Miss Gertrude Emilia Klasén 1 was born in Fliseryd, Kalmar, Sweden on 11 December 1910.
She was the illegitimate daughter of Alice Esther Amanda Klasén (b. 15 August 1890) and was seemingly raised in her grandparents' household, Klas Victor Karlsson and Johanna Matilda, née Jonsdotter, in Grimshult, Fliseryd. Her mother later emigrated in 1911, leaving Getrude behind, and she was married in California in the summer of that year to Emil Peter Edwards (formlery Löfqvist, b. 14 October 1878), a Swedish man who had emigrated in 1902. Emil was also the brother of her aunt Hulda Klasén. Hulda had been married to their mother's late brother Karl Klasen.
Gertrude boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a third class passenger and travelled on ticket number 350405 with her aunt Hulda which cost £12, 3s, 8d). Also travelling with her was her 18-year-old uncle 2 Klas Albin Klasén and they were headed to Los Angeles to be reunited with her mother, having gained their emigration certificates on 22 March 1912. Also with them was another niece of Mrs Klasén's, Hulda Amanda Adolfina Veström, and they were part of a large party of Swedes that also included: Mrs Sandström and her two daughters, and Elina Olsson and Thure Lundström.
Gertrude, her uncle and aunt all lost their lives in the sinking. Their bodies, if recovered, were never identified.
Gertrude's mother remained in California for the rest of her life. She and her husband Emil had their first child Freda on 14 October 1912. She would be followed by: Evelyn Joanna (1914-1977, later Mrs Conrad Nels Miller), Esther (b. 1915), Herbert (1920-1977) and Leonard Frederick (1930-1994).
Widowed in 1942, Alice was remarried to John Wilford Keiser (1881-1966) and she died in Los Angeles on 8 March 1966.
Comment and discuss
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Why would the irresponsible people let a 1 year old girl drown!?
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Gertrud Emilia was not the sister of Klas Albin Klasén. The little girl was instead the illegitimate daughter of his sister (the father unkown, according to the records), Alice Ester Amanda Klasson, who had emigrated to USA March 27th 1911. I have not yet found out where and under what circumstances Alice Ester Amanda lived in the USA, although I'm every now and then looking into it, as the family are distant relatives of mine.
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.Alice Klasen married Emil Peter Edwards in Los Angeles on 29 July, 1911. His parents were Peter and Hannah Löfqvist and they were Hulda Kristina Klasén's (she travelled with Klas Albin and Gertrud Emilia) parents, so the families knew each other without a doubt. Alice and Emil had two sons; Herbert (born around 1920) and Leonard (about 1930). Emil, born 14 October 1878, died in California on 8 September, 1942. Alice remarried on 24 September, 1944, this time in Orange, California. Her new husband was a John Wilford Keiser. Alice Klasen Edwards Keiser passed away in Los Angeles on 8 March, 1966. Unfortunately, only Gertrud's mother's name is mentioned in the birth index. My guess is that her father was Emil Peter Löfquist/Edwards, since he married Gertrud's mother Alice very shortly after their arrival in the USA; they must have known each other before they came to the USA and subsequently I believe chances are good that he in fact was Gertrud's father (there is often no ''e'' in...
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