Harold Wallace and Ruth Tegtmeier were married on May 27, 1918 in Indiana. Their son Bernard was born in Hammond, Indiana on August 13, 1918.
Heeding the call for the draft for World War I, Harrold registered for the draft in September. They were only 20 years old and probably expected a long and happy life together.
Sadly, less than a month later both Ruth and Harold succumbed to the flu within hours of each other on October 10. The doctor started treating both Harold and Ruth just 5 days earlier on October 5, so their illness progressed quickly.
What happened to their son Bernard, who was only 2 months old when both of his parents died? He was raised by his maternal aunt and lived to the ripe age of 80 years. Diana Crisman Smith shared this story of the Wallace family, along with the birth and death certificates.
1918 Flu Epidemic Stories 