Ruth Becker Name: Miss Ruth Elizabeth Becker Marion Louise Becker Richard F. Becker Born

Ruth Elizabeth Becker, known later as Ruth Becker Blanchard, was one of the youngest passengers on the Titanic at 12 years old

The daughter of a Lutheran missionary, Ruth was born in Guntur, India in 1899. When her brother took ill, her mother Nellie decided to take him and the rest of the family to Benton Harbor, Michigan for medical treatment. Ruth, her mother, and her younger brother and sister boarded the RMS Titanic as second-class passengers, with her father waiting behind in India to rejoin them later.

Ruth and her family marveled at the beauty and grandeur of the ship, but their trip took a nasty turn when disaster struck. More specifically, the Titanic struck an iceberg and began sinking rapidly.

Ruth’s mother managed to get into Lifeboat No. 11 with her two youngest children, but there was no room left for Ruth. Nellie sobbed as she was separated from her daughter, who ended up in Lifeboat No. 13.

The air was filled with the chilling sound of screams from those stranded in the icy water. A young Polish woman in Ruth’s lifeboat lamented her missing baby, who had been separated from her much like Ruth had been separated from her family. Though she didn’t understand German, Ruth did her best to comfort the upset mother.

Finally, the lifeboat was rescued by the Carpathia. After several tense hours of waiting and dreading the worst, Ruth was overjoyed to see her mother and siblings alive and well. She was also happy to discover that the Polish woman from her lifeboat had been reunited with her baby.

Ruth refused to talk about the traumatic Titanic sinking incident for many years. Later, she began to talk more about it, and made appearances at Titanic Historical Society conventions along with other Titanic survivors.

In 1990, Ruth Becker Blanchard took a cruise to Mexico, her first time as a passenger on a ship since the Titanic disaster. She died later that year at the age of 90, and her ashes were scattered at sea, directly over the Titanic wreck.
Ruth Becker: Child, Survivor, and Heroine
Ruth Becker was no ordinary 12-year old girl. Independent, sensible, and mature beyond her years, she could be trusted with burdens few adults could bear. On no night was this more clear than that of April 15th, 1912, when in the face of danger she selflessly gave of herself to calm and comfort those around her. Read on to discover the story of this young heroine, my favorite Titanic  survivor.

Ruth Elizabeth Becker was born on October 28th 1899. She had lived with her mother, Nellie, and younger siblings Marion and Richard in Guntur, India, where her father Reverend Allen Oliver Becker worked as a missionary. While Ruth didn't mind the high temperatures and exotic landscape,  her mother hated the heat, the snakes and the lizards, suffering a nervous collapse more than once (the worst occasion being when she witnessed a native being cremated outside their house!) To add to Nellie's distress, her son Luther died of sickness in 1907, at the age of only two. So in early 1912 when the doctor announced young Richard had contracted a similar illness to the one that took Luther's life five years earlier, Nellie did not hesitate to relocate the family to Michigan, where medical conditions were much better. Ruth's father was also in poor health, but did not have permission to leave his post.

Nellie, 36, Ruth, 12, Marion, 4, and Richard, 1, departed from India on the steamer City of Benares which took them on a month-long voyage to London, England. This upper-class, civilized city appealed to Nellie, who had spent years living in the jungles of India, and she made it her priority to show the children all over. The London Zoo, a wax museum, and St. Paul's Cathedral were only a few of the stops the family visited before heading to Southampton, England for the highlight of their voyage - boarding the RMS Titanic.

  The brand-new steamer, boasted to be 'virtually unsinkable,' was the largest and most luxurious of its time. Although only on its first voyage, the ship was all the rage among both rich and poor. The Beckers, in second class, certainly appreciated the opulence of their quarters - the Titanic boasted an elevator, dining saloon, library and men's smoking room for the middle class. Ruth, sick of ocean travel (she had been aboard the City of Benares for a month!) was nevertheless impressed by the pristine cleanness of the new ship, the snowy-white china plates untouched by grime or food stains, and the beds never before slept in. She recalls,

  On that fateful night of April 14th, 1912, Ruth and her mother were awakened just after midnight by the sudden, eerie silence following the ceasing of the engines. The hallway outside was in turmoil as passengers hurried from their cabins, struggling to keep families together in the throng. Ruth recalled,

  Mislead by the steward's calming words, the two returned to bed, but their tension became fresh alarm as the engines failed to start again. Another inquiry of a steward revealed the true danger. Ruth and Nellie began to dress the younger children but did not bother to get changed themselves, merely throwing coats on over their nightgowns. In their hurry they also neglected to put on lifebelts.

