Saga of the Sanpitch Volume 17, 1985 - Sanpete County

THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC OF 1918
Vernon J. Larsen
3981 Fruitvale Avenue
Oakland, CA 94602
Non-Professional Division
Honorable Mention Personal Recollection
I was up early that morning, trying to straighten the house and take care of the other three members
of our family, who were bedfast with the 1918 death - dealing influenza. Even as a boy of eleven years, I had
to assume full responsibility. My mother, father and brother had been clown for several days. The epidemic
was ravaging the nation, the state and the community. Many lives had been lost. The medical world felt
helpless and attempts to curb the disease proved unsuccessful.
There was a tap on the window. It was Uncle Henry Burton, who had been milking the cows and doing
the outside chores. He motioned to the door and shouted, "Grandma sent some food."
I went to the door. He handed me the morning's milk. Grandma had sent a kettle of beef stew and
two loaves of home-made bread. Uncle Henry said that our neighbor Bill Larsen had died last night. What a
shock! We were so close to his family. He also reported that three other townspeople had died since
yesterday and the death toll in Mt. Pleasant was rising every day.
Henry was wearing a white gauze mask over his nose and mouth. This was recommended as one
possible safeguard. Public meetings and gatherings were prohibited. Schools were closed. Every precaution
was being taken to prevent the spread of the "flu."
I brought the food into the house and prepared breakfast from the home-made bread, milk from the
cellar and the hot beef stew. We were certainly thankful.
The milk Henry had left was placed in the cool cellar for the cream to rise and be added to the cream I
had accumulated. I now had five gallons that must be delivered to the creamery.
After putting on my gauze mask, I loaded the cream can on to our little express wagon and began the
seven blocks to the creamery. At the creamery, the manager took a sample of the cream with his pipette and
tested it. He determined the percentage of butter fat, took the weight of the can of cream and calculated the
money due me. I then started homeward with the empty can in my express wagon and the treasured check
tucked safely in my pocket.
On the way home I felt sick and dizzy but I struggled along, knowing full well that I had caught the "flu"
bug. Upon my arrival Mamma said that I had a fever and must go to bed. Now how could I take care of the rest
of the family?
Life became seriously difficult. With all of us down, care of the sick became almost impossible. Getting
a little food was burdensome. Someone must get up, prepare what was available and get right back to bed.
Even the task of taking care of bodily waste in a two-room house with no bathroom was a monstrous job.
Refuse accumulated and the atmosphere became unpleasant„
Now we really depended upon Uncle Henry. Each morning and evening he did the chores and left the
milk on the doorstep, along with a bucket of water. Grandma continued to send food. The news of additional
deaths daily was terrifying. On several occasions we saw the Jacobs Mortuary hearse, with its two white
horses, pass our house. Death had claimed other victims from our neighborhood,
In spite of the sorrow around us, we felt blessed. We were being provided with food, fresh milk and
water. Uncle Henry was taking good care of the animals. Days passed. We weathered the sickness. Finally one
by one we were freed of the fever and we were well again. There had been no after-effects. Our family was
intact„ No one missing, but we felt sorry for the families that had lost one, two or even three members to the
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