“Ditz”, was proudly carried as his moniker.

A tale of life, worthy of telling,

of a troubled, humble, man. 

Haunted by demons, of not quite his own devise.

Navigating a 65-year, eventful twentieth century life,

Beginning with a family devastating pandemic.

Falling ill as an infant to this third wave of

Deadly influenza but surviving.

Yet, to this same swiftly moving virus of black death,

Losing a cherished older sister of five years of age,

And a young father and doting grandmother,

All in a short span of two weeks, 

one tragic January after the 

Armistice of our first World War.

A closely knit family of three among 5,000 

Lost souls to the flu in the streets of Baltimore.

A widow is left grieving for her 

Departed daughter and husband of

Twelve years, with two remaining sons.

A talented illustrator, whose talent would go unfulfilled.

But while serving his nation in occupied Germany,

A WWII-acquired machinist trade would provide

Sufficient skill for a modest wage to support 

a middle-class lifestyle for his family of four,

Including joyous Christmas mornings of gifts galore.

He, a man without a high-school education,

Yet followed by two Ivy League college bound sons.

With great pride, he wondered and pondered:

Where did this genetically derived intellect come from? 

Later, the loss of a closely bonded brother,

and loving devoted wife, both in their mid-life,

drove him to further despair and desolation.

Now the fire water coursed through his veins, 

Numbing the senses of all 

Past and present external strife.

Years pass slowly for the lonely old widower.

Flashbacks of massive mounds of 

Nazi death camp corpses,

With their decomposing flesh,

Horrify his already disturbed soul.

Humanity and fate had failed him.

Not even a newly arrived grandchild

Could change his outlook on life.

A self inflicted ending was contemplated.

A darkie awaits in the dark of night,

Watching in the alleyway for an easy mark.

From a corner liquor joint,

A walking, wobbling senior approaches.

The mugger strikes and aims for the moon-lit wristwatch.

The tumbling struggle ends quickly,

As the bourbon filled veteran arises in defensive victory,

His time piece dangling from his bruised arm.

Ditz would finally succumb to the 

slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

His ashes were laid to rest with the

remains of his German-rooted, red-headed love, 

thirteen years after her passing.

A beautiful, fifteen foot, black marble, family obelisk 

closely casts its dark shadow over their final resting place.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Note: The second husband of Ditz's grandmother also expired due to the flu pandemic of 1918-1919.
          Thus a total of four family members were tragically lost during the same two-week period.
References: Baltimore Sun Newspaper, January 24, 1919 and February 9, 1919
                   Baltimore American Newspaper, February 9, 1919
_________________________________________________________________________________

D W Orr
Environmentalist, Weimaraner/Dachshund Companion, Photographer, and Poet-Provocateur
Harford County, Maryland,
Here, where it all began, 254 years ago, in the USA

January 06, 2023

“Ditz”
Ditz with his eldest son and grandchild (Colorized/Enhanced by D. W. Orr Photography)
Ditz & the Mrs. - Colorized/Enhanced by D. W. Orr
Ditz and the Mrs. in happier times (Colorized/Enhanced by D. W. Orr Photography)

The Loving Wife of Ditz
Ditz's Wife of 28 Years (Colorized/Enhanced by D. W. Orr Photography)
Emma - Colorized/Enhanced by D. W. Orr
"Widow is left grieving for her departed daughter and husband"
(Colorized/Enhanced by D. W. Orr Photography)

1903 German Men’s Choir of Baltimore
1903 German Men's Choir of Baltimore - Seated 2nd from the left, in the front row, is Ditz's Great Grandfather. Standing second from the left in the second row, is Ditz's father, who died in the 1919 flu pandemic along with his daughter and mother.

Orr CemeteryScreenshot
Final Resting Place of Ditz, his wife, and three of the four 1919 pandemic flu victims
6:13 PMJune 29, 2023
The Orr Family of Baltimore - "German Blood with Irish Soul",
~ D. W. Orr ~