Who was Mrs Alma Cornelia Pålsson?

Mrs Alma Cornelia Pålsson was a 29-year-old (twenty-nine) Swedish passenger who tragically perished aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912. She was traveling with her four young children to reunite with her husband in Chicago when disaster struck, resulting in the loss of her entire family.

Early Life and Family

Alma Cornelia Berglund was born on August 3, 1882, in Velinge, Sweden. She was the daughter of Maria Berglund (née Nilsson) and Anders Berglund. Alma came from a large family, with four brothers:

Oskar Albert Berglund
Hilding Waldemar Berglund
Axel Ferdinand Berglund
Gustav Gabriel Berglund

Marriage and Life in Sweden

Alma married Nils Pålsson, who worked as a miner in Gruvan, Bjuv, Skåne, Sweden. The couple faced challenging times when a major strike affected the mining industry. With limited career options in Bjuv - mainly confined to mining, brickwork, or farm labor - Nils decided to seek better opportunities abroad.

The Journey to America

On June 10, 1910, Nils received his emigration certificate and traveled to Chicago, leaving his family behind temporarily. In Chicago, he found employment as a tram conductor and lived at 938 Townsend Street. Two of Alma’s brothers, Olof (possibly Oskar) and Axel Berglund, were also residing in Chicago at the time.

After saving enough money, Nils arranged for Alma and their four children - Torburg, Paul, Stina, and Gösta - to join him in America. The family embarked on their fateful journey, traveling from Gruvan to Southampton via Malmö and Copenhagen.

Aboard the Titanic

Alma and her children boarded the Titanic as third-class passengers in Southampton. Their ticket number was 349909, and they paid £21 1s for their passage. During the voyage, Alma befriended another passenger, August Wennerström.

What happened to Alma on the night of the sinking?

On the tragic night of April 14-15, 1912, Alma struggled to prepare her four children as the ship was sinking. Unfortunately, the time spent getting the children ready caused her to miss the opportunity to board a lifeboat. In a desperate attempt to save her family, Alma met Wennerström on the Boat Deck near Collapsible A. She asked him to hold two of her children, but as the water rushed over them, Wennerström lost his grip, and they disappeared into the frigid Atlantic.

The Aftermath

Alma’s body was later recovered by the Mackay-Bennett, identified as body No. 206. The description of her remains and personal effects provides a poignant glimpse into her final moments:

Estimated age: 30
Hair color: Fair
Clothing: Brown coat, green cardigan, dark shirt, brown skirt, boots (no stockings)
Personal effects: Wedding ring, brass keeper, mouth organ, purse with two coins, a letter, 65 kroner, and a letter from her husband, Neil Paulsson (Nils Pålsson)

Alma was laid to rest in Fairview Cemetery in Halifax on May 8, 1912.

Financial Compensation and Nils’ Fate

In the wake of the tragedy, the Mansion House Fund provided 875.52 Kr (£48) to Alma’s mother. Additionally, damages of 1366:50 Kr (£75) were paid to her mother on May 26, 1914.

Nils Pålsson, devastated by the loss of his entire family, remained in the USA. He spent considerable time and money searching for any sign of his children, clinging to false hopes of their survival. In the late 1920s, he was joined in America by Axell Tollof Kvist, a relative of Alma’s born on April 14, 1896. Kvist intended to bring his wife to America but never made contact again. Nils Pålsson lived the remainder of his life in the United States until his death in 1962.

The story of Alma Cornelia Pålsson and her family serves as a heart-wrenching reminder of the human toll of the Titanic disaster, illustrating the dreams of a better life that were tragically cut short on that fateful night in April 1912.