“People’s choices matter. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”

Philadelphia, PA

This is my great-grandmother. Her name was Elizabeth Unruh (née Deavey or Davey.) She died during the 1918 Flu Pandemic. According to my grandmother (Elizabeth’s youngest child), she was born in County Sligo, in Ireland. My grandmother recalled that her mother got very sick, and then died, when she was a young child. US cities at that time were advised to shut down – essentially, practice what we today are calling “social distancing”. Philadelphia ignored this advice, and threw a parade. History tells us that this decision was devastating for the city. Before it was all over, about 16,000 people in Philadelphia had died. Because of the flu – because people ignored the advice of scientists – because the foolish always think they know better. I’ll never know for sure, but it’s possible that Elizabeth – a young woman with 5 children – might have lived if not for the selfishness of others. People’s choices matter. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Please choose wisely. Stay well.

Contributed by Rita Severino, Great Granddaughter of Elizabeth Unruh.

Editor’s Note: According to our death certificate audit completed in 2019, art least 17,500 Philadelphians were killed by the flu.