LIZZIE WE HARDLY KNEW YA...

My Great-Aunt, Elizabeth Lufrano, was the youngest daughter of Michael and Saveria Lufrano. She had just turned 20-years-old on March 25, 1918. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Young and pretty, Elizabeth had her whole life ahead of her, that is, until October 19, 1918. From that moment on, whenever anyone spoke about her, she was referred to as "poor Lizzie."

Spanish Influenza. The thought of another pandemic of this magnitude is too horrific to contemplate, and yet, it almost seems imminent. The story of Spanish Flu hits home for my family. The same applies to many families across the country and the world.

The 1918 Influenza pandemic [i]  or the Spanish Flu, as it is more commonly known, affected 500,000,000 people around the world. The death toll is estimated at 50,000,000 but could be as high as 100,000,000, making it one of the deadliest epidemics in history. [1]

During the epidemic, Chicago reported more than 8,500 lives lost to the disease in just eight weeks. The virus popped up in pockets around the country in the spring of that year. It disappeared almost as quickly. The summer of 1918 was relatively disease-free. Spanish Influenza, did, however, gain a foothold in Europe and began to spread across the continent. Over one million American soldiers were sent to Europe to fight in WWI. In late August, when the infected soldiers and sailors returned from Europe to military bases all over the country, the epidemic swept the nation.

While not the first stop in the U.S., the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, just 30 miles north of the city, was the first stop for the epidemic in Chicago. Beginning on September 11, 1918, the first cases were being reported. Within a week, there were over 2,600 men in the hospital. Liberty was canceled for the men at the station on September 19, to contain the outbreak, but it was already too late. According to newspaper reports, the week ending September 28, saw 598 new cases of Spanish Influenza in Chicago and 176 deaths. The following week, over 6,000 new cases were reported and more than 600 deaths. By the end of the third week, ending October 14, the number of new cases had jumped to 11,239, with over 1,400 deaths. October 17, 1918, became known as Black Thursday in Chicago when 381 people died, and nearly 1,200 more contracted the illness in a single 24-hour period. [2]  The number of deaths was occurring faster than could be accommodated. The city ran out of hearses, and so passenger trolleys, draped in black, were used instead to collect the bodies. Precautions taken against the spread of the disease were primitive at best and mostly ineffective. Public funerals in Chicago were banned altogether, and private funerals were limited to 10 people -- including the undertaker. Public places, such as bars, dance halls, and movie theaters, were closed. Churches and schools remained open. Public spitting was cause for arrest. In the hopes of reducing rush-hour crowds on public transportation, local businesses were asked to stagger their working days.[2]

A Chicago man, Peter Marrazo, [3], was driven insane by the Flu. He barricaded his family in their apartment, and slit the throats of his wife and four children, telling police, "I'll cure them my own way!" [2] 

When it was over, there were approximately 300,000 people affected by the Spanish Influenza in Illinois. The last few reported cases of the disease occurred in the first couple of months of 1920. The epidemic ended not because any cure had been found, but because the virus mutated again. The deadly Spanish Influenza strain ceased to exist (sort of.)'  [2]   

 

Lizzie & Friends - ca 1917

Lizzie & Her  Niece, Mary - 1917

There isn't much information known about where or how Great-Aunt Lizzie contracted the disease. What is known is that she became ill on October 10, 1918, and died on October 19, 1918, at 1:00 PM. Listed as her primary cause of death is meningitis, which lasted for three days. The underlying cause…influenza. Lizzie was buried two days later on October 22 at Mount Carmel Cemetery. Since public funerals were banned, it’s assumed Lizzie had a private funeral, although there is no one left to ask. The address listed on her death certificate shows, 927 Cypress. I've never heard mention of that address, the name of the street has been changed, and the building is no longer there. Was that her home address, or an isolation center where she was placed after she contracted the disease? Again, there's no one left to ask. It’s heartbreaking to think that more is known about Lizzie’s horrible death than her life. What was her favorite color or book? What did she do for fun? Who was her best friend? Did she have a boyfriend? So many questions that will never have answers. As I work on my family tree, I will continue to search for any tidbits of information that may become available on Lizzie. For now, Elizabeth Lufrano may be gone, but definitely not forgotten.

Mar. 25, 1898 - Oct. 19, 1918

RESOURCES

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[i]  americanexperience/films/influenza

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

²Chicago and the Influenza Epidemic of 1918 Gapers Block .... http://www.gapersblock.com/airbags/archives/chicago_and_the_influenza_epidemic_of_1918/

³ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042243/1918-10-22/ed-1/seq-1/