Miss Marie Seehase answers nursing call in 1918

Operating room at Holy Family Hospital, Manitowoc, circa 1900

During the outbreak of influenza in 1918, there was a shortage of medical professionals across the nation. The shortage was caused in part by World War I, as many nurses were sent overseas to aid in the war effort. Another cause of shortage were nurses and doctors themselves getting sick. The shortage of medical professionals, specifically nurses, also effected northeastern Wisconsin.

An article in the Manitowoc Herald News from October 14, 1918 tells of how in dire need hospitals in the area were for nurses. The article says, “An appeal for retired nurses, married nurses and other women who have had nursing experience to resume duties, while the influenza epidemic is prevalent, has been made by a special committee of the Red Cross at Green Bay.” A Manitowoc County native, Miss Marie Seehase, sought to answer this call in 1918 but she sadly would not be able to use her skills as much as she would have liked.

Miss Seehase was born in Manitowoc in 1884. She lived in the city until around 1913 when she moved to Chicago to begin training to become a nurse. Upon the end of her nurse training, she began to work at Grant hospital in Chicago. Miss Seehase served there until her death in October 1918.

While working at the hospital during the epidemic, she contracted influenza and from that developed pneumonia. She recovered fully from the illness and was able to be out and about shortly after. Since recovered from the illness Miss Seehase decided to return to her work at Grant hospital. The hospital was flooded with patients as many were during the epidemic. So, she decided to return into the “war zone” to assist her fellow nurses who were overwhelmed with patients and therefore overworked. Sadly, Miss Seehase would not be able to help her fellow nurses. She passed away from “an attack that affected her heart and caused death within a few hours”.

Miss Seehase was scheduled to be leaving for New York shortly after her death occurred. She had volunteered for service with the American Red Cross and was supposed to report for her assignment there in early November. Unfortunately, she was unable to fulfill this service.

Dr. Chas. Seehase, Miss Seehase’s brother, went down to Chicago to bring the young lady’s body home. Her funeral was to be held at her sister, Mrs. Louis Just’s house. It was noted in the Manitowoc Herald News on October 24, 1918 that the funeral was to be “private owing to the health board ban”.

Miss Seehase passed away at the age of thirty-four and is buried in Manitowoc Evergreen Cemetery.