In 1853 Catherine Coppenbarger and her nephews William A. Coppenbarger and John Wilson Coppenbarger all contracted black measles, also know under the guises of spotted fever,' 'black fever,' and 'black tongue' but which today is believed to be Spotted Rocky Mountain fever. This proved to be a fatal illness to the two boys while somehow Catherine recovered. James D. "Curly" Hays, (son of Emaline Coppenbarger and William Hays) who was seven years old at the time and another one of Catherine's nephews is given credit for saving her life. Curly sat with the critical ailing Catherine one night while she was sick and let her have all the water she wanted to drink after she cried that she was going to die anyway. At that time giving a person with black measles water to drink went against the prevailing medical knowledge.
In 1853 Catherine Coppenbarger and her nephews William A. Coppenbarger and John Wilson Coppenbarger all contracted black measles, also know under the guises of spotted fever,' 'black fever,' and 'black tongue' but which today is believed to be Spotted Rocky Mountain fever. This proved to be a fatal illness to the two boys while somehow Catherine recovered. James D. "Curly" Hays, (son of Emaline Coppenbarger and William Hays) who was seven years old at the time and another one of Catherine's nephews is given credit for saving her life. Curly sat with the critical ailing Catherine one night while she was sick and let her have all the water she wanted to drink after she cried that she was going to die anyway. At that time giving a person with black measles water to drink went against the prevailing medical knowledge.
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Son of J. & M. Coppenbarger. Aged 15 years 6 months 1 day.
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