Who was Mrs Agnes Charlotta Sandström?

Mrs Agnes Charlotta Sandström was a Swedish-American Titanic survivor who, at the age of 24 (twenty-four), embarked on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic with her two young daughters. Her remarkable story of survival and resilience in the face of tragedy has made her a notable figure in Titanic history.

Early Life and Family

Agnes Charlotta Bengtsson was born on November 8, 1887, in Lerbäck, Örebro County, Sweden. She came from a well-to-do merchant family, with her father Bengt Bengtsson born on June 15, 1849, in Nörregården, Klöxhult, Pjätteryd, Småland (Kalmar County), and her mother Lovisa Mathilda (née Eriksson) born on August 25, 1857, in Lerbäck.

Agnes was one of eleven children in the Bengtsson family:

Agda Maria (b. February 3, 1876)
Alma Lovisa (b. March 7, 1877)
Hedvig Elisabeth (b. January 3, 1879)
Bengt Erik (b. November 27, 1880)
Gustaf Valentin (b. April 7, 1882)
Edith Ingeborg Mathilda (b. July 25, 1883)
Karl Bernard Mauritz (b. September 21, 1885)
Agnes Charlotta (b. November 8, 1887)
Sven Birger (b. October 19, 1889)
Paul Hjalmar (b. April 2, 1892)
Carl Vilhelm Tolv (b. December 19, 1897)

Marriage and Life in America

On November 23, 1909, Agnes married Hjalmar Leonard Sandström, an ironworker born on June 21, 1886, in Forserum, Sweden. The couple had been living in the United States since 1908, settling in San Francisco, California. By 1912, they had established their home at 281 Richland Avenue in San Francisco.

Agnes and Hjalmar had two daughters:

Margit (Marguerite)
Beatrice

The Fateful Titanic Journey

Why was Agnes Sandström on the Titanic?

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

Titanic Experience

During the voyage, Agnes and her children shared cabin G6 with Elna and Selma Ström. The cost of their ticket was £16 14s (16 pounds, 14 shillings), equivalent to ticket number 9549.

On the night of April 14, 1912, when the Titanic struck the iceberg, Agnes was awakened by a steward. Initially, she didn’t believe the situation was serious. However, she soon made her way to the boat deck with her children. In the ensuing chaos, Agnes lost sight of the Ström family on the aft well deck ladder, never to see them again.

Rescue and Survival

Agnes and her daughters managed to board lifeboat 13, securing their survival. This experience undoubtedly left an indelible mark on their lives, as they faced the horrors of the sinking ship and the uncertainty of rescue in the cold North Atlantic night.

Life After the Titanic

Upon arriving in New York, Agnes and her children were sent to St. Vincent Hospital for care. They continued their journey about a week later, passing through Chicago on April 30, 1912.

Return to Sweden

In a surprising turn of events, the Sandström family decided to move back to Sweden permanently in the autumn of 1912. This decision was likely influenced by their harrowing experience on the Titanic and a desire to be closer to family.

After their return to Sweden, Agnes and Hjalmar had at least three more children:

Vilhelm Leonard (b. February 24, 1913, in Forserum, Jönköping’s County)
Bengt Alfred (b. December 13, 1916, in Virserum, Kalmar County)
Lars Magnus (b. September 9, 1924, in Virserum)

Legacy and Final Years

Agnes Charlotta Sandström lived a long life, passing away on December 1, 1985, in Sweden at the age of 98 (ninety-eight). Her final resting place is at Klockrike Kyrkogård, Klockrike, Sweden.

Her survival story, along with those of her daughters, adds to the rich tapestry of Titanic narratives, highlighting the human element of this historic tragedy. Agnes’s decision to return to Sweden after the disaster also illustrates the profound impact the event had on survivors’ life choices.

As one of the last surviving Titanic passengers, Agnes Sandström’s longevity allowed her story to be passed down through generations, keeping the memory of the Titanic alive well into the late 20th century.