Matīss Krūmiņš

Born in Talsu apr. Dzirciema pag. In Kandava parish in the family of farmers Ansis and Ede Krūmiņš. Brother Kārlis (b. 1875), sister Anna (b. 1876).

In 1902, Matīss graduated from the Engures Maritime School (diploma of a cabotage helmsman) and immediately entered the 2nd grade of the Mangaļi Maritime School, which he graduated in 1904 (diploma of a long-distance helmsman). From August 1904 he sailed on ships - until 1911 (for more information about his career as a helmsman, see the photo in the appendix).

At the beginning of the 20th century, he lived with his father Ansis Krūmiņš in Cēres pag., “Āzes” (now Pūres pag.). On March 5, 1906, he married Kārlis Bečmanis' daughter Amālija Lizeta (b. 1881) from Dzirciema pag. Sons Ernests (1907-1909) and Edgars (b. 1909).

In the autumn of 1907, with the Russian sailing ship "Milda" belonging to the port of Riga at the time, a crew of eight people, M. Krūmiņš, went to Scotland. On the way back, "Milda" gets caught in a storm and on the night of November 24 in the Kattegat off the coast of Denmark collided with another Russian sailboat "Bangpūtis" from the port of Ventspils. "Milda" sinks after the collision with the crews of both ships, but "Bangpūtis" drifts away without a crew .... Only one of the sixteen sailors survives in the lifeboat and it is the helmsman Krūmiņš. The circumstances of this accident are so surprising that most European newspapers write about it:

"THE NORWEGIAN STEAMBOAT OF LANGEZUNDA FJORD SAVED A MAN WHO WAS THROWN AROUND THE SEA IN A BOAT. HE SAID HIS NAME IS KRŪMIŅŠ. HE WAS THE HELMSMAN OF THE RUSSIAN SHIP “MILDA” FROM RIGA"

A few months later, M. Krūmiņš himself writes a letter to the newspaper "Jūrnieks" and recounts his adventures: “Iz juhrneeku dzihwes uz juhras” on 27.02.1908 and 05.03.1908 "Jūrnieks" (photo - excerpt from the newspaper attached).

After World War I, the family lived in Riga, but around 1927 Matīss became ill with leprosy. He was treated in Riga, but from 1937 in Talsu Leprosory.

Around 1943, Matīss' son Edgars Krūmiņš emigrated with his family to Canada.

Died at the age of 65 in 1946 in Talsu apr.

Source: KĻŪMĪGA PĀRSKATĪŠANĀS 1939.11.01 "Jūrnieks", Pēteris Aigars

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