"We had to climb five flights of stairs to a room full of women. They were all weeping - in states of dress and undress. Everyone was frightened - no one knew what would happen to them. But I was never scared. I was only excited. I never for one minute thought we would die.

Two officers came in and they said, 'Well, it's time to get into the lifeboats now.' So one officer took my brother and the other took my sister, carried them, and my mother and I climbed an iron ladder to the top deck to get into the lifeboats."

  Shivering in the cold of the crowded boat deck, Nellie asked responsible Ruth to hurry back to the cabin for some blankets. Without hesitation the obedient, sensible girl responded to her mother's words. However, by the time she returned,

  At this point in Ruth's story, she is facing a horror more terrible than any child should ever have to suffer through - the terror of being abandoned by family and surrounded by panicked strangers as an icy death creeps ever closer. In some versions of Ruth's story, she is allowed into lifeboat 11 with her mother but heroically sacrifices her seat when the officers cry the boat is too full. However the separation from her mother took place, there is no doubt that Ruth faced the prospect of death with a saint like calmness and maturity, and that her own courage led her to a spot in lifeboat 13 - among the last lifeboats lowered from the flooding bow of the ship.

  As Ruth glanced up at the bright decks of the Titanic, crowded with the pale, frightened faces of those who knew they could not be rescued, a huge, dark shadow obscured her vision. As the black shape descended closer, the alarmed passengers realized what it was. Lifeboat 15 was being lowered too quickly and was sure to crush Lifeboat 13 beneath it, dooming its passengers to an icy death! Panic-stricken cries of the occupants filled the cold night air, hoarse and twisted with fear. Unaware of the perilous position of the lifeboat beneath, oblivious seamen continued to lower boat 15. The great black hull loomed closer ... closer ... closer - by now Ruth, forced to stand up due to lack of room, could touch it, in a vain attempt to push it away. At the last moment, a crew member, pocketknife in hand, sliced the ropes attaching Lifeboat 13 to the deck. It sailed away safely over the calm black water, with boat 15 following in its wake.

"We rowed away from the Titanic as fast as we could, and there were five or six decks and they were just lined with people - standing there at the edge looking over. I suppose they were wishing and hoping someone would come and rescue them. When we were about a mile away the boat was just beautiful, it was a very dark, black night and the ocean was very calm. It was just like a mill pond, just like we were going out for a ride on the pond.

It (the Titanic) was going down very slowly, not fast at all and the night was dark, no moon, a very dark, black night and that boat was just beautiful, all the lights were on. But it was going down quietly and the lights were just going under the water. I remember that very plainly - I thought it was a beautiful night and a terrible sight because you could see that the boat was going under the water ....

There fell upon the ear the most terrible noise that human beings ever listened to - the cries of hundreds of people struggling in the icy cold water, crying for help with a cry we knew could not be answered. That was a terrible, terrible time, I can still hear them."

  However, it was in this 'terrible, terrible time'  that Ruth's true generosity, courage and devotion to others would shine through. In the dark of night, surrounded by miles upon miles of glassy black ocean with not a comforting hand around, Ruth forgot about feeling sorry for herself and instead helped care for others - a feat not easily accomplished by most children in distress. The bundle of blankets she had brought from the cabin on her mother's request were soon distributed among the freezing passengers by the selfless young girl, who did not keep one for herself. Soon, the blankets were being ripped in half and shared by all.

  During the struggle of escaping the sinking ship, a crewmember seated near Ruth had somehow torn his finger badly. It now hung on only by a strip of flesh. Again showing her selfless devotion to others, Ruth was determined to help the poor man. Within her pocket she found the precious handkerchief that her beloved father had given to her before they left India. Without hesitation she wrapped it like a bandage around the bloody, mangled mess that was the stoker's finger.

  Perhaps Ruth's greatest act of kindness was her commitment to a young Polish woman, Leah Aks, who sat sobbing beside her in the lifeboat. Rather than wallow in her own sorrow and discomfort, which must have been great due to cold and fear, Ruth spent her time trying to comfort this poor woman. At first, Ruth could not understand what 18-year old Leah was sobbing, but with a man's help realized that she was speaking German.

