Selma Asplund

Selma Johansson was born in 1873 in Sweden. She later emigrated to America where she married Carl Asplund, also he from Sweden, in 1896. They settled in Worchester, Massachusetts. The couple had five children; Filip (born 1898), Clarence (1902), twins Lillian & Carl Edgar (1906) and Felix (1909). They family returned to Sweden in 1907 after inheriting Carl's fathers estate. They had the intention to stay but their son Filip was eager to return to America. He did not like Sweden and told his parents that he would go on his own. So the family decided to return to America - together. The family was relativly wealthy and had brought three big trunks from Sweden, including table silver.

The family travelled over Denmark on their way to England. Onboard the Titanic, Carl complained to Selma about the dancing, drinking and card-playing onboard. Carl made it clear that when they reached shore, this would be the last time they ever crossed the atlantic...

Selma awoked by the collision - "a violent shudder" as she later said. She waked Carl, who dressed and went up on deck. He soon returned to Selma with information. "The steamer had hit an iceberg, but people said it was nothing dangerous." Carl did not believe this and decided it would be best to wake the children. Selma woke them up and begun to dress them while Carl searched for the lifebelts. He could only find four and they were seven, but managed to get an extra from a steward. Selma, Carl and the three oldest children put them on. Selma held Felix on her arm and Lillian by her hand. Carl took care of the older boys. In the corridor Selma saw a steward pulling the lifebelts of passangers and teliing them "There is nothing to worry about, the boat will continue in few minutes."

The family reach boatdeck where they stood and waited. Selma had no desire to leave Carl. But suddenly Lillian was pulled from Selma and thrown into a lifeboat. Then Felix was pulled from her and thrown into the boat. Either an officer or Carl took the children from her, but Selma turned to her husband and said "Why are you doing this? Why cant we be together until the end?" But Carl pushed Selma towards the boat, but still she would not leave him. She begged him to join her but he simply did not reply. Meanwhile they could hear how Lillian and Felix was crying from the boat. An officer took Selmas arm and dragged her towards the boat while someone shouted "Bring the childrens mother down! Take their mother in the boat too!" And Selma was thrown into the lifeboat. She looked up to the boatdeck and saw how Carl took his three sons and ran towards the other side of the deck. Then a man jumped in then boat and landed on Selma, who was kicked in the face. To prevent her from screaming he put his hand over her mouth.

Carl, Filip, Carl Edgar and Clarence died in the sinking. Only Carl's body was recovered. Selma and her children arrived in Worchester, Massachusetts, on April 20th. She had lost everything and money was collected for Selma and her children. $2019 was collected and a trust fund was set up where Selma could draw $40 a month.

Selma died in 1964. Her son Felix passed away in 1983. Her daugther Lillian was the last of the Titanic survivors that had actual memories of the disaster, she died in 2006.

Credits:
http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org
Titanic by Claes-Göran Wetterholm

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