Grandfather José María Díaz León, "Spanish Flu"

[Marta Elena Díaz García]

Hi Art,

This is a picture of my grandparents to be included in the photo album. My grandfather, José María Díaz León, emigrated to U.S.A. in 1916.
My grandmother's name was Concepción Alvarez, but she was known as "Concha Ralla". Concha is the short version of Concepción and Ralla is the place where my family (father's line) comes from. In fact, I live in Ralla (Molleda).

In a document that I could find at home it is said that he worked in a chemical company. The town was Zeising (as I could read) in West Virginia. May that chemical company be a zinc plant?.

My grandfather died at the age of 29 and he was buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery of Clarksburg. I was checking in the cemetery records but I could not find any data.

I checked the Ellis Island records and I found his name, the name and photo of the ship in which he travelled and other data. I am very happy and just I asked for a copy of the document.

Marta.

[Ron Gonzalez]

Marta,
Do you know what year grandfather died? I know where Holy Cross is. If you could give me a little more information, I will check it out for you. Also, here is a website that can give you a little more information. I hope it helps. http://www.wvculture.org. There you can check a lot of deaths and births in West Virginia. The other thing is that Ziesing and Spelter are one and the same. The town was called Ziesing, the post office is Spelter, and the train depot was Meadowbrook. I know, that's confusing.

[Art]

Yes, Zeising or Spelter had a zinc processing factory. It was a "company town".

I think you'd enjoy reading a book about early years of the Asturian immigrants in Anmoore and Spelter.
Pinnick Kinnick Hill.

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Sí, Zeising o Spelter había una fábrica del procesamiento de zinc. Spelter era un pueblo de la compañía.

Creo que te encantaría leer un libro sobre los primeros años de los inmigrantes asturianos en Anmoore y Spelter.
Pinnick Kinnick Hill.

[Marta Elena Díaz García]

Hello Ron:

I have two dates:
in a certificate of death from the West Virginia State Department of Health it is said he died December 11th 1921 and the burial performed Dec.13th.
However, in some letters from other relatives in USA it seemed that he died in November 1919 (I believe it is the right date).

In the letters my grandfather sent to Spain he always wrote the town as Meadowbrook. That is why all names were confusing to me and I thought he was in a different place. Now you clarify the question. I'll try the links you and Art give me. Thanks indeed for your help.

Marta

[Art]

Do you know why he died? That was quite young.

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¿Sabes por qué murió? Era muy joven.

[Marta Elena Díaz García]

Hello Art:

Yes, the cuase of death was influenza and pneumonia. Here it was called "Spanish flu" (gripe española). In spite of its name, the gripe española was not a Spanish national product. It was the most dangerous pandemia over the world. It seems it was called Spanish flu because Spain was the country that offered more news about the million of people that that disease was killing.

Marta.

[Ron Gonzalez]

Marta
Some of the immigrants lived in Meadowbrook and so some of the death certificates that I found gave Meadowbrook as the town where they lived. When I was a kid, I walked from Ziesing (Spelter) to Meadowbrook to visit my Uncle Raymond.

One other thing: my Grandfather died from the same thing. That was what his death certificate said, at any rate.

[Art]

The Spanish flu must have hit the Asturian community in WV pretty hard. My grandfather nearly died of it, too. A doctor in Clarksburg gave him very good care and he survived, but he lost most of his hearing as a result.

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La gripe española debe haber pegado a la comunidad asturiana en Virginia Occidental con mucha fuerza. Mi abuelo estaba a punto de morir de ésa, también. Un médico en Clarksburg le dio muy buena atención y sobrevivió, pero perdió la mayor parte de su audición como resultado.

[cando91]

My grandfather's brother also died from it- In Tampa.

[Ron Gonzalez]

Marta
I found this on the link that I posted, do you think this is your Grandfather?


Name: Joe/Diaz
Sex: Male
Death Date: 11 Dec 1918
Death Place: Zeising, Harrison, West Virginia
Age at Death: 29y

[Marta Elena Díaz García]

Hello Ron:

He may be my grandfather. I was checking some letters from other relatives in USA. In one of them, date 20 May 1919, one of his cousins said that Jose Maria died in November (nothing about the day) and he also wrote something about the burial, the cost and the stone in cemetery.

On the other hand, in the certificate of death the name in it is: Joe Diaz.

The last letter from my grandfather is dated 1918.

What surprises me is that the certificate says that he died 11 December 1921.

I believe that the date can be wrong in the certificate, but I do not understand why if it is a legal document. Although it is difficult to read it, at the end of the document a line under the title: UNDERTAKER says: T(?)ynch-Osborne N(???)&o.????. The only word I can read clearly is Osborne.

Can these data help?

Thanks a lot for your help.
Marta

[Art]

I think it's worth asking for a copy of the death certificate. They're pretty prompt. To get a certified copy use this page:
http://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/hsc/vital/birthcert.asp

You may want to have your son do it when he's here so he can get a money order or check in US dollars.

[quote=""WVDHHR"]There is a twelve dollar search fee for each three year period searched The year specified is searched, along with, the year before, and the year after Example, if a birth for 1920 is requested and is not found, then 1919, and 1921 are also searched.

If the record is found, the search fee also includes one certified copy If the record is NOT found, then a "No Record Letter" is produced The search fee is non refundable.[/quote]

[Ron Gonzalez]

Marta,
At one time there was a funeral home in Clarksburg with the name of Lynch Osborne, then it was just Lynch for years. Most of the Spanish people were taken there. It was a Catholic funeral home. After years of just Lynch, it became Lynch Stacy funeral home. My Uncle Joe was very good friends with the Lynch family. I think they have all passed on. The home is no longer in business; it was torn down and a church own the property now.

[Marta Elena Díaz García]

Hi,
Yes, the word may be Lynch.
Gradually, I am getting an idea of the places were my relatives lived.

I hope, one day, to visit it as well as Canton.

For the time being, my son will go to Washington D.C. but only for three weeks . I don’t think he has time enough to move far as he will attend intensive lectures (5h/day English lessons) .

Marta.

[Ron Gonzalez]

Marta
If your son makes it to Clarksburg, let me know