Caroline Bonnell

Miss Caroline Bonnell was an American First Class passenger travelling home aboard *Titanic.*

## Early life

Caroline Bonnell, the daughter of John Bonnell and Emily Wick was born on Monday 3rd April 1882 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Her father John was a succesful merchant of iron and steel. He had a company which was co-owned by George Dennick Wick, a cousin of Caroline. The name of the company was Wick, Bonnell & Co Rolling Mills.

Caroline lost her father in 1884, after which she moved to Youngstown in Ohio, where her mother was born and was educated at the Miss Morris School. She would later be active in charity, aiding refugees and immigrants as a member of the Youngstown First Presbyterian Church because she was a devout christian. She would aid them in making the English language their own and teach them literature as well as integrate in the American culture.

Early in 1912, Caroline sailed to Europe for a pleasure trip. On their vacation in France, she met Stephen Blackwell and Washington Augustus Roebling II, both of whom would later also sail for home on the *Titanic.* Caroline was was headed to her home in Youngstown, Ohio, along with her aunt Elizabeth Bonnell, and her relatives George and Mary Wick and George’s daughter, Mary’s step daughter, Mary Natalie Wick.

## *Titanic*

In Southampton on Wednesday 10th April 1912, Caroline boarded *Titanic* in First Class along with her family, including her British aunt, Elizabeth Bonnell, who was going to America to visit her family. Caroline shared cabin C-7 with Natalie Wick. Bonnell was 30 years old at the time.

During the voyage, Caroline and Natalie had hoped that they would see an iceberg, but they had been told that it was probably too late in the season. They had no idea their wish would come true, allthough not in the sense that they wanted.

On Sunday 14th April, as Caroline and Mary Natalie lay half asleep in their cabin on at 11.40 P.M they suddenly felt something grazing the ship's hull. They became aware that it was an iceberg after having opened their porthole window and hearing a voice that said this.

Seemingly not too concerned, they both stayed in their beds and discussed whether or not they should go up on deck to see the iceberg. Eventually they decided to put on some warm clothes and go up on deck to have a look. At some point Caroline remarked, “Well, thank goodness, Natalie, we are going to see our iceberg at last”. Out on the deck they saw nothing but a calm sea with no people around.

As they were about to return to their cabin, Caroline said that an officer told them to go and get their lifebelts. After being told this, they went to the cabin of Natalie’s father, George Wick, who reassured them that everything was fine, before they returned to their own cabin, only for a crew member to soon knock on their door to tell them to go to A-Deck. Caroline then went to fetch her aunt Elizabeth.

On the port side Boat Deck, Caroline, Natalie, Mary Wick and Elizabeth Bonnell all boarded lifeboat 8, one of the first five to leave the ship. George Wick is said to have waved to them as the boat was lowered. In the lifeboat, Caroline had a go at rowing, which she found to be difficult. All occupants of lifeboat 8 were rescued by *Carpathia* while George Wick was lost in the disaster.

As she arrived on the *Carpathia* she was given a blanket, a brandy and some water. She later spoke very highly of the passengers and crew of *Carpathia*, saying they were “kindness itself” and that they could not do enough to repay them.

## Later life

On 5 July 1924, Caroline married Paul Jones, a federal judge, who is said to actually have been her childhood sweetheart. He grew up in Youngstown like her mother and was a political figure for the Republican Party and had graduated from university. He was also a football star and coach.

They lived in Shaker Heights City, Ohio, USA, and had two children a boy in 1925, also named Paul followed by a daughter named Mary in 1926. Tragic luck hit Carolin as a facial tumor forced her to withdraw from public life, which was a shame as she was still in the welfare work. but her husband would stay loyal and stand firmly beside her, and not remarry again.

Caroline Jones died at her home in Shaker Heights on 13th March 1950. She was 67 years old. Her funeral took place at Church of the Covenant, Cleveland, Ohio. She was cremated at Highland Park, Cleveland on 15th March 1950.

Paul Jones outlived her by 15 years and passed away on 4 August 1965, just 3 months away from retirement at the age of 84 after 42 years of service as a judge.

Their daughter Mary still lived until 18 December 2017, when she passed away in Cleveland at the age of 91.