Encyclopedia Titanica

Agnes Charlotta Sandström

Third Class Passenger

Agnes Charlotta Sandström
Agnes Charlotta Sandström

Mrs Hjalmar Sandström (Agnes Charlotta Bengtsson), 24, was born 8 November 1887 in Lerbäck, Örebro County, Sweden, to Bengt, a well-to-do merchant born 15 June 1849 at Nörregården, Klöxhult, Pjätteryd, Småland (Kalmar County), and Lovisa Mathilda (nee Eriksson; b. 25 August 1857 at Lerbäck) Bengtsson. Her parents had married 31 January 1876. Her brothers and sisters were Agda Maria, b. 3 February 1876, Alma Lovisa, b. 7 March 1877, Hedvig Elisabeth, b. 3 January 1879, Bengt Erik, b. 27 November 1880, Gustaf Valentin, b. 7 April 1882, Edith Ingeborg Mathilda, b. 25 July 1883, Karl Bernard Mauritz, b. 21 September 1885, Sven Birger, b. 19 October 1889, Paul Hjalmar, b. 2 April April 1892, and Carl Vilhelm Tolv, b. 19 December 1897.

She married Hjalmar Leonard Sandström, an ironworker (b. 21 June 1886 at Forserum, Sweden) on 23 November 1909.

Agnes and her husband had been living in the United States since 1908.  In 1912 they resided at 281, Richland Avenue, San Francisco, California 

They had two daughters Margit (Marguerite) and Beatrice.

Agnes Sandström and her daughters had been visiting her parents in Hultsjö and some friends in Forserum. They boarded the Titanic at Southampton as third class passengers. They joined a group of Swedish passengers led by Thure Edvin Lundström.

On the Titanic she and the children shared a cabin with Elna and Selma Ström. She told later that she did not believe it was real, when she was woken by a steward after the collision but she had gone up to the boat deck. The Ström family followed Agnes and her children but in the confusion on the aft well deck ladder she lost sight of the Ströms and never saw them again. She stepped with her children into lifeboat 13.

In New York they were sent to St. Vincent Hospital and continued their journey about a week later. She passed Chicago on 30 April. The Sandström family moved back to Sweden for good in the autumn of 1912.

There were at least three sons born to them after their return to Sweden; Vilhelm Leonard, b. 24 February 1913 at Forserum, Jönköping's County, Bengt Alfred, b. 13 December 1916 at Virserum, Kalmar County, and Lars Magnus, b. 9 September 1924 at Virserum. Mrs. Sandström passed away on 1 December 1985 in Sweden, aged 98. She is buried at Klockrike Kyrkogård, Klockrike, Sweden

References and Sources

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

Newspaper Articles

Chicago Daily News (24 April 1912) TITANIC RESCUED HERE
Five Left of Party of Ten from Sweden Arrive on Way to Pacific Coast
Dagens Nyheter (24 May 1961) Agnes and Beatrice Sandström in 1961

Movies

An interview with the Swedish Titanic survivors Agnes, Marguerite and Beatrice Sandström

Comment and discuss

  1. Andrew Maheux

    Andrew Maheux

    Mikael, Thank you for the website. So the photo is of Agnes Sandstrom? Thank you Andrew Maheux
  2. Mikael Jonsson

    Mikael Jonsson

    Hi again. yup the photos is of Agnes. Check ET for information in English.
  3. Jan C. Nielsen

    Jan C. Nielsen

    I have a photo of Mrs. Sandstrom's former house in San Francisco. When I get a chance, I'll post it.
  4. Bob Godfrey

    Bob Godfrey

    Hallo, Jesseca. In later life Beatrice Sandstrom was never married, and earned her living running a small bakery. I assume you've looked at her biography page here on this website. If not, it's here:
  5. JessicaGalbiati

    JessicaGalbiati

    Hey you guys this is going to sound crazy but I full reason to believe I am the reincarnation of Beatrice. I dont know if you all believe in reincarnation, but I do and had a past life dream. Here's my story. My reincarnation dream yes I was a titanic survivor when I was a child in my past life. I was 21 years old when I had my very first reincarnation dream. I always wished I could have an amazing experience such as reincarnation dreams I asked and asked, until one night when I was least expecting it boom! you want it here it is Haha. I fell into the dream much like an Out of body experience. Frankly, I thought I was having an Out of Body experience because of how real it felt. The dream started as me but it didnt look like me now. I analyzed and saw that I was a baby girl being held too young to know what the voices were saying. I heard and saw people panicking and screaming. I remember being scared and not understanding what was going on. The tops decks were crowded. My mom held... Read full post
  6. Mark Baber

    Mark Baber

    Moderator's caution: Please tread lightly here. Discussions of reincarnation have, albeit in the distant past, become overly heated. Be respectful of the beliefs of others, even (especially?) if you don't share them. Thanks.
  7. Swede

    Swede

    Hi I just found this page when I was telling some friends about my great aunt that was a Titanic surviver. Reading through these comments I just thought I could add some info (even though I suspect none of the previous posters will see as it has been 22 years since the first post here). My great grandfather was Agnes Sandströms brother. I didn't know my great grandfather but I did meet Agnes several times. My grandmother (Agnes niece) often told us stories of Aunt Agnes (as we all called her), and I would like to share an anecdote about her that is a testimony to her character (which may very well have been brought on from the Titanic survival). At the age of 94 Aunt Agnes started to plan her own funeral, yeah she did, because she felt it was getting close and she didn't want to put that burden on anyone else. The Swedish funerals are very much like weddings, first you have the ceremony and after there is a "funeral reception" with food. It's a social gathering after the funeral to... Read full post

Showing 8 posts of 23 total. View all.

Open Thread Leave a Reply

Titanic Passenger Summary

Name: Mrs Agnes Charlotta Sandström (née Bengtsson)
Age: 24 years 5 months and 7 days (Female)
Nationality: Swedish American
Last Residence: in Motala, Sweden
Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 9549, £16 14s
Cabin No. G6
Rescued (boat 13)  
Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
Died: Sunday 1st December 1985 aged 98 years
Buried: Klockrike Kyrkogård, Klockrike, Sweden

Linked Biographies

Page Options

Watch this page

Improve this Biography

If you have any corrections or something to add please  get in touch