- Louise Kink
Infobox_Person | name = Louise Pope
birth_name Louise Gretchen Kink-Heilmann
birth_date = birth date|1908|4|8|mf=y
birth_place =Zürich, Switzerland
death_date = death date and age|1992|8|25|1908|4|8|mf=y
death_place =Milwaukee, Wisconsin
parents = Anton Kirk and Luise Heilmann
spouse = Harold PopeLouise Kink Pope (
April 8 ,1908 -August 25 ,1992 ) was one of the last remaining survivors of the sinking of theRMS Titanic onApril 15 ,1912 .Biography
Early life
Louise Gretchen Kink was born on
April 8 ,1908 inZurich, Switzerland to storekeeper Anton Kirk and his wife, Luise Heilmann. In 1912, the Kink's decided to immigrate toMilwaukee, Wisconsin along with Anton's brother, Vinzenz, and sister, Maria. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/943/]Aboard Titanic
Louise and her parents boarded the
RMS Titanic as third-class passengers onApril 10 ,1912 atSouthampton, England . Anton and his brother were in a cabin on G-Deck while his wife, sister, and daughter occupied a cabin at the ship's stern. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/943/]Titanic's collision with the iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on
April 14 woke Anton and his brother and the two ran to the ship's welldeck where they clearly saw the iceberg. They returned to their cabin and dressed, barely finishing before water began to pour into their cabin. Anton ran to his wife's cabin and woke its occupants. The entire Kink family made their way to the boat's deck, but Maria and Vinzenz were lost in the crowd. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/943/]Louise and her mother were loaded into Lifeboat No. 2, but Anton had to remain on the deck. At the last minute, Anton jumped into the lifeboat as it was being lowered. In an interview appearing on
April 24 in theMilwaukee Journal , Anton was quoted as saying:'A sailor took my child and handed her into one of them [lifeboats] . My wife was also helped in by the sailors. I was touched upon the shoulder and asked to step back, whereupon my wife and child cried at the top of their voices at my being left behind. I ducked down, broke through those standing about and jumped into the boat as it was lowered' [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/943/]
All three survived and were picked up by the rescue shipRMS Carpathia . Vinzenz and Maria both died during the sinking and their bodies, if recovered, were never identified. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/943/]Louise and her parents arrived in
New York City, New York aboard theRMS Carpathia onApril 18 and spent the first four days in St. Vincent's Hospital. Anton's uncle sent the family money to purchase train tickets to Milwaukee and they departedNew York City onApril 22 , arriving two days later. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/943/]Upon arriving in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin , Anton rented a farm that he and his family lived on. In 1919, Anton and Luise divorced and Anton returned to his homeland,Graz, Austria , where he remarried. Louise herself remarried, but refused to discuss the Titanic disaster with anyone. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/943/]Marriage
In 1932, Louise married Harold Pope and went on to have four children. The marriage did not last, and the two divorced shortly after the birth of their fourth child. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/947/]
Later years
As Louise aged, she became more involved in Titanic related activities. In 1987, she joined several survivors at a convention in
Wilmington, Delaware commemorating the 75th anniversary of Titanic's sinking. In 1988, she was present at another convention organized by theTitanic Historical Society held inBoston, Massachusetts . In 1990, Louise was guest of honor onEllis Island as a plaque remembering those lost immigrating to theUnited States was formally dedicated. Despite suffering fromtuberculosis ,arthritis andbreast cancer , Louise returned to Boston yet again in 1992 to participate in a convention marking the 80th anniversary of the sinking. In March 1992, Louise was guest of honor inNew Jersey at a Titanic-related play. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/947/]Death
Louise died on
August 25 ,1992 from lung cancer inMilwaukee, Wisconsin . She was 84 years old. Louise is buried next to her mother at Sunnyside Cemetery in Milwaukee. On the front of their gravestones are the following words: American Immigrants, Survivors of the Titanic Disaster, April 15, 1912. [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/947/]References
* [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/biography/947/ Encyclopedia Titanica Biography]
* [http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/item/3479/ Louise Kink Pope at Ellis Island]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
