Lillian Gertrude Asplund
By: Jessie Robinson

Lillian Gertrude Asplund was born on Sunday, October 21, 1906 in Worchester, Massachusetts.  She lived with her parents, Carl and Selma Asplund, and with her four brothers Filip, Clarence, Carl (twin), and Felix Asplund.

In 1907, Lillian’s father moved his family to Smaland, Sweden, to help his mother with the family farm.  By 1912, the family was ready to leave Sweden and move back to the United States, so her father booked passage for his family aboard the Titanic.

Lillian was five when she went aboard the Titanic and she recalled “The Titanic was really big, and it had just been painted. I remember not liking the smell of fresh paint.”  Lillian went aboard the Titanic at Southampton, England on April 12, 1912.  Lillian’s ticket number was 347077 in third-class (steerage).

When the Titanic hit the iceberg at 11:40 p.m., Lillian’s father woke up the whole family, told them to put on their life vests, and stuffed all of his important papers, including money, in his pocket.  Lillian, her mother, and her brother, Felix, were loaded on to life boat #15, their father did not survive. 

They were rescued by the RMS Carpathia, which arrived shortly after four o’clock in the morning.  Later the Carpathia arrived in New York, New York on April 20^th, and Lillian’s mother took her and her brother back to     Worchester.

Lillian’s mother died on April 15, 1964, the 52^nd anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking.  Lillian died at age 99 of old age, on Sunday, October 21^st in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.  She was buried in All Faiths Cemetery in Worchester near her father, mother, and brother. She was the last living survivor to actually have memories of the Titanic’s sinking.

 Works Cited

 “Lillian Gertrud Asplund” Online Image. Google. 22 Apr 2008 <http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=
lillian+gertrud+asplund&spell=1

"Miss Lillian Gertrude Asplund." encyclopedia titanica. encyclopedia titanica. 15 Apr 2008 <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/655/>.

Lillian Asplund." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 15 Apr 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Asplund>.