As I was leaving the Lincoln Early Development Center where the Head Start classes are held, I noticed this plaque up high above the coat racks. It reads:

In Memoriam
Genevieve Davis
1894-1918
A teacher in this school who sacrificed her life as a volunteer nurse in the influenza epidemic

I wonder if there are any people now alive who know who 24-year-old Miss Davis was and if anyone still thinks about the sacrifice that the nurses and doctors made during this incredible epidemic. About 100 million people died (3% of the population of the earth). Of those infected, 1 in 5 died. Most who died were robust, healthy young adults rather than the very young or the very old.

Miss Davis, thank you for your willingness to serve and for your sacrifice. Today I’m remembering you.