Soren Sorenson was born in Denmark, in 1882. He immigrated to Canada in 1903 and initially settled in Ponoka, Alberta, before moving east to Wainwright, Alberta..
He became a British subject and purchased land in Wainwright, where he raised horses, and later sheep.
In the spring of 1915, perhaps because of the war in Europe he decided, with fellow Wainwright rancher Colin Cattley, to leave his land and travel to England, and from there to his native country for a holiday. As a result, he booked second cabin passage for himself, and with his friend Mr. Cattley, he left Wainwright and travelled to Edmonton, from where he set out by rail to New York City.
The two ranchers arrived there in time to catch the Lusitania’s last ever sailing out of New York harbour, which commenced just after mid-day on 1st May 1915.
Six days later, they were parted for ever as although Soren Sorenson survived the sinking of the liner on the afternoon of 7th May, his friend Colin Cattley was killed.
A brief couple of paragraphs published in The Manchester Guardian for Monday 10th May 1915, told of his survival :-
A Dane named Sorenson, who is engaged in farming in Canada shared until the last moment, the belief that the ship would not sink and he made no
attempt to get into a boat. He sat on the rail of the port side with a lifebelt on until the vessel sank.
He struggled successfully against the power of the suction and presently seized a floating chair. Two women also clung to this with his help, and one of them clasped a baby which to the mother's inexpressible grief, died before the little group was rescued by survivors in a boat.
After being rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, Soren Sorensen eventually made it to England, and then to Denmark, where he remained until July. It is known that he returned to Wainwright on the 11th July, but the route he travelled cannot be determined.
On his return to Wainwright, he submitted a claim with the Canadian Commission, seeking compensation for the loss of his personal possessions and some money in the sinking of the Lusitania. On the 24th April 1926, he was awarded $573.00, which was the full amount of his claim.
In 1937, he married Sarah E Lang in Wainwright and they had one child, a daughter named Ann.
On the 12th March 1968, Soren Sorenson died at Wainwright General Hospital, aged 85 years. He was buried in the local cemetery. His wife, Sarah, died in 1976 and is buried beside him.
Alberta Canada Marriage Index 1898 – 1944, 1906 Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, 1921 Census of Canada, Cunard Records, Canadian Claims Case No. 827, Alberta Canada Homestead Records 1870 – 1930, Edmonton Journal, Manchester Guardian, Wainwright Star, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv D92/2/84, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.