Surviving Titanica

The littlest things can change your life forever. Most people don't think much about it. In the early 1900's two brothers emigrated to America from England. Sidney and Richard Hocking and were living in Akron, Ohio. After there mothers second husband death she decided to emigrate to America. Richard returned to England to bring his mother, aunt, two sister, and nepew to America. They originally intended to travel on the Oceanic but the family decided to embark the Titanic at Southampton. Mrs. Hocking along with her one daughter travelled in second class under ticket number 29105. The ticket cost 23 pounds.Her other daughter, son, and grandsons were in a different cabin in second class. Mrs. Wilkes (Richards aunt) travelled third class under ticket number 363272. The ticket cost 7 pounds. Shortly after the collision, Mrs. Hocking went to her daughter cabin and shook her to get her up. She told her there is surely danger. Something has gone wrong. Mrs. Hocking and her children and grandchildren made thier way to the boat deck. Mrs. Hockings and her daughters and two grandsons were rescued in lifeboat 4. Mrs. Wilkes also made her way to the boat deck. She was rescued in lifeboat 16. Richard was not rescued from Titanica. Richard along with countless others went down with the ship. They were met in New York by her other son Sidney Hockings who had travelled from Akron, Ohio. Just two years after surviving the sinking of Titanic Mrs. Hocking was struck by a car in front of city hospital at 6 P.M, Tuesday. In downtown Akron. She was picked up unconscious by two doctors and taken from the street to the hospital, here it was found that she had a long scalp wound in the back of the head and was cut and bruised about the body. She died at 5 o'clock Wednesday morning. At the age of 56 just 4 day after her birthday. Mrs. Hockings was buried at Glendale Cemetery. Mrs. Wilkes lived on and became friends with my great grandparents. She gave my great grandmother a silver mesh handbag. The handbag is what she had on the Titanic. The handbag is still in the family. Later in Mrs. Wilkes life she became a recluse. Living without heat or running water in the middle of wintertime. Although her home had furniture, she had been sleeping in a chair in her living room. Unopened mail some years old was stacked up. She was suffering severely from frostbite and partial amputation of her feet was performed prior to her death. Mrs. Wilkes was 90 when she died at city hospital. She was also buried at Glendale Cemetery in Akron, Ohio.