Tragedy Claims Popular Teacher
A beloved educator from Waitsburg succumbs to appendicitis at age 21.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The shocking news of the death of Miss Calla Morrow of Waitsburg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Morrow, was received in Walla Walla early this morning. Death occurred last evening at her home following a severe attack of appendicitis. Miss Morrow was one of the most popular school teachers in the county and was a leader in Waitsburg society. She frequently visited friends in Walla Walla and was well known for her beauty and charming manners. Miss Morrow was a Waitsburg girl, born in that city 21 years ago. She was educated in the public schools of that city and graduated from the state normal at Ellensburg. She taught for a year at Huntsville and at the time of her death was teaching at Waitsburg. She is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Morrow, a brother, Piatt Morrow, and a sister, Miss Claire.
“The shocking news of the death of Miss Calla Morrow... was received in Walla Walla early this morning.”
Appendicitis was a terrifyingly lethal, common diagnosis in the early 20th century before the routine availability of antibiotics and standardized surgical procedures. Today, we view it as a routine, manageable medical event, highlighting how vastly medical outcomes have shifted in the last century.
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