Amelia Mary "Mildred" Brown



Name: Miss Amelia Mary "Mildred" Brown
Born: Friday 18th August 1893
Age: 18 years 7 months and 28 days.
Marital Status: Single.
Last Residence: at 152 Abbey Road London London England
Occupation: Cook (Personal)
2nd Class passenger
First Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 248733 , £13 Cabin No.: F33
Rescued (boat 11)
Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
Died: Wednesday 30th June 1976
Miss Amelia (Mildred) Brown was cook to Hudson Allison and family and travelled second class as did their chauffeur George Swane. During the voyage she shared a room (F-33) with Selena Rogers Cook, Elizabeth Nye and Amelia Lemore. On the night of April 14th Mildred was very reluctant to get up even when Swane and her room mates encouraged warned her of the danger. Only when Miss Rogers exclaimed that she was surely the only person on the entire ship to remain in bed, did she stir.

Mildred was rescued in lifeboat 11 and wrote to her mother from the Carpathia. The letter is postmarked Grand Central Station, New York, 10 a.m., April 19th 1912

Ever since I have been on here I have felt in a stupor. Everything seems too much trouble and I don't care what happens to me. I found Sallie (Sarah Daniels) had got on alright but poor girl she keeps worrying about her things, of course we have lost everything bar what we stand up in. I had my watch on my arm in fact it hasn't left it since we sailed and my money was in my pocket. I have not seen Mr and Mrs Allison. I suppose they have gone under but there is just the hopes that they may have been picked up by another- boat but still I am not going to worry about that as they have several friends on board and then there are the partners of the firm. We have been offered a home until they can find us a place suitable. This vessel has turned back to New York with us. I have slept on the Dining Room floor both nights. We had a most awful thunderstorm last night and today it's that foggy. I shall be glad to be on terra firma again. We had a bad start. The New York broke adrift and ran into us at Southampton Harbour.

by David Haisman

(Adapted from David Haisman's story about his mother's experiences on the Titanic.)
Her father stood in the doorway of their cabin and said, ''There's talk that the ship has hit an iceberg.'' It was those fateful words that were to change their lives forever.

Edith, along with her mother Elizabeth, were sharing a Second Class cabin onboard the Titanic. Her father, Thomas W.S. Brown, was sharing another Second Class cabin further along the passageway.

It was almost midnight on Sunday, 14th of April 1912 when Thomas still in evening dress, made this announcement to his wife and daughter. Just 15 minutes previous to this, both women had been woken up by what only could be described as a shudder and several soft bumps. At that precise moment, Edith occupying the upper berth, switched on her bunk light, parted the surrounding curtains, and peered down at her mother lying on the bunk below.

Elizabeth had also heard the noises and, on turning on her own bunk light, stared up at her daughter in total bewilderment. Edith quickly threw back her bed covers, swung her feet out and on turning, descended step by step down the little varnished bunk ladder to the cabin floor. Crossing the cabin to the porthole, she pulled the neat little curtains apart, opened the port glass and stared out into the blackness. At first, she could see nothing until her eyes became accustomed to the darkness and then gradually, she began to make out the ships lights reflecting on the black water far down below. The sea was flat calm with no wind and looking up, she could see a mass of stars in the night sky. Looking down again towards the stern of the ship she could see great swirls of foam and turbulence as the ships propellers churned up the water, apparently, going full astern. This in turn caused a great deal of vibration around the cabin with the clinking of glasses in the wash stand, creaking and squeaking of wood paneling about the room and door handles rattling.

Edith drew her head back in from the porthole to enable her mother to see for herself that the ship was stopping. Elizabeth looked down at the water for a brief moment and then, drawing her head back in, crossed the cabin back to her berth. Sitting on the edge of her bunk with a worried look on her face, she said to Edith in a somewhat shaky voice, ''I wonder what this is all about then?''

The excessive vibration experienced just a few moments ago, had now stopped as Elizabeth, sitting on the edge of her bunk, now rose to cross the cabin floor to turn on the main overhead cabin light. The only sound now audible was the distant whine of an electric motor from somewhere far inside of the ship. The night air from the open porthole made the cabin feel colder and Elizabeth, sitting down again on the edge of her bunk, said to Edith, ''Pass me my dressing gown from the wardrobe please dear.'' After passing her mother's dressing gown to her, Edith crossed again to the porthole to see if anything else was happening. Once again, after her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, she could see that all was quiet, the turbulence had ceased and the ship was now motionless on a flat calm sea.

