Ernst Ulrik Persson
By: Gabrielle Martin

Ernst Ulrik Persson was born on July 29, 1886, in Sweden. He boarded the doomed ship, the Titanic, in the port in Southampton. While in Sweden, his previous jobs were a chauffeur and a janitor. His destination was New York, and he was traveling with his sister, Elna, and his niece, Telma. When on the ship, he was 25 years old.

During the sinking, they promised to stay together. When they got separated, she told him to “Tell Wilhelm and my parents if you get rescued.”  Elna and Telma were lost in the disaster. Ernst had to lie in water over his shoulders for six hours before he was rescued. According to the account he wrote, it is believed that he was rescued in the lifeboat Collapsible B.

His family, consisting of Anna (his wife), Ernst Folke (his son), and Ernst Tage (his other son) came to join him in America in October of 1912. Ernst changed his name to Ernest Pearson in 1914. Ernest died on October 17, 1951, at age 65.

 Works Cited

Gowan, Phillip. "Mr Ernst Ulrik Persson." Encyclopedia Titanica. 22 Apr 2008 <http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/1131/>.