Encyclopedia Titanica

Ida Augusta Margareta Andersson


Courtesy: Axel Johnson / Roy Mengot, USA

Miss Ida Margreta Andersson 1 was born 24 November 1873 at Sventorp, Skaraborgs County, Sweden, to Anders Johan, a minor landowner (b. 30 November 1825 at Suntetorp, Skaraborg County), and Anna Greta Carlsson (née Andersdotter; b. 14 October 1832 at Sventorp, Skaraborg County; d. 5 July 1905).  Her parents had married in 1852.

Her brothers and sisters were in 1880 noted as Johan Alfred, b. 3 May 1853, Anna Kristina Elisabet, b. 7 November 1861, August Linus, b. 26 November 1863, Hilda Maria, b. 3 July 1868, Karl Oskar, b. 21 July 1870, Hilma Susanna, b. 3 November 1876, and Josef Timoteus, b. 21 December 1878.

Ida had gone to America previously (26 May 1893) but was back in Sweden by June 1894. She may have gone back to the USA at some point and again returned to Sweden. 

In the late 1890s (probably 1898-1899), Ida was a maid in Skövde, Västergötland, apparently in the household of photographer Karl Erik Ludvig Eriksson and 25 November 1910 she moved to Lagmansbro Manor, Vadsbro, Södermanland, where she was employed as a housekeeper; there were at least six ladies working in that position ca. 1911.

Her sister Hilda had emigrated to the USA 28 October 1887 and had married an Axel Johnson 26 August 1890 at Manistee, Michigan.2 Hilda died in childbirth on 7th March 1909.  At the time of her death, Hilda and Axel were caring for her own children (6 plus the newborn) and the 3 children of Axel's older brother Andrew.  It has been suggested that Ida's reason for travelling to America on this occasion was to care for the ten children.  Family members believe that Ida was going to marry Axel but that Andrew had also shown an interest in her.3,4,5

Idae boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a third class passenger and died in the sinking. Her body was not recovered.

The Mansion House Fund paid 874.08 Kr (£48) to Greta Olsson and a 924 Kr (£50) damage claim was paid to Ida's father Johan Carlsson.

The vicar noted in the church records that she had emigrated to North America 30 March 1912 and that she had been lost in the sinking of the Titanic.

Notes

  1. The White Star Line listed her as Ida Augusta, whereas the church records only mention her as Ida Margreta and the birth record has her as Ida Margareta.
  2. Another sister, Hilma Susanna, also had emigrated to Michigan (in 1899) and there had married an Otto Peterson on 21 August 1900 in the ’Svenska Evangeliska Lutheran Ansgarius (Church)’ at Manistee, Michigan. 
  3. It has been suggested that Ida Andersson was going to the family of her widowed brother-in-law in Michigan to care for all 10 children, but Gamla och nya hemlandet (a newspaper in the Swedish language in Illinois) in 1912 stated: ’’the reasons for her decision to seek her fortune in the USA are not known.’’
  4. According to the White Star Line passenger list revised 6 June 1912, she was going to S. Peterson, 408 Sibben Street, Manistee, Michigan, which was the address of her married sister Hilma Susanna.
  5. Some of this information was contained in a letter (date unknown) written by Ester, the eldest daughter of August and Elizabeth Johnson, Elizabeth being Ida's sister. At the time she was living at 407 S. Madison, Ludington Michigan. The letter also mentions that Mr Astor who went down on the ship owned an insurance company and that "Aster Insurance" settled $300 for each of Axel's first children.

References and Sources

Mansion House Titanic Relief Fund Booklets and Minute Books
Claes-Göran Wetterholm (1988, 1996, 1999) Titanic. Prisma, Stockholm. ISBN 91 518 3644 0
Search archive online

Credits

Peter Engberg-Klarström, Sweden
Axel Johnson (grandson of Axel Johnson)
Claes-Göran Wetterholm, Sweden​​​​​​​
Roy Mengot, USA
Leif Snellman, Finland

Comment and discuss

  1. Hildur Panula-Heinonen

    In the biography it says that Ida was unmarried, at the age of 38, and that she was on her way to America to take care of 10 children, three of which only had relation upon their father marrying in to the family. It strikes me as odd that she was unmarried or never married and they she was to take care of the ten children. I was wondering if any one has information on these children and on Ida.
  2. widheg

    As a Swede, I reacted on the text "Skövde, Småland": Småland is indeed a region. However, the town Skövde is not located in Småland. The town Skövde is located in the region Västergötland.
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Titanic Passenger Summary

Name: Miss Ida Augusta Margareta Andersson
Age: 38 years 4 months and 21 days (Female)
Nationality: Swedish
Marital Status: Single
Last Residence: in Vadsbro, Södermanland, Sweden
Embarked: Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912
Ticket No. 347091, £7 15s 6d
Died in the Titanic disaster (15th April 1912)
Body Not Identified

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