The "Living Through Two Pandemics In One Lifetime" Story

Lancaster newspaper article about Emma Green

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a woman by the name of Emma Green who lived through not one, but two pandemics.  Emma was born a month before the influenza pandemic in 1918 and is now living through the global COVID-19 pandemic.  And, you thought you had it rough.  102 year old Emma lives in nearby Columbia, Pennsylvania where she has spent all her life, short of a stint working in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  Her husband, Walter Green, died in 1979 and Emma has lived alone since that time.  She enjoys visits from friends and family as well as word puzzles and cooking pumpkin bread.  

Emma as a young girl in Columbia, PA

She is a woman who has lived through World War 1 which ran from 1914 through 1918, the Great Depression which began in 1929 and ran through the late 1930s, World War II which ran from 1939 thru 1945, the advent of color TV in the late 1960's to early 1970's, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the death of Elvis Presley and the breakup of the Beatles, the landing of the first man on the moon in 1959, the advent of the internet, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 as well as the pandemics of 1918 and 2020.  Emma graduated from Columbia High School in 1936 as one of two Black students in her class.  She attended Millersville Normal School and became a teacher's aide.  She loves children and adopted two of her own; Marvin Henson who lives in nearby Harrisburg and Dorcas Green who remained in Columbia.  She has seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.  

Emma as a young woman.

One of her granddaughters, Alysa Poindexter, is the Vice President of the Lancaster Chapter of the NAACP who tells all that her grandma is "kindness personified."  During her 100 plus years she has lived a very special life guided by her unwavering faith in God.  She has had to endure racism most of her life and has had the heartache of outliving most of her friends and a few of her family.  This very humble lady is loved by all and is known as the "precious gem of Columbia."  The story that was featured in the newspaper recently talked of her life during the past century while living in Columbia.  She has seen much change, but also talks about the many things that haven't changed much during her life.  She tells about the influenza pandemic and going with her grandmother to the corner where she lived in Columbia to see all the boxes with bodies along the street.  They had no place to put them inside.  

Emma later in life.

As for the pandemic we are now facing, she believes all should wear a mask and stay separated.  She hasn't ventured out much except for a visit to her doctor.  She says that so many people don't obey the rules which are made for the safety of everyone.  She does miss not being able to go to St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Columbia.  She enjoys her church as she has all her life.  She says we should not overindulge in anything; don't drink or smoke.  She remembers washing floors as a child for 50 cents each.  While in high school she worked after school every day and all day Saturday for $3 a week.  She was required to give $1 to her family and could spend the rest on herself.  Back then an ice cream cone was 5 cents.  She tried to work at an aluminum factory in Lancaster, but wasn't even considered since she was Black.  She later worked at Armstrong Cork Company during WWII.  She then went to Millersville Normal School and got 18 credits that allowed her to become a teacher's aide.  At the age of 60 she went to work at Lancaster General Hospital in the daycare center.

Emma Green

 She ended her work career working at the local YWCA until she retired for good at the age of 72.  When asked about the use of modern technology, she says she is afraid that she will do something wrong so she doesn't use it often.  She does now have a tablet and is going to learn how to use it so she can do word puzzles on it.  During her interview for the Lancaster Newspaper she talked about life during the Depression.  She lived in a section of town that had nice houses, but yet she lived in a shack like all the Black people.  She lived in a nice area where all were treated with manners and respect.  She also spend some time in Philadelphia, since there were no dentists who would work on Black people in Columbia.  She talked about the Black Lives Matter protests and said she didn't believe in the violence, but yet did believe the demonstrations were fine.  She thought that President Obama did a good job, but didn't think he got the credit he should have received.  She was so glad that she did get to see a Black President.  This lovely lady lived a long and eventful life...one of very few who had the chance to live through to different pandemics.  What a beautiful soul!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.