Chuck,
I forgot to tell you about my
Aunt Anna Johnson Ritter who died of TB in December of 1921. Anna was born in 1890. Her parents, William Johnson and Lena Carlson Johnson were born in Sweden. Anna Johnson married Edgar
Ritter, who was from either Altoona or Johnstown, and they lived in Johnstown during their marriage. Anna worked outside the home doing domestic housework.
She and Edgar had no children. Edgar contracted TB and Anna cared
for him at home until his death on August 17, l916 when Anna was only 26 years old.
I don’t believe he was ever at Cresson and we don't know where he
is buried.
Of
course, Anna was exposed to the TB bacillus while caring for Edgar, but it apparently was dormant in her until she came down
with influenza during the world wide flu epidemic in 1918-1919. Shortly after,
she was diagnosed with TB. Anna was sent to Cresson San where she spent about 1 and 1/2 years during which time her
condition worsened. Grandma and Grandpa Johnson decided to bring her home in June of 1921 and cared for her
until her death on December 4, 1921. She is buried in the family plot at Brisbon Cemetery in Houtzdale, Pa. No one else in the family every contracted TB from having Anna cared for at home.
