Ruth elizabeth becker biography
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Her parents had married on September 20, 1898, and shortly after moved to India for missionary work. Shortly after, on July 6, 1990, Ruth Becker Blanchard passed away at the age of 90 (ninety). He assured her that there was nothing wrong, "We've had a little accident.
The Carpathia arrived in New York City on April 18. The ship shot off rockets as it approached, and Ruth and her companions waved and screamed at the ship in an effort to be seen.[3]
When boarding the Carpathia, Ruth had to be tied into the sling because she was so cold that she couldn't grip the ropes.
Nellie wished to follow, but James flatly refused, though eventually consented, allowing Nellie to board after she pleaded to follow her two youngest children. She spent the next several hours searching for her family, until a woman asked if her name was Ruth Becker. Ruth spent her early years in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, where her father served as a missionary.
Siblings and Family Life
Ruth had three younger siblings:
Tragically, her brother Luther passed away at a young age.
As they left their cabin, Ruth noticed the noise of the myriads of people who ran throughout the ship, running up toward the decks or trying to determine what had happened. Her remarkable story of survival and later life made her a notable figure in Titanic history.
Early Life and Missionary Roots
A Childhood in India
Ruth Elizabeth Becker was born to Allen Oliver Becker, a Lutheran pastor from Michigan, and Nellie Elizabeth Baumgardner, an Ohio native.
Ruth also observed the heartbreaking scene of women desperately watching for loved ones who would never arrive.
Life After the Titanic
How did the Titanic experience shape Ruth’s life?
Following the disaster:
- Ruth’s father joined the family in America in 1913.
- By 1920, they were living in Wooster, Wayne County, Ohio.
- Ruth graduated from Wooster College and became a teacher.
- On June 2, 1924, she married Daniel Small Blanchard, a former classmate.
- They had three children: Jeanne, Roger Allen, and Richard.
- Ruth and Daniel divorced after over twenty years of marriage.
For many years, Ruth avoided discussing her Titanic experience.
She also attended two other conventions in 1987 and 1988. She rejoiced later, when she heard that the woman was reunited with her child.[4]
Carpathia
After rowing throughout the night (to help maintain body temperature), Ruth and her lifeboat companions watched as the Carpathia arrived at dawn, 4:30 in the morning. For a while, she taught high school in Kansas, then returned to Benton Harbor to teach grade school.
The convention was held to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the tragedy.
In the early months of 1912, Ruth's little brother, Richard, contracted an illness which the Indian doctors couldn't treat. Here’s how the events unfolded for Ruth:
- Mrs.
243: Ruth Becker Blanchard
Survived the Sinking of the RMS Titanic When She was Twelve Years Old
Born: 28 October 1899, Guntur, India
Died: 6 July 1990, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
Ruth was traveling in second-class with her mother and two siblings (her father stayed behind in India where he was working as a missionary).
During the night of the sinking her mother instructed Ruth to return to the cabin to get extra blankets—in that split second her younger siblings were thrown into a lifeboat and her mother panicked and jumped in with them telling Ruth to get in the next one.
Luckily Ruth was able to board the next available lifeboat.