The Lusitania Resource
Mrs. HENRY AUGUSTINE BRUNO (ANNIE THOMPSON), Saloon Class Passenger

[No Picture Provided]

Annie Bruno, née Thompson, 43, resided at 123 Elm Street, Montclair, New Jersey, United States with he husband, Henry.  Even though the couple had lived in the United States for several years, they retained their British citizenship.  They had two sons, Henry A., Jr., of Greenwich, Connecticut, and Frank of Montclair.  Henry A., Jr., the elder of the two sons, was the advertising manager for the Greenwich News and Graphic in 1915.

Annie and Henry were members of the First Baptist Church in Montclair.  Henry had business in England, being a marine partner in the insurance firm Rogers and Carr in New York City, and Henry and Annie booked passage on the Lusitania.  Annie had planned to visit friends until Henry was ready to return to America.  Prior to sailing, the Brunos were in Greenwich and stayed with their son at the Elms on Putnam Avenue.

During the sinking, George Kessler saw Henry and Annie Bruno (erroneously printed as Mr. and Mrs. BERTH) get into a lifeboat; however, as neither of the Brunos survived, one would probably surmise that their lifeboat swamped or was dragged under.

As of Tuesday, 11 May both Brunos were still missing.  Some had hoped survival was possible because "the first class cabin occupied by the Montclair couple was on the side of the ship not struck by the torpedoes [port side]."

In the Wednesday, 12 May 1915 edition of The Greenwich Press, Henry, Jr., in an interview declared "that his mother expressed a feeling as of a premonition of evil before she sailed."

Per the list of interments, Mr. Henry A. Bruno was body #212, age 45 years, grave #590. Mrs. H. Bruno was body #147, age 45 years, common grave B.

Contributors:
Carole Lindsay
Judith Tavares

References:
Greenwich News and Graphic.  Tuesday, 11 May 1915, page 1.

The Greenwich Press.  Wednesday, 12 May 1915, page 1.


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