Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Laxman

(2,419 posts)
15. My Grandfather's Parents....
Tue Feb 13, 2018, 03:44 PM
Feb 2018

both died in the Spanish Flu pandemic. He and his brother were sent to live with an uncle they had never met who was in the merchant marines and worked on sailing ships. When they got to be 14 they were pulled out of school and sent to work. Their family land in Pennsylvania had been given to another relative and they never saw a dime from it. Their story was apparently not an anomaly at the time. It was like a crazy Dickens story.

Considering how many people have watched Twilight dewsgirl Feb 2018 #1
one of the reasons that flu pandemic was so bad is because many people were demigoddess Feb 2018 #2
The war. All those soldiers in close quarters with poor nutrition. nt Laffy Kat Feb 2018 #7
Also many families had rudimentary (at best) medical help. Archae Feb 2018 #11
There were at least two bestselling books and (how many?) TV documentaries on that subject. eppur_se_muova Feb 2018 #3
I guess they don't watch enough TV. nt raccoon Feb 2018 #4
I guess they never watched marybourg Feb 2018 #5
Even Downton Abbey! Tanuki Feb 2018 #8
The Flu strain in the pandemic of 1918 yellerpup Feb 2018 #6
My elderly GG Grandparents died in that pandemic. PADemD Feb 2018 #9
What a wonderful thing to know yellerpup Feb 2018 #13
Commonly known as Spanish flu. OnDoutside Feb 2018 #10
I know, I've tried explaining how people were usually dead in 3 days..... Historic NY Feb 2018 #12
I know it is mentioned in history books Ilsa Feb 2018 #14
recently I read that doctors still bled patients as a treatment well into demigoddess Feb 2018 #21
My Grandfather's Parents.... Laxman Feb 2018 #15
My grandfather was put in an orphanage xmas74 Feb 2018 #20
It became real to me reading the gravestones in small rural IA churchyards. So many children d 1918! bobbieinok Feb 2018 #16
I still remember one old gravestone from 1918 in my home town womanofthehills Feb 2018 #18
my older family used to talk about this they have been in Chicago a long time lunasun Feb 2018 #17
My great grandmother was xmas74 Feb 2018 #19
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Appalling so few know abo...»Reply #15