On closing the porthole, Edith crossed the cabin to sit alongside of her mother on the lower berth saying to her mother, '' Everything seems so quiet.'' It was shortly after this that Thomas had tapped the door and informed them about the iceberg. He had advised them to put on warm clothing and life jackets and to follow him back up on deck. Elizabeth looked at her husband in utter disbelief at such a suggestion. Thomas on the other hand was not to be deterred and on entering the room, reached up to the top of the wardrobe and pulled down two lifejackets. Elizabeth was an extremely nervous person by nature and this action by her husband wasn't helping matters any. Edith at 15 years of age was not too worried at this stage and obediently did as she was told, knowing her father never made any rash decisions.

Both women proceeded to put on their long grey serge topcoats before Thomas began to help them on with their life jackets. Elizabeth remained speechless as her husband busied himself about her, adjusting the bulky life jacket and finally tying the tapes in front with a large bow. The life jackets were made up with cumbersome hard square chunks of cork, held together by stitched duck canvas and when placed over the head, hung from the shoulders and tied at the waste. With these on over their heavy clothing, both women looked and felt twice their size, causing Edith to giggle for a moment, forgetting the seriousness of the situation briefly.

Before leaving their cabin to go up on the boat deck Edith said to her father, ''Why aren't you wearing your life jacket father?'' to which he replied, ''Don't let that worry you for the moment my dear. Let's get you and your mother organized first and then I can get myself sorted out later.'' Edith thought how typical of him. Always putting us first at all times.

Making their way out of their cabin, they proceeded along the plush carpeted passageway to the first flight of stairs, which would take them up to the Second Class Promenade Deck. At this time there were just a few passengers moving about the passageways and stairs, some in evening dress, others with coats over night attire, and some with life jackets on. There was a bedroom steward with a tray of dirty cups and saucers balancing on the palm of one hand, tapping cabin doors with the knuckles of his other hand calling out, ''Everyone up with life jackets on please!'' He continued with this until arriving at the night pantry at the far end of the passageway. There was little response, the whole scene quite relaxed with the odd quip about having a good nights sleep being disturbed and others, not even bothering to answer the stewards call.

They continued up the stairs with their carved banisters and beautiful wood paneling on the walls, passing other passengers returning to their cabins, remarking that it was too cold to remain on deck for any length of time. They arrived at the top of the final flight of stairs and stepped out onto the boat deck into the cold night air, joining a group of people already gathered around lifeboat no.14. Thomas had noticed whilst in their cabin the small notice behind the door saying that occupants of that cabin would assemble at lifeboat station no. 14. during any emergency.

Below their position on the boat deck, they could hear lively music being played by the ship's orchestra, with Elizabeth remarking to her husband nervously, ''Some people don't seem too worried about this situation Tom.'' His reply was, '' It's better to be prepared in case things get out of hand and we may have to get into those boats.'' Other people stood around engaging in light-hearted conversation as they watched some seamen take the covers off of the boats and prepare them for lowering down to the water.

Edith was feeling tired after being woken from a deep sleep and between yawns began to think about her comfortable bunk and said to Thomas, ''When do you think we'll be able to go back to bed father?'' ''Soon dear. Soon.'' he replied. Her mother however was far from tired and was showing some considerable concern as the crew continued working at clearing away the boats. Her father, fully realizing her mother's fears at the way things were developing, did his best to calm her down by saying that he didn't think it would be too long before he would be taking them below again and tucking them in for the night, once the emergency had been called off.

There was considerable talk about ice being thrown about by some of the steerage passengers on the forward Well Deck. There was also mention that some Third Class passengers at the forward end were leaving the Well Deck area carrying their suitcases and belongings. Up to this point in time, there had been no official indication that anything was wrong, other than some stewards directing passengers to go up on deck with their life jackets on. There had been no alarm bells, hooters or announcements from ship's officers that there was a problem, hence the relaxed attitude of the passengers.

