Norman was the son of Charles C. and Mary Ann (Stevens) Skewes. He and his family came to Grass Valley around 1901. Here Norman grew to manhood and became a conductor on the electric cars of the Nevada County Traction Company.
He remained in Nevada County until a few months prior to his death, at which time he went to Oakland in order to begin work as a mechanic. Upon his return to Grass Valley from Oakland, he contracted the Spanish Influenza virus, and was later taken to the Jones Memorial Hospital, where he died of Pnuemonia.
Norman's death was reported as the first fatality during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic in Nevada County. In the same article which reported his death, came also the report of the October 28th death of Olaf Adolph Edholm, Grass Valley's second influenza victim. Under a separarate column on the same page that bore news of Norman's demise, appeared the headline:
"INFLUENZA NUMBERS 60 CASES NOW"
These deaths mark Nevada County's beginning chapter in this historic epidemic, how many personal nightmares would follow has not been ascertained.
Research conducted at:
Doris Foley Library for Historical Research
Norman was the son of Charles C. and Mary Ann (Stevens) Skewes. He and his family came to Grass Valley around 1901. Here Norman grew to manhood and became a conductor on the electric cars of the Nevada County Traction Company.
He remained in Nevada County until a few months prior to his death, at which time he went to Oakland in order to begin work as a mechanic. Upon his return to Grass Valley from Oakland, he contracted the Spanish Influenza virus, and was later taken to the Jones Memorial Hospital, where he died of Pnuemonia.
Norman's death was reported as the first fatality during the Spanish Influenza Epidemic in Nevada County. In the same article which reported his death, came also the report of the October 28th death of Olaf Adolph Edholm, Grass Valley's second influenza victim. Under a separarate column on the same page that bore news of Norman's demise, appeared the headline:
"INFLUENZA NUMBERS 60 CASES NOW"
These deaths mark Nevada County's beginning chapter in this historic epidemic, how many personal nightmares would follow has not been ascertained.
Research conducted at:
Doris Foley Library for Historical Research
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