In reference to the last five posts about my grandmother.
I never knew that my grandmother, Gertrude Hood had had the Spanish Fly back then and that after she recovered, she volunteered to nurse other victims. My mom said that my grandfather, Graham Hood, also had it but recovered. He always said he recovered because he kept his bowels clear. I wouldn't know whether or not that is true.
I have noticed while walking through cemeteries a large number of people dying in 1918. North Carolina, with its many military bases was particularly hard hit. It seemed that the flu followed our soldiers back from Europe at the conclusion of World War I. My grandfather was in the Army, but had never gone to Europe. My great Uncle David had, but evidently had not contracted the disease before he died in the attempt to save the little boy from the flooded river.
PANDEMIC IN NORTH CAROLINA
The pandemic lasted from 1918 to 1919. By September 27, 1918, North Carolina reported that all hospitals from Wilmington to Raleigh were crowded with victims. By the first week of October, the disease was an epidemic. A week later, Fayetteville reported it to be especially bad.
An Almost-Forgotten Part of US History. --Cooter
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