Agnes Burke and Infantile Paralysis (Tombstone Tuesday)

Agnes Burke, eldest daughter of Edward Walter Burke and Effie Barden, was born 14 June 1893. She died in January of 1918, just before reaching the age of 25. The remains of Miss Agnes rest in the Central Avenue Division of Rose Hill Cemetery.

Photo by James Allen.

Finding the death of Miss Agnes came at such a young age, I searched for an obituary or funeral notice in the local paper using GenealogyBank. I was able to find a couple of items marking each occasion. In the article published 30 January 1918 by the Macon Telegraph, Miss Agnes' cause of death was linked with pneumonia.

Knowing death certificates for that year should be easily accessible, I also checked FamilySearch with the hope of possibly finding more information.

"Georgia, Deaths, 1914-1927," index and images, FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-567-11221-4424-79?cc=1320969 :
accessed 24 March 2015), 004176531 > image 1304 of 1344;
Department of Archives and History, Atlanta.

The certificate states Agnes Burke, single - white - female, died at 2 a.m. the morning of 29 January 1918. Cause of death was listed as acute endocarditis. A contributing factor was infantile paralysis, also known as polio. It seems Agnes had been living with the disease nineteen years, which means she was struck about the age of five.