Mr Ernst Ulrik Persson, 25, was born in Julita, Sweden on July 29, 1886. Before leaving Sweden he had worked as a janitor and a chauffeur and lived at Hollandargatan 4, Stockholm.
Persson, who was immigrating to America, boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a third class passenger (ticket number 347083, £7 15s 6d) together with his sister Elna Ström and niece Telma Matilda Ström it is believed that they occupied cabins on G deck (possibly room 6 or 7). They were travelling to Indiana Harbor, IN where Elna Ström had been settled for some time.
Ernst described the terrible experience of the sinking in a letter to his wife.
When Elna and I came up all lifeboats were crowded at that time no rescue was found. We stood together all the time, so we agreed to accompany each other into the deep. But as the boat sunk and the water started pouring over the deck there was a terrible sight and scuffle and that separated us. Then I heard Elna saying "Tell Wilhelm and my parents and sisters if you get rescued." Then I didn't see her any longer because then we were all washed overboard. When I came into the water I sunk several meters below the surface so as I came up again, I had a roof of wreckage over my head. I managed to come up in it and got hanging for a good while, but when the last part of the boat started to sink, so I had to leave the wreckage and try to swim away, otherwise I once again would have been dragged down into the deep. As I swam, I saw how people in the water tried to rescue themselves in an overloaded boat but as they hanged on the gunwale and all drowned and the boat turned the keel upwards, then I saw how some people climbed up on it, then I swam away towards it and was taken up. On this boat was only Italians and it was crowded, that it floated nearly one meter below the water. There I had to lie for six hours with the water up to my shoulders. Then we were taken up in a lifeboat that rowed us to the big boat that had come to rescue us.
Elna and Telma Ström were lost in the sinking, Persson's account suggests that he was rescued on one of the collapsible boats that were floated off the ship, probably collapsible B1.
Persson made an insurance claim (Claim No. D35) for personal injury ($5,000) and loss of property ($250). He also received relief from the American Red Cross (#376).
Case number 376. (Swedish).
Chauffeur, 25 years of age, coming with his sister and her little daughter, both of whom were drowned, lost baggage and $50 in cash. He has wife and two young children in Sweden. ($50).
Ernst's wife Anna and sons Ernst Folke and Ernst Tage came to join him in America in October of 1912, two more children were born later.
By 1914 Ernst had changed his name to Ernest Pearson2, worked as a bricklayer at the Standard Forgings company (the same company as Wilhelm Strom) and lived with his family at 3725 A Carey Street, Indiana Harbor, Indiana. The family later moved to Hammond, Indiana.
Ernst's wife appears to have predeceased him. Ernst himself died on 17 October 1951, aged 65. He was buried in Elmwood cemetery, Hammond, Indiana.
Comment and discuss
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Wonderful. Was told that my Great-Grandfather was a passinger. Ernst Person name was changed to Pearson. Found the web site full of great info. Will continue to brouse often. Thanks. Patti Pearson-Kotz Batavia, IL
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Grandson of Ernst Ulrik Persson Would like to hear from other relatives. Bert Pearson Gurnee, IL
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Re: my father was Ernest Folke which makes me the grand son. The above account by my grandfather was hand written on stationary from the Swedish Immagration Home in New York. I was able to get it translated by Mr. Wilham Baum, an archievist of old documents in Stockholm. I tried to contact him at a later date, but all of my letters were returned. The above account is his translation of that letter. Ironically, he was in another boating incident in about 1947 when I was about 6 years old . My father, grandfather and I were fishing from a small boat in Wisconsin. While my father was making a tight turn, he accidently gunned the motor and the boat rolled over, putting the 3 of us in about 20 feet of water. A nearby fishing boat came to our rescue.
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he was a brave man
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Great article!Signed Max and Logan Madani (Ernst Ulrik Persson/Ernest Pearson's Great Great Grandson's)
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Logan and Max's mother is Michele Vonnegut. She is the daughter of Jeanine Walker. She is the daughter of Edith Pearson. Edith is the daughter of Titanic survivor, Ernst Ulrik Persson. (His name was changed to Ernest Pearson after he arrived in the USA)
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