White recalls a killer flu that killed millions

• Florence White

Florence White

 

This week I visited with new friend, Florence White. She was born in St. Cloud in 1912 to Paul and Frances Porwell, who came from Poland. Paul was a stonecutter at a place who made monuments in St. Cloud. She had twin sisters and a brother.

The most outstanding thing in Florence’s teenage years was the terrible flu epidemic. Her family was desperately sick with it. Her grandfather made sure they had groceries by setting them on their back porch where whichever one was able could get them after he was gone.

The flu epidemic was called the Spanish-American flu, killing some 4,300 troops headed toward combat and millions of victims worldwide. Both hospitals and cemeteries were full.

Florence found work near home until she married Wayne White in 1939 in St. Cloud. Wayne was employed by Tenvoorde Ford in the parts department in St. Cloud. He became manager of truck parts.

The Whites lived in Florida for 30 years as Wayne built up a parts department in Clearwater, Fla. They have four children, one of whom is Jim White at H.R. Block in Wadena. Wayne passed away several years ago.

Traveling to all the states, including Hawaii and Alaska as well as some provinces in Canada were the way the Whites spent their vacations.

Florence has collected stamps for many years. She doesn’t belong to a philatelist society and they aren’t organized in any special way. She just enjoys her stamps, knowing they are “keepers.” She has half-cent stamps as well a other old ones.

Florence has always been interested in children and took classes in child guidance training to help others.

The Whites spent a season as hosts in a Chippewa Forest camp at Cass Lake. They often vacationed in Minnesota so when it came time to find a place to retire they came here.

Florence attends most of the activities and looks forward to whatever the next day will bring.

We are saluting Glen Wheeler for being a member of the American Legion in Deer Creek for 62 years, and to Vince Henrich for being awarded the Poppy Appreciation award for 40 years.

My thanks for all the commentary last week’s gopher piece generated. I must admit making a glaring mistake: This was next to Frank’s worst year, not his best, catching gophers. He can only claim catching 1,650 this year, while in 1989 he caught a magnificent 4,775 gophers!

Tags: history