My Great-Grandfather & The Titanic

April 6th, 2010. Posted in My Life.

My Paternal Grandfather – World War II

Isn’t he good looking!!?

I don’t know that much about my ancestors even though I have a 14 page detailed PDF of my family tree that was created by my friend, Jason. It gets more confusing as I read it. I go from my parents to my 13th generation who is Ole Reitan!

But I do have an interesting story to tell…

My great-grandfather bought a ticket to go on the Titanic at the age of 20. He supposedly sold his ticket to someone else and went on the Mauretania a month later. He left his Mom behind in Norway and moved to South Dakota once he arrived Ellis Island with only $20. I’m even surprised he managed to still get on a different ship 1 month after the Titanic sunk.

If my great-grandfather went on the Titanic, you wouldn’t be reading this blog. I wouldn’t be alive! I know not everyone died on the Titanic but he would have been in the lower class and probably would have not made it out alive. It’s mind-boggling just thinking about how life would be so different if my great-grandfather died.

Just the other day, I decided to google my Great-Grandfather’s name out of curiosity and I came across a blog which turns out to be my paternal grandfather’s brother’s son’s wife’s blog (whew..I think I confused you all). In other terms.. my dad’s cousin’s wife’s blog. My grandpa came from a family of 10 children so this explains why my Dad has so many cousins! After a few exchanged emails and adding each other on Facebook, it turns out I have seven 3rd cousins now!  We could say this is a success story for Google. I’m so excited to have found a family that’s related to us.

Do you have an interesting story about your ancestors?

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  • http://wearingmascara.com Julie @ Wearing Mascara

    How amazing! I love stories like this :-) The what-ifs in life, ya know?

  • http://www.mamagooch.wordpress.com Erin

    That’s so crazy! It’s amazing how a seemingly small decision you make can turn into a life changing (or life saving) thing! I wonder what prodded him to sell his ticket & wait to leave! So cool, girl. :)

  • http://confessionsofalovingwife.com Shannon O | Confessions of a Loving Wife

    Very cool story – I am glad he didn’t get on the Titanic.

  • http://www.spiffykerms.com/ Nancy

    That’s a really awesome story!!

  • http://www.suburbansweetheart.com Suburban Sweetheart

    That’s amazing! What a great Sliding Doors kind of story – a “what if,” with a happy ending! <3

  • http://www.myeverydayadventures.com Jessica

    Honestly, no. But I love that story about his connection to the Titanic. That’s amazing! I wonder if the person he sold it to perished.

  • http://emily-jane.net Emily Jane

    What an INCREDIBLE story! Thank you so much for sharing with us, I love love love stories like this!

  • http://emily-jane.net Emily Jane

    Oops I just commented but it kind of froze and went blank, sorry if you get this twice – I really loved this story, and thank you for sharing it with us!

  • http://sleepyjane.wordpress.com/ sleepyjane

    This is super cool, I’m glad he didn’t get on the Titanic. ;) And glad you reconnected with family.

  • http://livingwiththeboyfriend.blogspot.com Allison

    I don’t know that much about my great grandparents but I know not all of them were born here. They were born in either Croatia or Poland and came over here when they were very young.

  • http://littleelle.wordpress.com/ elle

    that’s awesome!!!

  • http://angiegoboom.com Angie

    My Dad has a family tree up in his office that goes back to our ancestor, who came over on a boat from Donegal Ireland in the 1740′s. He fought in the American Revolution, which is pretty cool. I’d like to trace all of my ancestors back in the old countries (I’m also 3rd generation Sicilian) to see if I’m distantly related to anyone famous or royalty.

  • Beth

    That’s an amazing story!

    I’d love to know about my ancestors. How did Jason make your family tree by the way?

  • http://storyboutagirl.org Kirsten

    Wow that is pretty cool! I live in Halifax where a lot of Titanic graves are located and I am a lover of history. My great-grandfather was an Irish orphan sent on a ship back in the mid-late 1800′s. He was adopted or take “in” by a Métis family and raised as their son. He was so young and he never even knew. It was not till years later trying to trace back family history we could not find birth a birth certificate but found some church records saying that he was one of something liek 40 orphaned kids given to French and Métis families.

  • Laura

    Wow, that is really something! I unfortunately don’t know much about my ancestors but I definitely am curious to know about them.

    Thanks for sharing this!

  • http://www.hernewdeal.com Her

    What a wild story! I have ancestors who died during the Revolution, and it is sometimes a bit harrowing to think that their brothers, my direct ancestors, could have been the ones, which would obviously affect my presence on earth. Weird.

  • http://www.tattoosandcupcakes.com SHannon

    I am so fascinated by ancestory. What an amazing story! I have tons of things I’m just finding out about my mother’s side of the family. She is reconnecting with her sister after 15 years of not speaking, and it’s beautiful to hear about. She started a blog about it recently! http://www.inlarlarland.blogspot.com

    Have you seen the show “Who do you think you are?” I love it!

  • http://stevenandbrooke.blogspot.com s + b

    you know what, i LOVE researching my ancestry. it’s easy to get lost in.

    what a great photo and story!

  • http://wekeepsaying.wordpress.com Lys

    there’s nothing that comes to mind for me other than a long story about how my great aunt and grandfather were transplanted in america from germany back during world war 2 when they were very young. my great grandma had been separated from her husband, he was sent to a concentration camp, she was kept somewhere else with her two children. eventually, my great grandfather (whom i never met) escaped, grabbed my great grandma and the kids and high tailed it over the atlantic. they were on a rickety, sickly boat for over a week before they landed in the USA and were passed through Ellis Island. my great aunt doesn’t like to talk about it much, but i’ve pieced most of it together through stories running around my family.

  • Sandy

    Steph,
    I’m so glad you shared my grandfather’s and your great grandfather’s story with the world. And I’m just here to say I wouldn’t be here either if Johann Vorpvik had not taken the next ship. Also, grandpa Americanized his name upon arrival to John Vik.
    LOVE YOU,
    Aunt Sandy :)

  • http://dreamoncemore.net/ Karen

    What an interesting story. I am not sure I have any stories as interesting as yours to share about my grandparents, mostly because I am not familiar with a lot of details about their lives. Though it does still seem weird to me, that the places that my maternal grandparents are from are now Russia and Poland, and back then they were German. It’s just generally interesting how land kept changing national ‘affiliation’ in Europe until the end of WWII.

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