Helga Elisabeth Lindqvist Hirvonen

Who was Mrs Helga Elisabeth Lindqvist Hirvonen?

Mrs Helga Elisabeth Lindqvist Hirvonen was a Finnish Titanic survivor who embarked on a remarkable journey from her homeland to America, enduring the tragic sinking of the famous ocean liner. Born on January 2, 1890, in Salo, Finland, she was 22 (twenty-two) years old when she boarded the Titanic as a third-class passenger with her young daughter, Hildur.

Early Life and Family

Helga was born into the family of Karl August Lindqvist and Elisabeth Vik. She grew up alongside three known siblings:

Eino Lindqvist
Matti (Martin) Lindqvist
Lydia Lindqvist

As an adult, Helga was described as a woman of fair complexion, standing 5'6" tall, with brown hair and striking blue eyes. Her appearance likely reflected her Finnish heritage, a blend of Nordic and Eastern European features.

Marriage and Journey to America

By 1912, Helga had married Erik Aleksanteri (Eric Alexander) Hirvonen, born on May 18, 1886, in Taalintehdas (Dalsbruk in Swedish), a predominantly Swedish-speaking town in southwestern Finland. The couple made their home in this bilingual community, where Helga was fluent in both Finnish and Swedish. Their only child, Hildur Elisabeth, was born on February 15, 1910, completing their small family.

In late 1911, Erik Hirvonen made the difficult decision to leave Finland for America. He traveled aboard the Lusitania, arriving in New York on November 3, 1911. His destination was Monessen, Pennsylvania, where he found work as a tin worker at the American Sheet and Tinplate plant. Erik, described as a slight man standing 5'5½" with brown hair and blue eyes, worked diligently to save money and send for his wife and child to join him.

The Titanic Voyage

How did Helga and Hildur come to be on the Titanic?

In the spring of 1912, Helga and her young daughter Hildur boarded the Titanic at Southampton, England. They were traveling as third-class passengers, their ticket (number 3101298) costing £12, 5s, 9d. Their ultimate destination was Monessen, Pennsylvania, where they planned to reunite with Erik.

Helga was not alone on this journey. She was accompanied by:

Her brother, Eino Lindqvist
A fellow Finn, August Abrahamsson

During the voyage, Helga also became acquainted with other Finnish passengers, including:

Eirikk Jussila
The newlyweds Pekka and Elin Hakkarainen
The Panula family

Before leaving Southampton, Helga wrote a postcard featuring a picture of the Titanic to friends back in Dalsbruk, little knowing the historical significance this simple act would later hold.

What happened to Helga on the night of the Titanic’s sinking?

On the fateful night of April 14-15, 1912, Helga’s brother Eino Lindqvist managed to secure places for his sister and niece in one of the lifeboats. In a later interview with the Charleroi Mail on April 23, 1912, Helga recounted her harrowing experience:

“I was the last to be given a place on the last life boat. I was very carefully picked because I had my baby with me. I suppose we had been away from the Titanic twenty minutes when it went down. I saw it plainly. When it took its final dive people were leaping from all sides into the water. Some of them were saved. When our boat left the Titanic’s side it was only about half filled. It wasn’t long however, before we picked up enough to completely fill it. My brother was found on a raft after we had been six and a half hours at sea….I was in the boat with the managing director of the steamship company, J. Bruce Ismay, although at the time I didn’t know it.”

Life After the Titanic

How did Helga’s life unfold after surviving the Titanic?

After their rescue, Helga and Hildur were reunited with Erik in New York. The family initially settled in Monessen, Pennsylvania, before moving to Syracuse, New York. There, Erik found employment with the Holcomb Steel Company, working alongside Helga’s brother Eino until the latter moved to California.

In 1936, the Hirvonen family purchased a farm in Victory, Cayuga County, New York. This rural property, complete with animals, became Helga’s home for the rest of her life.

Did Helga ever return to Finland?

Yes, Helga made two known return trips to Finland:

In April 1914, she sailed aboard the Lusitania to Britain, eventually reaching Åbo (Turku in Finnish), Finland. She didn’t return to the USA until late the following year.
In the 1920s, Helga and Hildur visited Helga’s mother in Dalsbruk.

Legacy and Final Years

Tragically, Helga outlived her daughter Hildur, who succumbed to cancer in 1956. Helga herself passed away following a long illness on May 17, 1961, at the age of 71 (seventy-one). She was laid to rest beside her daughter at Union Hill Cemetery in Cato, New York.

Upon her death, several newspapers erroneously reported that Helga was the last living Titanic survivor, a testament to the enduring fascination with the disaster and its survivors. Her estate, not exceeding $10,000, was left to her widower Erik.

What became of Erik Hirvonen after Helga’s death?

Erik Hirvonen’s life took a somber turn after losing both his wife and daughter. He lived a solitary existence, moving between different hotels in and around Cato, New York. His daily routine consisted of meeting and conversing with his lone friend, Arthur Hart.

On March 17, 1964, Erik’s absence from his usual routine alerted those who knew him. He was found dead in his room at the Cato Hotel, having taken his own life. Erik was buried alongside Helga and Hildur in Union Hill Cemetery, bringing a poignant close to