1918 Flu Pandemic

It has almost been a month since my last post.  I had wanted to create a post prior to Veterans day.  A chronicle of my ancestors who fought in the many wars.
Unfortunately, I came down with the flu this year so I have barely had the energy to research companies and send out resumes as my unemployment continues past three months now.  I took this down time to read and re-read the letters between my Grand Uncle Gordon Philip England (1901-1992) and his mother, my Great Grandmother Nettie Martha "Smith" England (1870-1963).  The letters revealed the era and the history of the time.  World War I was taking place and the Spanish Flu as it was called was about to kill 3% of the worlds population according to Wikipedia.
(Translation of a letter attached below. I have attempted to put in clarification where possible).  Gordon England was 15 years old at the time he wrote this letter.

Sunday February 13, 1916, Derby, VT. Oleans County.  Gordon wrote to his Aunt Mary Chastina Smith. (1859-1942).

"Dear Aunt Mary,  How are you and all the rest.  I am feeling about as usual.  Have you heard from Harvey lately?" (Harvey William Smith).  "I wanted to go to a masquerade Friday night, but did not have anything to wear.  (Costume I mean). Bailey and Cecil went.  Esther was Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary.
My grade gave a prom and candy sale lately.  We took in $8.65.  I brought it home in that nice little coin purse you sent me.  Our class pins are to cost $2.25 a piece.  I am getting on well at school except in Arith and Writing.  I got a higer average on my report card than anyone else in ninth grade for one month.

The Diea basket ball first team won from Newport team 19 to 17.  Twenty have enlisted lately at Beebe." (He is speaking about the war). "Els boy took Ruth's strap and hid it in the barber's shop and Harold Elder and a bean boy found it and cut it up.  Tell Aunt Sarah (Sarah Maria Smith) I am coming to see her next summer.  Mrs Kelley gives us a test in Arith every week.  Has Willie got a gun and is there any hunting around there?" (Mary's grandfather was William Ewins.  I don't know if Gordon is referring to him as Willie or Mary's brother Harvey William Smith).  "There is nothing here except a few English sparrows.  I shoot a few once in a while to keep my hand in.   What is Teddy doing now?" (Unknown who he is referring).   "Wasn't it mean of the German's to destroy our Parliament Buildings?"  (I had to research this statement. What I found was on February 3, 1916, just ten days before Gordon wrote this letter.  Right in the middle of World War I, the Center Block of the Parliament Buildings caught fire and the whole complex burned to the ground, with the exception of the library which is the large domed building that still stands today in the rear of the current Parliament building.  It is told that several people burned to death.  People cried sabotage, and blamed the Germans of Ottawa, and crowds went looking for German stores to trash and burn.  German Canadian's quickly responded.  The large concentration of Germans in Berlin, Ontario, demonstrated their Canadian patriotism by changing the name from Berlin to Kitchener, Britain's famous Minister of War.)  "I wish you would send me some Montreal Papers.  I haven't seen any for a long time.  I still firmly believe that U.S. will fight against Britain.  I may send you a few posts to show you my side of the question.
With Love,
Aurevoir Gordon.
P.S. Be sure to write to me soon."
With Gordon Philip England being a famous Canadian Author and the historical significance of this letter, I am sure that if Mary Ginn took it to the Antique Road Show it would be worth "Millions"... 
Gordon also included a very nice poem:

"A MOTHER'S PROUD OFFERING"
Take our sons, O England,
They were born and bred for thee;
Take our sons, O England,
And save our Liberty.
To you we yield them proudly
As oft mothers did of yore;
Dear God, please protect them
And guide them through the war.

"Tis for a righteous cause
Our boys have gone o'er the sea
To fight this tyrant Hitler
And nobly die for thee.
We know they'll do their duty
Whene'er it on them fall
To fight for their dear country
And give their might and all.

Although we sadly miss them
And our hearts are bleeding sore
We give them to you proudly
How can we give you more?
Take our sons, O England;

Gordon Philip England

The letters spoke of the normal day to day as well.  What vegetables grew in the garden and who was getting married.  Many letters also spoke about my Great Grandfather Reverend Clarence Philo England and his poor health.  He had gone through a recovery for some type of surgery that I did not discover in the letters and was ill for many years until his death much later in 1953.   I also found tucked away in Gordon England's letters some newspaper clippings.  As you can see above at fifteen he was very interested in reading newspapers,  and he later went on to write stories to be published in them as well.  Two of the clippings talk about how sick everyone was.  They are from the Stanstead Journal one is dated Feb 26, 1920 and the other Dec. 23, 1920.  They are title Barnston.   And lists The family of Rev. C.P. England, consisting of his three sons, is suffering from influenza, with Dr. McCurdy in attendance.  Fortunately, for me and my family, my grandmother Ruth Augusta England had already moved out, completed college and had just got married to William Rider Howie August 19, 1916 and moved to Beebe Vermont.  Otherwise Helen, Clarence and Arthur may have never been born.
So, the above blog was inspired by me catching the flu, and is dedicated to, according to Wikipedia statistics, the  50 Million people around the world who died from the Spanish flu and the other 500 Million who were infected by the Spanish Flu during that time.  To read more on the Spanish flu or the fire click a blue link above.

I am very interested in this as I am checking into DNA research and genealogy.  Helen, Clarence and Arthur and their descendants probably have some DNA marker for resistance to this type of influenza.  Where-as my parents were born after the Spanish flu and may not have past down any marker.  This is all new and very interesting to me.
There are many letters that Gordon saved as well as some photos.  So my hope is to add them slowly over time to this blog.  I have also heard that there are some diaries on my Grandmothers, Nettie England that our in circulation within the family.  I hope if they one day come my way, that I will be able to forever capture them to my blog for all to enjoy.  So here is the Million dollar letter...