Mr Albert Wirz, 27, a farmer, was born on 19 May 1884 at Buchholz near Uster, Switzerland. His parents were Albert Wirz and Anna Bertha Wirz-Gull. His mother died 1889 and his father remarried a Lina Maag. The younger sister of Lina, Maria, emigrated together with her illegitimate son Adolf Maag to Beloit, Wisconsin. She later married a Terrance M. Brown.
In 1912 Albert asked his aunt in Beloit to look for a job for him. He also wanted to emigrate to America.
Albert Wirz was a friend of Anton Kink and his family. They boarded the Titanic at Southampton as third class passengers. To reach his destination Beloit, Wisconsin, he bought his third class ticket from the agent: Kaiser & Cie., Basel, for 344 Swiss francs (ticket number 315154, price: £8 13s 3d).
On April 10th he left his home. His sister Bertha, 22, accompanied him to Zürich. From there he took the train.
Albert Wirz shared cabin (E)58 on F-Deck, together with Josef Arnold, Leo Zimmermann, Vincenz Kink Kink, Anton Kink, and almost certainly Wenzel Linhart.
On April 14th they already were asleep, when they were suddenly woken by a "earthquake". Albert Wirz never had a chance to enter a lifeboat.
He died in the sinking. His body was recovered by the Mackay-Bennet on April 24th (#131).
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NO. 131. - MALE. - HAIR DARK. MUSTACHE, FAIR CLOTHING - Dark suit; woolen socks; buckle shoes. EFFECTS - Two watches; brass chain; one ink pot; match box; knife; memo book; insurance book; passport; keys; empty purse; purse containing 36c. THIRD CLASS TICKET No. 315154 NAME - ALBERT WIRZ. |
His body was tranferred to Beloit, it arrived there on 11 May, and was buried at the local cemetery on 12 May. His grave was till 5 September 1996 without a stone.
Wirz's Body Brought to Beloit.
Beloit.---The body of Albert Wirz, drowned in the wreck of the Titanic, has been brought to Beloit, consigned to his aunt, Mrs. T. M. Brown, with whom he was to reside. - The Daily Tribune /Wisconsin Rapids/ 22 May 1912, p. 2
His aunt Maria Brown lost her job shortly after the sinking of the Titanic and travelled to New York to look for a new one. She had no luck and went back, asking the Red Cross to give her $27 for the ticket.
Red Cross files: 486. (Swiss) A farmer, 26 years of age, was lost. His body was recovered and sent for burial to his aunt in Wisconsin to whose home he was going. Later, losing her usual work, she came to New York to find employment, bringing her two sons, 14 and 10 years of age. She found it impossible to support herself here, and applied for transportation to Wisconsin, not wishing to accept other help. The English Committee gave £60 to the family in Switzerland. ($27)
His father received some belongings from his sister-in-law Maria Brown. Nothing is known what became of her after 1920.
Albert's stepmother died on 10 December 1917, his father on 11 April 1939 at Uster. His family received £60 from the Titanic Relief Fund. Until November 1912 to Alberts father were paid: sFr 500 life insurance
sFr 400 luggage insurance
sFr 400 check No 6922
sFr 52.50 check No. 6154
sFr 88.05 ticket from N.Y. to Beloit
sFr 20 "head tax" prepaid
total 1460.55.
He received compensation of $440 from the White Star Line (minus $115 for attorney and embassy)
Albert is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Beloit, Wisconsin (plot S-3-113).
Comment and discuss
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Thats so sad
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There is a discrepancy in his age on the website. In one section: born 1884 (27 years old) in another section: born 1894 (17 years old)
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