Influenza exacts a continuing toll in Chariton, 1920

I came across while cataloging yesterday this portrait of Helen Crowe, 17, on a memorial page dedicated to deceased students in the 1920 Charitonian yearbook and decided to locate her obituary to find out what had happened. That led me to the front page of The Chariton Leader of Feb. 2, 1920. 

As it turned out, her death was caused by pneumonia that had developed as her system fought influenza, a continuation of the pandemic that had raged around the world during 1918-1919 at a time when there were no vaccines or medications to combat it.

Ten deaths were reported at length or briefly on that front page, eight of them attributed to influenza. The victims ranged from young to quite old.

Here's Helen's obituary. Her grave is located in Chariton's Calvary Cemetery with those of her parents, Daniel F. and Ella (Fox) Crow:

+++

With sadness we note the passing of Helen Agnes Crowe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D.F. Crowe, Saturday, January 31, 1920, following an illness of about one week with pneumonia. She was born in Woodburn Iowa, April 13, 1903, and was in the 17th year of her age. She was a member of the senior class of the Chariton High School and was a bright, lovable girl. Her many noble traits of character and amiable disposition had endeared her to those with whom she was associated. Death at any time leaves a sting of sadness and especially is this true when young in life with happy environments and a bright future before them, as in this case, the the inevitable came and we can only say "Thy will, not mine, be done."

Besides the parents, three sisters, Ravena, of Washington, D.C.; Marie and Irene at home; and a large circle of relatives and friends are left to mourn her untimely demise.

Funeral services were conducted from the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Tuesday morning by Rev. Father O' Sullivan, and interment made in Calvary Cemetery. The Senior High School lass attended in a body, and he many beautiful floral offerings bore testimony of love and esteem.

+++

Reading further, I found the obituary of Keith Baxter, a member of the CHS freshman class, also commemorated on the yearbook memorial page. Keith had graduated from eighth grade at one of English Township's rural schools during 1915, then worked for some years before enrolling in high school. It must have taken a good deal of determination to change course at the age of 19 and enroll as a high school freshman. Here's his obituary:

Keith Baxter. son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Baxter, of English Township, passed away at his home Monday afternoon, February 2, 1920, after an illness of 10 days with influenza, followed by scarlet fever and pneumonia. He was born in Humeston, October 4, 1899, and was 20 years, 3 months and 20 days of age. He was a freshman in the Chariton High School, and a young man of good character and habits, and his death has caused sadness in many homes and hearts. He leaves his parents; two sisters and one brother --- Mrs. Zora Coles, Lucile and Merrill Baxter, to mourn his death.

On account of the nature of his illness, private services were held on Wednesday afternoon, and the remains laid to rest in the Chariton Cemetery.

+++

Nearby was a brief news story reporting the deaths in Missouri of four members of the Albert Rodel family. The Rodels had moved during 1919 from a farm north of Cambria to the Kansas City area:

Several months ago, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Rodel, residing north of Cambria, and family, consisting of six children, removed to Missouri, about 25 miles from Kansas City. On Saturday, M.C. Lorimor received a message from Mr. Charles Brewer, he being the father of Mrs. Rodel, stating that the family had become victims of the flu and that both Mr. and Mrs. Rodel and a daughter had succumbed and had been buried in the same grave, on last Thursday. Since then another son had died and still others of the family were dangerously ill. Mr. Brewer had been visiting friends in Chariton just the week before and had been making his home with his daughter and family.

+++

Other flu-related deaths reported on that front page were those of William Thomas Curtis, 74; and Mrs. Frances Kamaras, age not given.