Refuses Chance to Be Saved and Both Go Down With Ill-Fated Titanic
Refusing to be parted from her husband, and preferring death to separation, is the thrilling story related of Mrs. William Lahtinen, who with her husband, was among the victims of the steamship Titanic.
At first it was believed that the woman bearing the same name was Mrs. Lahtinen, but news brought Tuesday by Isaac Stein, who returned on that day from Hancock, Mich., has established the fact that it was a Miss Lahtinen, a sister of Rev. Lahtinen, who was saved.
Mrs. Lahtinen was offered a place on one of the lifeboats, but when she learned that her husband would be unable to accompany her she refused the chance to be saved, and together, they went to their deaths in the icy waters of the treacherous Atlantic.
Mr. Lahtinen had arranged with Contractor Nels Hill of Cokato to have a residence built in Minneapolis which was to be ready for Mr. Lahtinen's occupancy on his return from Finland, and which was nearly completed at the time of the awful disaster.
Mr. Lahtinen was one of the best known Finnish ministers in America. He was 35 years old, and had resided for many years in Cokato, where he was pastor of the Apostolic Lutheran Church.