Through Her Eyes Thursday: 1918 Spanish Flu Hits Home

As you delve into your genealogy, you discover that historical events were more than just names and dates in your textbook. They were real events that impacted the lives of real people.

Most of us encounter this fact when we look back at our ancestors going off to war, living through the Depression and more. 

However, most of us do not think of a global pandemic affecting our families. For my Hillman ancestors, the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic was much more than a news headline.

This family photo was taken around the turn of the century, based on the age of baby Edna. My great-grandmother, Carrie, is surrounded by her siblings and parents.

Her younger sister, Lillian Moore Hillman, is a cute little 7 year old sitting at her mother's feet.

Thomas J. and Anna (Moore) Hillman.
Children (Clockwise from top left): Grace,
Carrie, Edna, Lillian, Maude, George

The years pass, and Lillian meets a handsome man by the name of John Anthony Maffey. Their thoughts turn to love, and they soon decide to get married.

John A. Maffey and Lillian M. Hillman

On December 22nd, 1917, the two marry in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. John is 28, and Lillian is 27 years old.

Marriage License for John A.
Maffey & Lillian M. Hillman

With Lillian's brother, George, overseas in Europe as part of the Rainbow Division in World War I, I am sure the newlyweds followed the headlines in the newspaper.

But, I do wonder if they looked past the war news, and caught the beginnings of what would later be known as the Spanish Flu.

According to Wikipedia, the 1918 influenza pandemic began in January 1918,  only a month after John and Lillian married. 

In those first months of marriage, I'm sure they paid more attention to each other than to the world around them. Lillian left her job as a clerk, and took care of their home. John continued working as a motorman in Cincinnati.

Tragically, the world news would come crashing into their world in the month of October 1918. Lillian was seen by a doctor at General Hospital in Cincinnati on October 16th, and by October 17th she died of broncho-pneumonia following influenza, according to her death certificate.

A short ten months after becoming man and wife, Lillian's life is tragically cut short and John is left a widow.

My great-grandmother and her siblings lost a sister, and their parents lost a daughter.

A life cut short, our family never had the chance to meet this beautiful lady.

Now that I've shared my story of my great-grand aunt, Lillian Moore Hillman Maffey ~ 

Has the Spanish Flu touched your family history? Do you have a story to tell?

The Family Reunion

In a few weeks, I will be heading to the family reunion in a small town in Indiana. In the last few posts, I have been writing quite a bit about my great-great grandparents, Henry & Sophia Haessig, and Thomas & Anna Hillman.

Today, I am turning the spotlight onto their children...and the following generation that brings us together in October to share our linked heritage.

Henry came to Indiana in 1871, and settled into farm life on the eastern side of Ripley County.  Henry, and his wife, Sophia, would have five children together: Caroline, Henry George, George Phillip, Emile and Louise. Sophia also had a son from a previous marriage, George Jacob (Jake).

Everyday, I am learning new things. But, at this moment, I don’t know much about Caroline, Emile, Louise and Jake.

George Phillip Haessig

George was only a name I saw on a few records here and there, until a reunion several years ago. At that reunion, I was introduced to a whole side of the Haessig family that I am getting to know better all the time. At this reunion, one of George’s sons, Charlie, was able to visit for the first time in decades with his first cousin: my 90-something year-old grandma!

Two of George’s grandchildren have been filling me in on interesting stories and Haessig research recently. I will have to share with all of you some of what I have discovered in future posts. But, suffice it to say, if his granddaughter hadn’t been introduced to my blog, I might not have heard about George and Henry rafting on the Mississippi!

Which brings me to my great-grandfather, Henry George Haessig.

Henry George Haessig

Henry met a neighboring schoolteacher named Carrie Mae Hillman. Carrie was the oldest child of Thomas and Anna Hillman. They were married over a century ago, and we still honor their memory today.  

Carrie Mae Hillman

I wish I had been fortunate enough to meet Henry. I have heard many good things about him, but I am sad to say that I never had the pleasure to meet him.

I know that I was extremely blessed to be able to spend a good portion of my childhood getting to know my great-grandma, and most of her children, well. I have been quite fortunate in knowing these wonderful people, and I will not forget these memories I have of them.

The first reunion began as a birthday party for my great-grandmother, Carrie, when she was 95 years old. I may have been a young girl, but I still remember her being able to visit with her little sister, Maude, who was 90 at the time!!

At past reunions, I have learned that four of Henry and Carrie’s sons were in World War II at the same time. I have also discovered that one of my dad’s 1st cousins served on the same Army base as Elvis Presley back in the day!  

Most of Henry & Carrie's children (and spouses). Carrie, the
matriarch, is sitting near the middle of the back row.

So, let’s see if I can discover anything new this year!    

And...I would love to hear what you have learned about your family this year! Tell me all about it!

Those Darn County Lines!

Great-great Grandpa Thomas Hillman

Location, location, location!

They always tell us how important it is, but it takes on a whole new meaning to genealogists.

All my life, I knew that my great-grandmother, Carrie, grew up in Moores Hill, Indiana. It is a little town on the west side of Dearborn County.

