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The invisible enemy that invaded Genesee County in the fall of  1918 took 159 lives in seven weeks—and still more in coming months. It knew no discrimination, no social boundaries, no mercy, no pity. Its victims were nurses, farmers, accountants, clerks, mechanics, business owners, professionals, factory workers, clergy, itinerants, town officials, rich and poor.

More significantly, they were fathers and mothers with children left behind; they were children with mothers and fathers—sometimes only one or the other—left to mourn them. They were husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends. The survivors’ lives would be darkened, shadowed, forever.

They were part of the county’s future—generations to be. And their loss would affect families and communities in Genesee County for generations to come.

We remember them here.

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Of the 159 individuals who died of influenza and/or pneumonia or other related complications between the first death on October 11 and the last day of November, 1918, 142 are listed here. The information is based on obituaries that appeared at the time in local newspapers; research failed to turn up listings for the remaining 17.

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Died October 11, 1918

• Martha Ellen Ganiard – LeRoy. Age 16. Survived by her parents, a brother, and two sisters.

• David R. Howell – Bergen. Age 30. Survived by his wife and three young children, including an infant.

• Dr. Clor W. Merle – Batavia. Age 28. Survived by his wife and an 18-months-old daughter, both also ill at the time of his death.

• Lynn V. Parsons – LeRoy. Age 32. Survived by his wife and two-year-old son.

Died October 12, 1918

• Mildred Ford – Bergen. Age 21. Survived by her parents and two sisters.

“There have been about 200 cases of influenza in this township [Bergen] in the past two weeks. The school and churches are closed, and in some houses the entire family are down with the disease. It is thought, however, that the crisis has passed . . . .”

Died October 15, 1918

• Martin Francis Doran – Batavia. Age 17. Survived by his parents and three sisters.

• Alice Ruth McCowan – LeRoy. Age 16. Survived by her parents, two brothers, and three sisters.

“Miss McCowan was . . . a  student of the Le Roy high school  and a classmate of Martha Ganiard and she appeared greatly affected by the death of the latter.”

• Mrs. Hattie Toal Root – LeRoy. Age 48. Survived by her husband, one son, and one daughter.

Died October 16, 1918

• Mrs. Emily Coles – Batavia. Age 40. Survived by her husband and three children, ages 7, 11 and 13.

• Dorothy Katherine Mooney – LeRoy. Age 14 months. Survived by her parents and one sister.

“She had been ill only 24 hours.”

• Mrs. Hattie Bater Palmer – Bergen. Age 29. Her husband had died five years earlier. Survived by her 12-year-old daughter.

Died October 17, 1918

• Martha Washington Duncan – LeRoy. Age unknown. Survived by one sister.

• Edward V. Francis – Stafford. Age 23. Brother of Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Beck, age 32, who died 3 days later, and of Joseph P Francis, age 25, who died one week later. Survived by their parents, one brother, and three sisters.

 

• Mrs. Carrie Iannello – LeRoy. Age 19. Survived by her husband and two young children, Rosaline age 1 year and 5 months, and Gaton, age 3 months. Rosaline died nine days later.

• Adelia Kirczofski – Depew. Age 5. Died while visiting her uncle in Batavia. Survived by her parents, one brother, and two sisters.

• Mrs. Henry Pflaum – Batavia. Age 29. Survived by her husband and two young daughters.

• Allie L. Scoville – Batavia. Age 30. Survived by his wife and a young son.

• Theodore Allen Trumbower – Batavia. Age 30. Survived by his wife and a young daughter.

• Joseph Yachett – Bergen. Age 36. Survived by his wife and six children.

Died October 18, 1918

• Louise Caccamise – LeRoy. Age 27. Survived by her parents, three sisters, and a brother serving in the Army.

• Mrs. Ida Wallace Laird – Bergen. Age 42. Survived by her husband and nine sons, ages 5 to 21. Two sons were in the AEF in France.

Died October 19, 1918

• Ellen D. Davis – Batavia. Age 1. Survived by her adoptive parents.

• Albert J. Shamp – Byron. Age 17. Survived by his parents and a brother.

• George Sheldon – Batavia. Age 74. Survived by a daughter and a brother.

• Clark John Thomas – Batavia. Age 25. Survived by his wife and two sons.

