Miss Eliina Honkanen was born in Saarijärvi, Finland around 1884. She was the daughter of Johan Honkanen and Eva Poikanen but little else is known about her early life.

Described as a maid, Miss Honkanen boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a third class passenger (ticket number 3101283 which had cost £7, 18s, 6d). She was travelling from Helsinki to 16 West Street in Quincy, Massachusetts where she had family; elsewhere in Maynard, Massachusetts her sister Hannah (Mrs Victor Mattson, b. 1878) had died on 28 February 1911, leaving behind a widower and six children. It appears she was accompanying Laina Heikkinen, also of Saarijärvi, but this is not clear.

Eliina survived the sinking but in which lifeboat is unknown, perhaps one of the aft starboard boats.

Following the disaster Miss Honkanen journeyed to Quincy where she claimed for lost property amounting to $310 and sued for $5000 for her "conscious suffering, sickness and injuries".

Eliina was married in Boston on 21 April 1913 to Isaac Victor Lindquist (b. 1875), a native of Finland and son of Isaac Lindquist and Mary Gronholm. Following this the couple drop off of the radar and their final whereabouts are unknown.