Eddie, The story of the "Flu Epidemic" as my mother told it to me: They lived in Lee County, VA. My oldest sister Inez was almost two. My mother was expecting her second child in March 1919. In my mother's family all came down with the flu except her father and a brother-in-law. (Mom, Dad, her sisters, her mother, her nephew age 3(died), and others) Every home in the territory had been hit by the Influenza Epidemic. It was wintertime. My mother was too ill to care for the rest of the family. Doctor was afraid for her and the unborn child. The brother-in-law would come to the house every day and cut firewood. He made soup for the family with my mother telling him what ingredients to use. One day a knock came at the door. It was a childhood friend of my mother's. The friend, who had just buried her own husband, heard about the hardships in the family and had come to help until Mama was able to take over household duties. As time passed, my dad began to recover and returned to work with the railroad company. Mama and Inez, too, began to overcome the illness. On March 1st, 1919, the second child was born. She was normal except that she was a very ill little baby. Mama treated her for several weeks, but the baby didn't seem to be getting any better. One afternoon, Mama decided to take Inez and the baby to her mother's house in the family buggy. When she arrived, a lady was visiting. The lady noticed the baby struggling to breathe. She told Mama that when she returned home, before putting the baby to bed for the night, to rub her back, chest, and feet with a mixture of coal oil, turpentine, and hog's lard, then wrap her in warm flannel. Mama took the lady's advice. The following morning the baby's breathing was smooth. (I told this remedy recently when we were discussing 'home remedies and cures.') My mother said nearly everyone in the community had the flu and many, like her young nephew, died. She and my dad were too ill to attend the child's funeral. Just another family story!! Pat O'Neal