 Died October 20, 1918

• Clarence A. Berg – Elba. Age 24. Survived by his parents, two brothers and a sister.

• Mabel Elizabeth Brown – LeRoy. Age 30. Survived by her parents and a sister.

“Miss Brown was a  young lady of kind and loving disposition.”

• Lester Butler – Batavia. Age 29. Survived by his wife and a two-year-old daughter.

• Bartholomew Gacuzzo – LeRoy. Age 1 year and 11 months. Survived by his parents.

• William P. O’Brien – Batavia. Age 42. Survived by his wife and 13-year-old son. Business partner and nephew of Mrs. Julia Callan, who died two days later.

• Melvin G. Spittal – Batavia. Age 32. Survived by his parents and two sisters.

• Chrisula Vlahapulu – Batavia. Age 9 months. Survived by her parents.

• Lillian Y. Westacott – LeRoy. Age 25. Survived by her husband, parents, six brothers, and two sisters.

Died October 21, 1918

• Charles Bannister – Batavia. Age 39. Survived by his wife and a son.

• Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Beck – Batavia. Age 32. Survived by her husband and a daughter. Sister of Edward Francis, who died October 18, and of Joseph Francis, who would die October 25.

• Timothy E. Carney – Batavia. Age 34. Survived by his wife and four children.

• William E. Houlihan – Batavia. Age 28. Survived by four sisters.

• Peter Keenan – LeRoy. Age 27. Survived by his parents and one brother serving in the American forces in France.

“His brother, Private Henry Keenan, is now serving the American forces in France.”

• William H. Porter, Jr. – Pembroke. Age 22. Husband of Charlotte Porter, age 29, who died three days later. Survived by four small children.

Died October 22, 1918

• Ora Elizabeth Boothe – LeRoy. Age 20. Survived by her parents, two brothers and a sister.

“Other members of the family have been ill and she had faithfully nursed them all through their sickness.”

• Mrs. Julia Callan – Batavia. Age 50. Survived by two sisters. Business partner and aunt of William P. O’Brien, who died two days earlier.

• Rev. Victor Fassetta – Batavia. Age 35. Rector of St. Anthony’s Church. No surviving relatives in United States.

• Mrs. Mattie Flynn – Batavia. Age 36. Survived by her husband, two young sons, and a six-weeks-old daughter.

“Mr. Flynn, who was taken ill at the same time, is still in serious condition.”

• Edward Madden – Batavia. Age 40. Survived by his mother and two sisters.

• Mrs. Agnes Osr – Oakfield. Age undetermined. Survived by her husband and three children.

Died October 23, 1918

• Mrs. Nellie Moore Gateson – Elba. Age 43. Survived by her husband and a 10-year-old daughter.

• Mrs. Susan Ethel Gesse – Darien. Age 30. Survived by her husband, two sons ages 9 and 12, and a daughter, age 7.

• Samuel Magavero – LeRoy. Age 21. Survived by his father, several siblings, and his wife of less than one month.

Wladystawa Mruczek – Batavia. Age 1 year. Survived by her parents.

• Torrance W. Russell – Batavia. Age 73. Survived by his wife and two sisters.

• Joseph W. Shirley – LeRoy. Age 34. Survived by two brothers and six sisters.

• George W. Strable – Elba. Age 4. Survived by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters.

• Edgar D. Warner – Alabama. Age 20. Survived by his mother and four sisters.

• Isadore Zelasko – LeRoy. Age 30. Survived by his wife and one son.

Died October 24, 1918

• Mrs. Mertie Wilbur Burrill – Batavia. Age 35. Survived by her husband and four children.

• Mrs. Mary Chiaramonte – Batavia. Age 40. Survived by her husband, six sons and a daughter.

• Mrs. Mabel Harriet Cole – Bergen/Batavia. Age 28. Survived by her husband and three young children. Her four-year-old nephew, Glenn Dusen, died one day later. They were buried together.

•Samuel Coticchio – Batavia. Age 30. His wife, Anna Coticchio, age 28, died two days later. Survived by five young children.

• Mrs. Antonina Lena DeCarlo – LeRoy. Age 28. Survived by her husband and three remaining children.

“The family has been sadly afflicted, three children having died within the past year.”

• Louis Fenello – Batavia. Age 2. Brother of John Fenello, age 13, who died five days later. Survived by their parents.

