1918- 1919 Spanish Flu Historical Docuмentary-Video

Thank you for the very educational video>

I had family members that died because of the influenza of 1918-1919 including my Great Grandfather and
two uncles. They were living in Pueblo, Colorado at that time and it was especially bad there. There has
never been a exact count of the people that really died. So many very poor people that made their home on
the banks of the Arkansas River most all perished.
They say where ever the train tracks went to, the flu followed and brought many deaths to the cities and towns.

Yes, thank you RC53.

I too had an uncle (Austin 8 years old at the time) die of this flu. Our Grandfather took him out in the horse and cart on some business, and when he got home he had a cold. Grandfather called the doctor but he could not come because his own son had just died.

Excerpt:

Austin was born in 1912 but he was only eight when he died. Dad was very fond of Austin – they had a special bond. Whenever dad would travel somewhere, he would take Austin along. At the time of Austin’s death, Charlie had won a bursary and was going to school in Orange. Dad went from Canowindra in his horse and sulky to visit Charlie and he took Austin with him.

On their way to Orange Austin suddenly got very sick, so Dad returned to Canowindra, but Austin died that night. He might have contracted pneumonia, which was fatal in those days, but they weren’t exactly sure what killed him. On the death certificate they simply put an “x”. His death nearly broke my father’s heart.

The excerpt was written by his sister who was born after his death and when my Mum was 2. So neither remembers him. But we all hope to meet him one day.

It says in RC53's video that Australia was the last place to to get it, which would make sense in view of isolation.  But of course there would have been soldiers coming and going during the epidemic, at least I would have assumed they did.

I have never heard when it stopped, or any  people dying other than Uncle Austin and the doctor's son. Surely there were others. There were either 7 or 9 children in the family by then, but nobody else contracted it to my knowledge. They had a very good and healthy, country life in excellent conditions - air quality, fresh home grown food, lots of open spaces to run.

I should try to find out more.