Edith and her parents continued to wait patiently, watching and listening to the goings on around them as more people continued to arrive on the boat deck. Many were still in evening dress and apparently in good spirits, attempting a witty remark now and then as the ship's orchestra continued to play lively music from the deck below. Amongst the chatter there was wild speculation as to what had actually happened with rumors that the ship would need to undergo urgent repairs whilst others spoke about the emergency being over reacted and would soon be called off. Apart from all of this, passengers and crew alike were behaving in an orderly fashion although the look on Thomas's face revealed that he wasn't too happy at the way things were developing.

The night appeared to be very still now with the ship stopped, but very cold with several passengers returning to their cabins to put on extra clothing and some, unbelievably, returning to go back to bed. This was not to last however as ship's stewards, stewardesses and all other crew members were given strict orders that all cabins would have to be evacuated immediately and told to proceed to the boat deck with life jackets on.

The crew were performing their duties in an orderly professional manner, treating all classes firmly and politely. Elizabeth was becoming increasingly distressed as more boats were being prepared for lowering and, once at deck level, people ordered into them with greater urgency. Thomas was doing his best to calm her down by saying, ''Don't upset yourself my dear. I shall probably get into another boat once all the women and children are sorted out first. '' He knew this didn't sound very convincing but what else could he say at a time like this? Edith held tightly onto her father's arm with both of her arms, stamping first one foot and then the other in order to maintain some circulation around her feet. She began to think about how fortunate she had been by bringing her Wordsworth Birthday Book with her as she would never leave that behind whatever the circumstances. She remembered leaving behind in it's place, her gold and coral necklace that her father had recently bought for her in London and would certainly bring that along with her if ever going back to the cabin for any reason.

Lifeboat No. 14, being their designated boat, had Fifth Officer Lowe in command. He was a Welshman in his late twenties and well known as a bit of a disciplinarian, ordering people into the boat in no uncertain terms. His voice had authority and could be heard on more than one occasion, shouting at the crew to, ''Get a bloody move on!''

More and more people were beginning to arrive on the boat deck from the decks below as Elizabeth said to Thomas in a faltering voice, '' How on earth do they expect to get this lot into those tiny boats.?'' Her husband could see her point but dared not say anything other than, '' It's quite amazing just what those boats will hold.''

At this time the Reverend Carter rejoined the ''Browns'' at lifeboat No.14, after taking his wife, Lillian, to her respective lifeboat. The Carters had been their dining companions since leaving Southampton and they had all become good friends during the voyage but now, Earnest Carter would remain with Thomas until the end. Edith had always remembered this turn of events regarding Lillian Carter, throughout her lifetime, as there were questions that just didn't add up. If she had gotten into a lifeboat, then how come she was listed as drowned? Or perhaps she had decided to leave her boat before lowering to rejoin her husband the Reverend Carter in order to be with him until the very end? The Titanic will no doubt keep some of these secrets forever.

As more people assembled around the boats there was an instant almighty deafening roar high above their heads as super heated steam exploded out of one of the waste pipes at the top of one of the funnels. This caused screams and shouts with people ducking almost as one, thinking for an instant that the ship would blow up beneath them.

The deafening roar of steam that had to be vented off due to the enormous build up of pressure from the boilers was now blocking out all other sounds as the crew and officers continued to shout through cupped hands and wave their arms around in their efforts to be understood. After some twenty minutes or so, the noise had abated somewhat to just a loud hiss and the ship's orchestra could be heard once again, this time playing on the boat deck.

''Look father! There's a light over there.'' Thomas followed his daughters outstretched arm to a light twinkling on the horizon. '' Yes my dear !'' he replied quickly. '' I do believe you're right !'' With that the Rev. Carter also agreed that there was indeed a light on the horizon. Edith then said excitedly, '' Do you think they will come to help us father?'' ''Yes'' replied Thomas. ''I certainly hope so.''

The time had now come for Edith and Elizabeth to get into lifeboat 14 and Edith was dreading the thought of leaving her father on the boat deck and how it would effect her mother.

''Look father! There's a light over there.'' Thomas followed his daughters outstretched arm to a light twinkling on the horizon. '' Yes my dear !'' he replied quickly. '' I do believe you're right !'' With that the Rev. Carter also agreed that there was indeed a light on the horizon. Edith then said excitedly, '' Do you think they will come to help us father?'' ''Yes'' replied Thomas. ''I certainly hope so.''

The time had now come for Edith and Elizabeth to get into lifeboat 14 and Edith was dreading the thought of leaving her father on the boat deck and how it would effect her mother.