Spanish Flu 1918-1919 and 1919-1920 in Tillman County, Oklahoma

The following is autobiographical for Pearl. This episode describes life in the recently settled, Tillman County, The Big Pasture, in the young state of Oklahoma. The rural setting is west of Grandfield 12 miles. We find an almost fourteen year old Pearl Thornton describing some difficult days from December, 1918 to April, 1920. Her community had the painful, frightening experience of two seasons of the The Spanish Flu epidemic. Since right now we all are living through a pandemic, it seemed a good way to inaugurate this website in honor of Zula Pearl Thornton Noel, better known to us as Mama and Mamagran.

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At home that winter (1918-1919), I remember Grandma Thornton (Elizabeth Lasaphene Ware Thornton) stayed with us.  I slept with her and we would talk before going to sleep at night and one or two nights Grandma related to me the story some of her cousins had read to her (she couldn’t read).  I’m not sure of the title, but I think it must have been “The Winning of Barbara Worth”, as she used the name Barbara several times in the discussion.  She pronounced it Bar’-bar’-a’, and as I had not heard of the name before, I didn’t know the difference for many years, before the name became so popular.  Probably, the reason for Grandma’s relating to me this story, was that I read to Grandma each day the newspaper came, the installment of the serial that was currently running in the paper.  We were both anxious to be see what would happen  next.  I believe the story we were reading was “Tempest and Sunshine”.  I don’t recall the author’s name.  We discussed other interests besides stories we had read, for my age, I had many questions that I could ask no one except Grandma.

    Our family had an experience that winter with “Spanish Influenza”, an epidemic of flu in its worst form.  It began that winter and spread like wildfire across the entire country.  It was brought into the United States by the armed forces returning from the war in Europe.  The conflict was still raging, but there had been sick and wounded returning to military hospitals who had introduced the disease into this country.  It was so distressfully weakening to the human body, sapping all resistance, until pneumonia was the result of many who were attacked, causing death.  Statistics proved that not a great number died of the influenza alone, but critical illness infected those who were weakened by the diseased.  Surprisingly, to many who became ill, they were not afflicted by the common cold, as they were accustomed to in the case of the “grip”. (I believer that a man named LaGrippe had discovered this disease earlier in the century).  But, the greatest problem was a lack of knowledge treating this new disease.  Pneumonia could be treated, but until pneumonia developed, other remedy seemed useless.  The conclusion among doctors was that the patient should prevent unnecessary exposure, take aspirin , consume a liquid diet and wait!

   The disease travelled through our family, but no one was seriously ill.   No cases of pneumonia, just some colds.  Papa, refusing to stay in bed, sat in the rocking chair, wrapped in a blanket by the heater, deliriously talking, singing, frightening us children, but Mama and Grandma did what they could for him, explaining to us that he always was like this with fever- and fever and a terrific aching sensation did accompany Spanish Influenza.

In the spring we had another epidemic assail our neighborhoods, but only our family and one other were afflicted. Mama was really sick. She broke out in large eruptions on the skin, with fever and vomiting. It was necessary to seek medical advice, diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Wright from Grandfield, twelve miles away, made a house call, and told Mama she had small pox! She was not surprised, as she was so dreadfully ill, although none of the rest of us were really sick. Neither Papa nor Grandma suffered any effects, nor did Arthur, aged four. Billy had a breaking out of the skin a few days earlier but went on to school as usual. I had a half-dozen eruptions on my arms which the doctor inspected, and I had been n nauseated and vomited the night before. Dr Wright said that I had the small-pox, and although a light case, I would be immunized for life. He gave the others the immunization shots, quarantined us for twenty-one days and left. I don’t know what type of medication the doctor left for Mama, but she was so sick she stayed with the bed for several days.

—This is a leap from Spring, 1919 to Fall, 1919—

( For context, paragraph 3 below mentions the Noel families. They are in two homes just south of the Thornton farm, about 1/2 mile. Widow Amanda Jane has five children (Viola, Lona, Oma, Lavada, and David) living at home along with a married son, Austin and his wife. Austin and his wife were absent from the house. Amanda Jane’s oldest son, Frank and his young expectant wife Lola, lived across the road.)

