My second book about the RMS Titanic and her passengers and crew along with some movie talk. Same rules apply, no drama, trolls, and disrespecting the people on this ship
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October 12th, 1894 - September 30th, 1976
She is a Libra.
Bertha Ilett was born in Millbrook on Jersey in the Channel Islands to Edward Ilett (born 1858) and Elizabeth Hamling (born 1856). Her father was a gardener originally from Eling, Hampshire and her mother was a native of Alderney, also in the Channel Islands, and they had married around 1883. One of 10 children, Bedtha's known siblings were: Lillian (born 1884), Florence (born 1886), Elsie (born 1889), Edward (born 1892), Dorea (born 1897), and Mabel (born 1898). She first appears on the 1901 census living at an unspecified address in St Lawrence, Jersey. When she appeared on the 1911 census she, Florence, and Mabel were described as tea packets and still living at home, then at Bayfield, Millbrook, St Lawrence.
Aboard Titanic/April 14th-15th, 1912: Her father made frequent trips across the Atlantic to supervise shiploads of cattle crossing between England and the USA. Their quarantine station was in Athenia, New York and Mrs. Ilett would stay there with friends and family before returning to Jersey. Elsie had married a Danish, Chris Olsen and started a family in Geneva, Ontario County, New York and Bertha decided to join her there whilst visiting her father and other family and friends in New York. She therefore boarded the RMS Titanic at Southampton on April 10th, 1912 as a 2nd class passenger. On the night of the 14th, Bertha had retired to her cabin and went to bed around 10 PM but felt no commotion or crash.
Less than an hour later a woman knocked on her door expressing concern of something amiss. The 2 women were assured of no danger by circulating stewards and Bertha went back to bed. A short while later steward knocked on her door, telling her to dress warmly and head topside and clad only in a heavy coat over her nightgown and with her lifejacket she followed him. Arriving on boat deck, she described a calm atmosphere and describes herself as being placed into the 2nd of the lifeboats lowered from the section of the ship, she said, carried around 50 persons (possibly lifeboat 14). The boat began to leak after a while and she recalled being transferred to another boat during the night which was the last to join the RMS Carpathia the next morning (lifeboat 12).
After The Sinking/Later Life/Death: She was met by her father and a family friend, Dr. E. T Davidson in New York before travelling to Athenia where other friends and family anxiously awaited her. Bertha was married to Chris Kristen Christensen (November 11th, 1887), a native of Denmark who had also emigrated in 1912 and they maybe met through her sister's Danish husband. They married in Geneva, New York and had 3 children: Edward (born 1916), Phyllis (born 1918), and Richard (born 1926). Her husband died in 19956.
Bertha later lived at White Springs Road in Geneva and died at the General Hospital on September 30th, 1976 at the age of 82. She is buried in Brookside Cemetery in Geneva.
