Diptheria victim

My grandmother, Carrie Petterson born 1899 in Roseau, MN, was a victim of diptheria when she was 5 years old.

She spoke of having such a high fever she lost all of her hair including her eyelashes. One of the treatments of the day was painting the body from head to toe with iodine so she was hairless and bright orange.

They were fortunate to own a small hobby farm on the outskirts of town so she and her mother were quarantined to the farm for one year. Relatives dropped off supplies and waved from the end of the drive.

She survived the disease and lived long into old age.

Carrie Haley