Ruth Becker
| Ruth Becker Blanchard | |
|---|---|
Ruth Becker as a girl, ca. 1912
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| Born |
Ruth Elizabeth Becker October 28, 1899 Guntur, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Andhra Pradesh, India) |
| Died | July 6, 1990 (aged 90) Santa Barbara, California |
| Spouse(s) | Daniel Blanchard |
| Parent(s) | Allen Oliver Becker Nellie E. Baumgardner Becker |
Ruth Elizabeth Becker (October 28, 1899 – July 6, 1990) was one of the last remaining survivors of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912.
Becker was born on October 28, 1899 in Guntur, India, to American Lutheran missionary Allen Oliver Becker and his wife, Nellie E. Baumgardner Becker. A younger brother, Luther, was born in Lima, Ohio, in March 1905, but died on 7 February 1907 in Guntur just before his second birthday. In December 1907, Nellie gave birth to a second daughter, Marion. A son, Richard, was born in June 1910 at Kodaikanal.
In early 1912, Richard contracted an illness in India, and Nellie decided to take him, Ruth, and Marion to Benton Harbor, Michigan to seek treatment for him.
Ruth's two-year-old brother Richard got the illness from India and Nellie decided to sail from England to the U.S. with him, Ruth and Ruth's younger sister leaving their father behind. They boarded the Ellerman Line steamer City of Benares for a trip to England that started at Madras, went through the Suez Canal to Port Said and then through the Mediterranean, through the Strait of Gilbraltar and finally up to London, England. Ruth boarded the Titanic along with Nellie, Marion, and Richard as second-class passengers on April 10, 1912 at Southampton, England. Shortly after the ship's collision with the iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, she recalled that a steward told her mother, "We've had a little accident. They're going to fix it, and then we'll be on our way." Realizing that the ship was seriously damaged, Nellie took her children up on the boat deck, but told Ruth to go back to her cabin to get some blankets.
Junior Officer James Moody loaded Marion and Richard into Boat 11, but wouldn't let Nellie in. It was only after pleading with a steward that he finally consented, but Ruth was not allowed in. Nellie then screamed to her to get in another lifeboat. Boat 11 was one of the few that was overloaded. She later got tossed into Boat 13 by Officer Moody.
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