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This is a contributing entry for The Spanish Influenza Tour of Spring Hill and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

Claudia Lee Trainer Pilcher

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic ravaged the world in a way man had not seen in generations. One of the few truly worldwide pandemics, the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic claimed an estimated 50-100 million deaths worldwide(1). This number is more than both world wars combined. In 1918, Spring Hill Cemetery was one of the primary cemeteries for Huntington, West Virginia. As such, a number of victims from the Spanish Influenza Pandemic are buried here. The Spanish Influenza hit Huntington fairly hard with 200 deaths, most of which occurring in the month of October(2). Even Huntington's Mayor, Leon S. Wiles, perished from the flu. On this tour, you will visit 17 gravesites of Huntington residents who perished from the Spanish Influenza Pandemic. Please keep in mind during the tour that you are visiting the final resting places of these people. Please treat all graves and the cemetery with the utmost respect and courtesy. Do your best not to step on top of a person’s final resting place and follow all posted rules.

Images

The Pilcher Family Headstone

Headstone reading "CHARLES T. PILCHER MAR. 12, 1852 MAY 2, 1911 PILCHER"

The Grave Marker of Claudia Lee Pilcher

Grave marker reading "CLAUDIA LEE WIFE OF H. E. PILCHER 1883-1918"

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Claudia Lee Trainer Pilcher was another victim of the Spanish Flu that much not is known about. What is known is that she married into the family she is buried with, as her parents are buried in Indiana. Her husband, Hiram, was the city treasurer and remarried 10 years after Claudia's death. Claudia contracted the flu on October 7th and left this Earth on October 13th, 1918. If Spring Hill shows us anything about the pattern of death in Huntington, it is that a majority of Spanish Influenza victims died mid-October with the worst dates being October 15th and 16th. Claudia was the daughter of William E Trainer and Rosa Lee Garner Trainer and sister of Annie F. Trainer Keffe, Clarence Edawrd Trainer, and Raymond E. Trainer.

Sources

  1. Spreeuwenberg, Peter. Reassessing the Global Mortality Burden of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. American Journal of Epidemiology, ser. 2561-2567, vol. 187, no. 12. Published September 7th 2018. NCBI.
  2. Casto, James E.. "Deadly 1918 flu hit Huntington hard." The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington) May 1st 2009.
Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63360940/claudia-lee-pilcher

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63360940/claudia-lee-pilcher

Additional Information