     “The Garners who moved across from the Thorntons had four children in school, and two older boys already out of school.  Moody Garner, the oldest of the children attending school, was a cute little guy, younger by two years than I, but rather large for his age.  I liked him very much-not really as a boyfriend, but I felt drawn to him, and spoke to him frequently, although, he was very shy.

      That winter in early 1920 the Spanish Influenza went on another rampage, becoming epidemic, as bad or worse than the year before.  Our family was not afflicted this time, as many others were not, who had had the disease , which immunized them against the scourge this time.  Many of our neighbors came down with the “flu”,  as it came to be called.  Ab Davidson, our friend, a mile and a half away, called Papa one day.

       “Pete, you had the flu last winter, didn’t you?  Well, tell me how it works.  I don’t seem to have a cold, but I’ve got something!”  It turned out to be the “flu”.  This was earlier on in the season.  The Noel family were all down with the disease at the same time.  Austin Noel and his wife, Lillie, who lived with Mrs. Noel’s family, were visiting at Davidson, Oklahoma, with her mother who had the “flu”, and maybe pneumonia.  Mrs. Noel and her children were all sick.  Mrs. Noel’s oldest son, Frank and wife, Lola, lived across the road from her. They were both in bed with the flu.  Mr. Davidson, now immune from the disease, walked the three-quarter mile away to check on them.  

       Mama Betty was concerned,  but she was not robust health herself, and had Arthur, five years old, whom she couldn’t take to a sick room.  So, one day, I think on Sunday afternoon, Mama sent me over to the Noels to see if I could help.  I went to Mrs. Noel’s house first, and found them improving; all weak, not very hungry, sort of helping themselves and each other.  Mrs. Noel sent me up to Frank’s and Lola’s to see what they needed.  They were in the northwest corner of the living room in a bed together.  I recall-refilling a water glass for them, but they wanted nothing to eat at this point.  Lola was coughing slightly and told Frank that she felt pain when she coughed.  I soon left, went back by Mrs. Noel’s for a few minutes, then back home.  I told Mama how they were, and she was afraid for Lola, as she know that she was several months into a pregnancy and influenza was often fatal for women in this condition, especially if pneumonia was contracted, too.

     Mr. Davidson came to the Frank Noel’s home later that day and saw that Lola desperately needed medical attention, so he went home and called Dr Fuqua in Grandfield.  When the doctor made his examination, he found that Lola did have pneumonia.  Others in attendance at the two homes, decided to move Frank to his mother’s homes as he was some better, although, his case was watched closely due to his heart condition.  But, in spite of all that could be done, Lola Wood Colyer Noel died on February 11, 1920, on Wednesday following my visit to them on Sunday.

   School at Rita was upset and in turmoil as Miss Katherine was down with influenza, as well as a great portion of the student body.  Then, we received the sad news that our little schoolmate,  Moody Garner, had died of complications resulting from influenza and a chronic kidney disease.  I believe he died on February 12, the day after Lola died.

   Miss Thelma Thompson, the elementary teacher was keeping the classes as best she could.  St. Valentine’s Day was coming up the following Saturday, so we would have our Valentine Box on Friday afternoon.  She and we older girls worked at recess time making Valentines, as no one had been able to obtain any store-bought ones.  Miss Thompson taught us to make interesting Valentines from construction paper, water colors and Crayolas, using any and all pictures we could find from magazines.  We even became quite adept as we created those Valentines and even wrote poetic verses on them.  There was some joy, but I still feel the heaviness that hung over us was the loss by death of these two who were close to us as classmate and neighbor!

   At Friday morning assembly, Miss Thompson would favor us with the currently popular songs which we had not the opportunity to learn.  She sang, to the delight of us older girls, “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”, “Smiles”, “Til We Meet Again”, which was actually a war song, but still popular in our area.  A few persons in the community had record players.  Mrs. Tom Harrison, the country store proprietor’s wife, was one.  I recall one day when I , together with some other friends, sat in Mrs. Harrison’s living room listening to some of the new popular songs, when a pair of “sweethearts” strolled up to the front porch and asked Mrs. Harrison if she had “Smiles”. She answered in the affirmative, and the two young lovers stood outside there on the porch and listened intently, while their heads bowed, to the beautiful love song.  They were married some months later.  We young girls enjoyed that scene very much!”

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