Andersen and Henry Olsen. He was going to New York to sign on as second mate on SS Edda owned by the Norwegian firm K. S. Nordgren of Bergen and commanded by Captain Meidell.

He travelled from Bergen via Newcastle to Southampton where he boarded the Titanic as a third class passenger . Bertha returned to her old job in order to pay the loan of 500 NKr which Johan had borrowed for his studies.

Holthen and his travelling companions all lost their lives in the disaster. His body was never found.

After the sinking Bertha's employer, Henriksen, wrote to the Ministery of foreign affairs: "she was weak, had declared that she had no strength to do similar kind of work, but that she had not any kind of education."

The Mansion House Fund paid 1362.75 NKr (£75) to Bertha Holthen on 24 January 1913 and 545 NKr to his mother on 12 February 1913. 1764 NKr ($525) damage claims were paid to his widow on 8 July 1916. Of that sum she had to give 588 NKr to his mother. Another payment of 324 NKr ($90) was made to his widow and 162 NKr ($35) to his mother on 12 January 1917.

Notes
On British lists Johan Holten is listed as a 43 year old Danish man.

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

Acknowledgements
Leif Snellman, Finland
Claes-Göran Wetterholm, Sweden