Ronald Hubert Owens, known as “Hubert”, was born in Mumbles, Glamorganshire, Wales, in late 1904, the son of Herbert Isaacs and Cecelia Mildred Owens (née Smith). His father was a commercial traveller for a brewing company..
In 1905, the entire family emigrated to the United States of America and settled in Greenville, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. On the 23rd April 1907, his brother, Reginald Albert Edward, was born.
By 1910, the family were residing in Perry, Lawrence County, and in November of that year, Hubert and his mother and brother travelled to Wales for a holiday, remaining there until July 1911. By the time they returned to Pennsylvania, his father was living and working in Ellwood City. In July 1912, his second brother was born, but died within an hour of his birth and was not named by his parents.
The family resided at 215. Springfield Avenue, in Ellwood City, and members of his mother’s family were also resident in the city..
In the spring of 1915, one of his maternal uncles, Alfred Smith, decided to return to his native Swansea with his family, which comprised of his wife, Elizabeth, and his two daughters, Helen, aged six years, and Elizabeth, who was just five months old. Ronald's mother then decided to accompany her brother (Alfred Smith) and his family on the journey home, in order to take a holiday in Swansea. She also decided to take Reginald and Ronald with her, leaving their father back in Ellwood City.
As a consequence, the two families booked second cabin tickets on the Lusitania and left Ellwood City at the end of April on the first part of their journey. They joined the liner at Pier 54 in New York on the morning of 1st May 1915 for what became her last ever sailing from the harbour just after mid-day.
Just six days later, and only hours away from her Liverpool destination, both families were virtually wiped out when the ship was torpedoed and sunk. Although Ronald's mother survived, both he and his brother were killed. He was only ten years old and as no trace of his body was ever found and identified afterwards, he has no known grave.
Having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, his mother eventually made it back to Swansea and related her ordeal to a reporter of the local newspaper The Cambria Leader. The account, which refers to his mother as Mrs. Owen, also
calls him Hubert – which is the name his family referred to him as. It was published on Tuesday 11th May 1915 and stated: -
The party were (sic) travelling second class and their cabins were opposite each other. On Friday afternoon, Hubert and Reginald and Helen Smith were playing on deck and having a glorious time. Everybody on board was anticipating the end of the voyage and none had the slightest idea that a catastrophe was near.
Mrs. Owen, leaving the children at play, telling them to come down in half an hour, went below to pack and dress in anticipation of landing. Mr and Mrs. Smith were in their own cabin with the five months’ old child. They had not been below five minutes when the crash came.
The first care was, of course, for the children and while Mrs. Owen dashed up in search of her boys, she assumed that Mr. and Mrs. Smith tried to find Helen. Mrs. Owen did not see a single of the little party again, neither did little Helen till she recognised her auntie in a Queenstown hotel some hours after. .....
Mrs. Owen viewed the dead bodies brought ashore without finding any of the party, ..... .
Ronald Owens’ uncle and aunt and his baby cousin Elizabeth were also killed, only his other cousin, Helen, surviving from the Smith family!
1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1911 Census of England & Wales, Pennsylvania Passenger Records 1800 – 1962, Cunard Records, Cambria Leader, Daily Record and Mail, Western Mail, PRO BT 100/345, Deaths at Sea 1871 – 1968, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.