• Mrs. Frank Ferrio – Batavia. Age 40. Survived by her husband and two brothers.

• William Jeffreys – LeRoy. Age 25. Survived by one brother.

• Mrs. Elizabeth Martin – Batavia. Age 65. Survived by a daughter and three sons.

• Mrs. Sarah Porter — Pembroke. Age 29. Wife of William J Porter, Jr., age 22, who died three days earlier.

“Mr. and Mrs. Porter leave four small children, all very ill with the disease.”

• Miss Katherine Roach – Batavia. Age 27. Survived by five brothers and a sister.

• Charles Wokasen – Byron. Age 36. Survived by his wife and two teenage children.

Died October 25, 1918

• Mrs. Frances S. Dunn – LeRoy. Age 33. Survived by her husband and an eight-months-old daughter.

• Glenn Dusen – Batavia. Age 4. Survived by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. His aunt, Mrs. Mabel Harriet Cole, died one day earlier. They were buried together.

• Joseph P. Francis – Stafford. Age 25. Survived by his  parents and four remaining siblings.

“His brother, Edward Vincent Francis, died a week ago . . . and his sister died on Monday.”

• Mrs. Mamie Gilbert – Alabama. Age 27. Survived by her husband, a son age 4, and an infant daughter.

• Mrs. Kathryn Dawson Mansell – Corfu. Age 33. Survived by her husband and five children.

• Mrs. Bridget McElroy – LeRoy. Age 51.  Her husband died 10 years earlier. Survived by a son and a daughter, two brothers, and two sisters.

Died October 26, 1918

 • Mrs. Anna Amato – LeRoy. Age 23. Survived by her husband Leonardo and four small children.

• Rosa Cojski – Buffalo. Age 12. Died in Bethany at the home of John Hatuta while nursing the Hatuta children, all ill with influenza.

• Mrs. Anna Coticchio – Batavia. Age 28. Wife of Samuel Coticchio, age 30, who died two days earlier. Survived by five young children.

• Edward L. Fidinger – Oakfield. Age 33. Survived by his wife and young daughter.

• Rosaline Iannello – LeRoy. Age 17 months. Her mother, Mrs. Carrie Iannello, age 19, died nine days earlier. Survived by her father and a 3-month-old brother.

• Anthony Mancini – Batavia. Age 31. Survived by his wife and four young children.

• Mrs. Teresa Marotta (or Mariotte/Marotia) – Batavia. Age 22. Survived by her husband and a two-day-old infant son.

• Antonio Micelli – Batavia. Age 35. Survived by his wife and four children.

• Mrs. Mary Stroh – Batavia. Age 38. Survived by her husband and two children.

Died October 27, 1918

• Merton Daniel Bowen – Elba. Age 24. Survived by his parents and a sister.

• George L. Bradt – Alabama. Age 47. Survived by his wife, a daughter, and two sons (one serving in France).

• Mrs. Clara Locke – Batavia. Age 36. Survived by her husband and four children, ages 2 to 14.

• Mrs. Margaret Ferris McCulley – Batavia. Age 30. Survived by her husband and an infant daughter.

• John Schramm – Batavia. Age 12. Survived by his parents, three brothers, and two sisters.

• Agnes Wrycza – Darien Center. Age 21. Survived by her parents, three brothers, and a sister.

Died October 28, 1918

 • Samuel Bani – Batavia. Age 33. Survived by his wife and several children.

“Both hospitals, the Batavia and St. Jerome’s, are crowded with patients, the majority being ill with Spanish influenza.”

• Mrs. Mary J. Dibble – Batavia. Age 51. Survived by a son and two brothers.

Died October 29, 1918

 • John Fenello – Batavia. Age 13. Brother of Louis Fenello, age 2, who died five days earlier. Survived by their parents.

• Catherine Kopper – Batavia. Age 38. Survived by her husband.

• Mrs. Mary Lewis – LeRoy. Age 33. Survived by her husband and three young children.

• Sister Mary Macrina – Batavia. Age 37.  Survived by an aunt, and one brother serving in the Army.

“She died a martyr to duty, having worked among the Spanish influenza patients at the hospital until she contracted the disease three days ago.”

• Mrs. Mary Pappero – Oakfield. Age 45. Survived by her husband.

• Marion De Loris White – LeRoy. Age 2 years and 4 months. Survived by her parents and three brothers.

