Good Morning Kim, Vee and List: With each cause of death I have found with my ancestors, I find myself running to the dictionary. Old illnesses have new names today. Bacteria ran amoke back then. I descend from mostly farm folks. They simple ate what was raised on the farm. Prior to the Civil War sanitization was unheard of. I guess if you had a better immune system you made it, if not you died. I was surprised by the fact that my Mom and I have the same thryoid disorder as her grandfather. The only difference is we have access to Vitamin B today. Grandpa Myers didn't back then, so he simply died in 1911. I remember my Gram as emotional until the day she died about her 14 year old brother that drown. Much the same as we would feel. I have found causes of deaths in infants as marasmus. My trusty dictionary tells me that it was lack of nutrition. Today we would call it child neglect, but back then they didn't know anything different. They fed the children with what was there. So, how lucky we are today for modern medicine and technology! I think Phebe would be pleased that we can share her life and hardships! Jane in FL