Ancestor: Martha Adams Packard
Descendant: Sylvia B.
My Grandmother Marie (Mary) Dinse Packard, age 23 and the mother of three children (ages five, three, and one) died in 1918 of the pandemic in Tecumseh, Michigan.
My Great Grandmother Martha was nursing the whole family and they were laid out on blankets on the living-room floor. Great Grandmother Martha was also sick and as the doctor came everyday to check on the family, he would take the new washing out to the clothesline and bring the dry in. He told Great Grandmother Martha not to go out in the cold as she was also sick.
My mother remembers refusing to eat supper, as no one had taken food in to her mother who had died. She also remembers the family taking her mother's body from the house and she was holding a flower in her hand while she stood there not crying but she just picked every petal off the stem.
They family lost six in total with one being my Gr. Mother's brother, who came home from boot camp to visit his sick sister.
My Great Grandmother Martha and her husband Oscar Packard raised the three children and they always spoke lovingly of the grandparents.
I have been researching my families for more than 50 years. My husband and I have a lot of important ancestors in our lines, but these are the types of ancestors that I most respect and hope I carry on their genes.