• Mrs. Roslia Zimmerman – LeRoy. Age 32. Survived by her husband and four children, ages 3, 6, and 5 years and a 15-day-old newborn.

“On October 16th a little son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman and soon afterwards the entire family was stricken with influenza. . . . Her death is a particularly sad one because four small children are left motherless.”

Died October 30, 1918

• Mary Loretto Clark – Batavia. Age 35. Survived by her mother, two sisters, and a brother.

• Mrs. Marie Hollenbeck – Batavia. Age 22. Survived by her husband, her father, two brothers, and a sister.

• Louis Pixley – Batavia. Age 17 months. Survived by his parents, two brothers, and three sisters.

Died October 31, 1918

• John W. Brown – Niagara Falls. Age 17. Died at State School for the Blind in Batavia. Survived by his parents.

• James Henry Burr – Elba. Age 30. Survived by his wife and three small children.

• Vincent Conti – Batavia. Age 2. Survived by his parents and a 3-year-old brother.

• Mrs. Cora Peio Darnell – Oakfield. Age 34. Survived by her husband and two daughters.

• Eleanor V. Horgan – LeRoy. Age 31. Survived by four brothers and two sisters.

“[She] had been ill since last Friday, influenza contracted while in the discharge of her duties as a nurse in caring for patients ill with the disease, being followed by pneumonia.”

Died November 1, 1918

• Clayton D Lawton – Batavia. Age 10. Survived by his parents and a sister.

 

Died November 2, 1918

• Mrs. Elizabeth Conti – Batavia. Age 23. Survived by her husband and a three-year-old son.

“Mrs. Conti . . . died at her home at 5:40 o’clock this morning. . . . . [She] gave birth to a daughter last night. The infant was born dead. Mrs. Conti’s son, Vincent, aged two years, died Thursday. . . .”

• Anthony Fenello – Batavia. Age 6. Survived by his parents, one brother, and two sisters.

“One brother, Louis, aged three years, died from influenza on October 24th and another brother, John, aged 13 years, died on October 29th from the same cause.”

• John Toporoski – Batavia. Age 30. Survived by his wife and two sons, ages two and four.

Died November 3, 1918

• Eli Baube – Batavia. Age 49. Survived by three sisters.

• Thomas Considine – Batavia. Age 72. Survived by his wife, a son, and two daughters.

Died November 4, 1918

• Anthony Cavallaro – Batavia. Age 45.

• Anthony Leone – LeRoy. Age 23. Survived by his parents and one brother.

Died November 5, 1918

• Lillian Kdzeolka – Batavia. Age 3-1/2. Survived by her parents.

• Josefina Kisicki – Bergen. Age undetermined. Survived by her husband and five small children.

• Mary Helen Lortz – Batavia. Age 23. Less than two weeks earlier, her brother, 2nd Class Seaman Harold R Lortz, died of pneumonia while serving in England. Survived by her parents, two remaining brothers, and two sisters.

• Anthony Piazza – LeRoy. Age 28. Survived by his wife and four small children.

Died November 7, 1918

• Mrs. Nellie Lavada – Batavia. Age 35. Survived by her husband and five children.

• Joseph Locicero – Batavia. Age 43. Survived by his wife and three daughters.

• Joseph Edward Martin – Batavia. Age 33. Survived by his wife and a son.

Died November 9, 1918

• Rose Marie Kossuth – Batavia. Age 18. Survived by her parents.

• Virginia Walfrom – Darien. Age 58.

Died November 11, 1918

• Harold Charles Moore – Batavia. Age 7. Survived by his parents, three brothers, and a sister.

“After 1,567 days the greatest war in history ended this morning . . . .”

Died November 12, 1918

• George Gschlossl – Batavia. Age 29. Survived by his wife of less than 10 months.

• Mrs. Fannie Squires – LeRoy. Age 35. Died of influenza at the State School for the Blind in Batavia. Survived by her husband and a young daughter and son.

“Her little daughter, Marion, who is a pupil at the school was taken ill of the same disease about two weeks ago and her mother had been caring for her and it was there she contracted the disease.”

Died November 13, 1918

• Harold Gardner – LeRoy. Age 21 months. Survived by his parents, a brother, and a sister.

Died November 14, 1918

• Artle Kenney – Batavia. Age 53. Survived by a sister.

