Tuberculosis

Do you ever run across something in you genealogy research that reminds you of a recent aspect of your own life? That was the case when I ran across a marriage announcement for one of my Ricketts cousins, Helen Kinnan.

Dr. Leon Sweetland of First Methodist church, solemnized the wedding of Dr. Harry P. Reid to Miss Helen Kinnan, of Fort Stanton, N.M., in the parsonage of the church Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 oclock.

Dr. Reid and his bride are connected with the marine hospital for tuberculars at Fort Stanton, where they will make their home.

“El Pasoans Away,” El Paso Herald (El Paso, Texas), 11 March 1926, page 6; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 22 November 2021).

Reading about Dr. Reid and his wife going to work in a hospital treating those with tuberculosis reminded me of one of the requirements to teach in Kansas: a health certificate. This health certificate confirmed that I did not have tuberculosis. During the early years of my teaching, I was required to get tested for TB on a regular basis. At some point, the regulation was changed and now teachers are only required to be tested when starting to work for a district. However, the board has the right to require an updated test at their will.

The changes in these Kansas regulations are likely due to the rarity of an outbreak of tuberculosis in the United States. Thanks to public health measures and medical advances, tuberculosis is relatively rare in the United States today. However, tuberculosis or consumption is one of the causes of death we find mentioned for our ancestors.

In the late 1800’s, the accepted treatment for tuberculosis was fresh air and sunshine. Thus, Fort Stanton became a hospital to treat tuberculosis.

In 1899, however, the US Public Health Service acquired the Fort as a tuberculosis hospital for the Merchant Marine. Selected for its healthful climate, it served some 5,000 sailor patients between 1899 and 1953, 1,500 of whom are buried in the Maritime Cemetery on a hillside overlooking the Fort. The patients lived in specially constructed tents, for fresh air and sunshine were the only known cures for tuberculosis.

https://www.fortstanton.org/history

According to the marriage announcement, both Dr. Reid and his wife, Helen Kinnan, worked at Fort Stanton. The couple is shown on the 1930 census for Lincoln County, New Mexico. Harry Reid is listed as a physician at the government hospital while Helen’s occupation is listed as none.

In 1940, the couple is no longer living near Fort Stanton. Instead they are living at Legion, Kerr County, Texas. This page of the census is for the Veterans Administration Facility. Again, Dr. Harry P. Reid, is listed as a medical doctor at the facility and Helen does not have an occupation listed.

In 1920, there is a Helen Kinnon living in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri with an occupation of nurse in training. The birth place for Helen and the birth places for her parents matches other census records. Since the marriage record implies that both Helen and her husband were working at the hospital, I think this 1920 census record is likely for Hellen Kinnon Reid.

An article in the 11 April 1940 issue of the Kerrville Mountain Sun indicates that Dr. Reid continued to be interested in tuberculosis.

Dr. Reid’s obituary indicates that he joined the Public Health Service in 1914 and served as a ‘Tuberculosis Specialist’ during World War One.

Dr. H. P. Reid, 65, Beloved Legion Doctor, Dies

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon in the chapel of the Memorial Funeral Home for Dr. Harrison Patton Reid, 65, who died at his home at Legion Saturday morning. Interment was in the Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday. Chaplain George Hardy of Legion, officiated at the rites here.

Dr. Reid came to Legion about 13 years ago, and has been one of the most beloved members of the staff during his residence there. He was a native of Friar’s Point, Miss., and received his pre-medical training in the Vanderbilt University in Memphis. He was graduated from Tulane University in New Orleans, La., in 1903, and went to Rena Laura, Miss., where he established the practice of medicine.

He joined the Public Health Service in 1914, and was stationed at Fort Stanton, New Mexico. He joined the Veteran’s Administration in 1931, and was stationed at Fort Bayard, New Mexico before coming here. He served as a contract surgeon and “Tuberculosis Specialist” in the El Paso area during World War One. He was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church, and had been a member of the Masonic order for years.

Special music for the services were two solos, “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Evening Prayer,” sung by Mrs. F. C. Baker, with Mrs. J. S. Colley at the piano.

His widow, Mrs. Helen Reid, is his only survivor.

“Dr. H. P. Reid, 65, Beloved Legion Doctor, Dies,” Kerrville Mountain Sun (Kerrville, TX), 4 July 1946, page 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 22 November 2021).

The obituary for Helen Kinnan Reid confirms that Helen was a nurse working at the time of her marriage.

Mrs. H. P. Reid

Memorial services for Mrs. H. P. (Helen) Reid, 83, were held Wednesday in Kerrville Funeral Home, with Rev. Nell Weatherhogg officiating. She died Monday in Colonial Nursing Home. Her body was sent to the School of Medical Science.

She was born in Lincoln, Neb., April 29, 1894 and had lived here for 37 years. She was a Public Health Service nurse before her marriage to the late Dr. Reid and was director of nursing services at the Kerrville VA Hospital at one time.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and a 50 year member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

She is survived by a brother, J. W. Kinnan of Dardanelle, Ark.

“Mrs. H. P. Reid,” Kerrville Mountain Sun (Kerrville, TX), 5 January 1978, page 3; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 24 November 2021).

While our minds are on the public health battle against COVID-19 today, Helen and her husband, Dr. Harry Reid were in the midst of a public health battle against tuberculosis.