But, It was very perplexing to me that it was hard to find Carrie, and her family, on census records.

So, I decided to put my sleigh cap on, and do some detective work.

I started with the most recent census records that I could find under her parents' names, Thomas and Anna Hillman. So, I began with the 1920 census. I found them almost immediately within the town of Moores Hill.

This was an excellent beginning, but I knew it was only the beginning.  Thomas and Anna were much older. Carrie and most of her siblings were married, or at the least, already adults. I still understood that she had grown up in Moores Hill.

So, onwards to 1910.

Nowhere to be found in Dearborn County. I then decided to leave the county off of the search filters.

Bingo!! Found them...But right over the county line in Ripley County. Not only that, but I also found him there in 1900, 1870 and 1860.

Which means...? The most exciting part for me...

Breaking through a brick wall that has been there forever. I had a first name with a question mark for his father's name. Now, I had mother, father and brothers.

Moral of this story...If you have a brick wall, you might want to look in the neighboring areas. In some places, just living across the road could mean that you live in a different county as your neighbor.

Thomas and Anna: Through the Years

     Growing up in a world where we are photographed from Day One, it is hard for many of us to fathom a time when our families had no pictures at all.  For many of my ancestors, I am sorry to say that this is generally the case.

     But not for Thomas and Anna (Moore) Hillman...just check out all of these photos I have for a couple married in 1881. 

     The first picture was taken in the early 1880's.  Between talking to relatives, and some detective work of my own, it has been guessed at being taken very close to their wedding. It is encased in a wooden frame with gold leaf trim. My grandmother kept it hung at her house, and I have now been given possession of this wonderful keepsake. 

Thomas and Anna:  the Early Years

     Many of you have seen this next photo in a previous post.  It was taken circa 1899,  when my grandmother's Aunt Edna was still just a baby.  My Great-grandma Carrie is the oldest, and she was born in 1882.  I have been told that it was taken in their yard in Dearborn County, Indiana.  I was privileged to be able to spend time with my great-grandmother, and one of her sisters, before they passed away.

Thomas and Anna: the Turn of the Century

     I would love to have seen photos from the time period between the last one and these below. I know that Thomas passed away in 1920, and Anna in 1932. Judging by the aging between the previous photo and these, I would assume these might have been taken in the last few years before his death in January 1920.

     You can tell that the years had taken a toll on the two of them. Their son, George,  had spent three years in Europe, as part of the Rainbow Division in World War I. One if the daughters,  Lillian, had past away in 1918 in the flu epidemic. 

Thomas: the Later Years

Anna: the Later Years

     I am forever grateful for the advent of photography. My Grandma, and my Great-grandma, were good Christian woman that I cherish with all my heart. This couple shaped their daughter, and granddaughter, into the wonderful women that I knew and loved. To have these photographs that bring this precious couple to life are priceless! 

Tell me about some of your most prized old photographs! I would love to hear your stories!

The Hillmans of Moores Hill

Thomas J. and Anna (Moore) Hillman. Children (Clockwise from top left): Grace, Carrie, Edna, Lillian, Maude, George

     Can any of you name the family that most interested you when you started your journey into family history?  I can.  I was eleven years old and had just finished watching the "Roots" miniseries on TV.  I became fascinated with this idea of finding out more about my family tree, also.

     I was luckier than some, when I began my search.  I not only still had my two grandmothers, but I was blessed to also still have one of my great-grandmothers to visit.  She can be found as a young woman behind her mother in the above picture.

     Carrie's daughter (my paternal grandmother) also wrote names and dates in the family Bible, going back to her grandparents. She also did the same for my grandfather's family.

     Judging from the age of the children, this picture was taken near the turn of the century. I am also in the possession of a large photo of Thomas and Anna in an original frame taken approximately around 1880 or so.  These are treasures that I am so blessed to have.

    I love having the photographs, but I wanted to learn so much more about these people than just names and dates.  Great-grandma Carrie's sister, Maude, was still alive when I was eleven, and I actually have a picture somewhere of Carrie and Maude at our family reunion in 1977 or '78.  But, I haven't learned much about Maude yet. Or Edna and Grace.

     The only boy, George, had a career as a blacksmith well into the 1960's.  He also served in World War I in the Rainbow Division.

     Lillian, sitting on the ground in front of her mother, was not fortunate enough to have a long life, as were her siblings.  She grew into a young woman, fell in love, and got married.  However, according to her death certificate, she was a victim of the flu epidemic that gripped the nation around the time of the war. She died within a year or two of her wedding date.

     I have not learned much about Thomas Hillman's family, but Anna Moore has quite a few interesting ancestors and relatives. Her family's story includes an Indiana governor, a territorial judge, the founding of a small town and college, Mennonites, Methodists and the migration from Maryland and Virginia. I told you a little about the migration of Adam Moore in a previous post.

     So, I can tell you without a doubt when, and with what great-grandparent, my journey began. But, as you all know too well, the journey will never end! I hope you enjoyed getting to know my great-grandmother's family. I look forward to telling you more about Anna's family soon.