• Mrs. Anna Kossuth – Batavia. Age unknown. Survived by her husband and six children.

Died November 16, 1918

• Anthony Frank – Batavia. Age 29. Survived by his wife.

Died November 17, 1918

• Mrs. Eva Gardner – LeRoy. Age 27. Survived by her husband and two young children.

“A son, Harold, aged 22 months, died last Wednesday of influenza and meningitis, and a sister of Mrs. Gardner, Mrs. Nellie Lavada, died in Batavia on November 7th last.”

Died November 18, 1918

• Mrs. Anna Redinger – East Pembroke. Age 22. Survived by her husband, parents, and two brothers, one of them serving in France.

• Maggie Legatta – LeRoy. Age 7. Survived by her parents and several brothers and sisters.

Died November 21, 1918

• Lyna A. Miller – Batavia. Age 40. Survived by her father and three brothers.

Died November 23, 1918

• Mrs. Betty Peggs Booth – Batavia. Age 27. Survived by her husband and three small children.

“She is [also] survived . . . by a brother, Edgar Peggs, who is in the U.S. Navy.”

• Matthias Schmiegel – Corfu. Age 65. Survived by three sons and a daughter.

Died November 24, 1918

• Grace Kenny – Batavia. Age 23. Survived by her mother and a sister.

Died November 25, 1918

• Mrs. Agnes C. Knickerbocker – LeRoy. Age 25. Survived by her husband and a three-year-old son.

• Anna Delplato – Batavia. Age 7. Survived by her parents and a sister.

Died November 27, 1918

• John Kauffman, Jr. – Batavia. Age 6 months. Survived by his parents and several siblings.

 

• Mrs. Ada B. White – LeRoy. Age 38.  Survived by her husband and five young children.

“She contracted influenza immediately after the birth of her little daughter and her condition was considered serious from the first. This was another instance where the mother has been taken, leaving a number of young children.”

Died November 28, 1918

• Mrs. Francesca Ricotta – Batavia. Age 35. Survived by her husband, parents, and two sisters.

• William Folland – Stafford. Age 31. Survived by his wife of less than two years, who also was ill with influenza when he died.

November 30, 1918

• Harry L. Hunn  – East Bethany. Age 32. His wife, Mrs. Rose Mayne Hunn, died two days later (December 2) of the same disease. Survived by a daughter.

“Their daughter, Lorena, was first taken ill with influenza and is thought to have contracted the disease in Batavia. Mr. Hunn was afterward taken ill and Mrs. Hunn’s illness followed.”

“A double funeral will be held at 2 o’clock tomorrow [December 3] afternoon.”

 

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Sadly, while November’s death toll seemed to diminish, December would bring more cases, more outbreaks, and more deaths. Ironically, say some experts, the widespread  celebrations of the Armistice on November 11, packing crowds of jubilant citizens into the streets for parades and rallies, may have given the waning disease a second wind, with new opportunities to spread, prolonging the epidemic. Sporadic outbreaks would continue through February, 1919.

Coming Soon: The War Ends, the County Celebrates (Twice!)—but Bad News Keeps Coming

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Resources

All Genesee County death statistics from A Special Report on the Mortality from Influenza in New York State During the Epidemic of 1918-19 by Otto R. Eichel, M.D., New York State Department of Health, New York 1923 (pages 24-27). Accessed online, https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ZdQ3AAAAIAAJ&hl=en

Credits

Many thanks to the following individuals, who kindly granted permission to use the headstone photos featured in this post. All photos ©copyright the photographers named: Donna Ruhland Bonning (headstones: Mertie Burill, Nellie Gateson, Charlotte and William Porter); Ann Freeman (headstone: Eleanor Horgan); Richard Godown (headstones: Martha Ellen Ganiard, Harry and Rose Hunn, Ada Weiss White); Jim and Elizabeth Love (headstone: Agnes Wrycza); Delia McIntyre (headstones: Louise Caccamise, Mary L. Clark, Bridget McElroy); Frederick Porter (headstones: Merton D. Bowen, David R. Howell, Clark J. Thomas, Charles J. Wokasen); Dawn Vanderkoi (headstones: Matilda Flynn, Edward V. Francis, Joseph P. Francis, Mary Francis Beck).

All newspaper articles retrieved from fultonhistory.com