Memphis’ forgotten figures: Nursing pioneer Lena Angevine Warner
In 1878, 9-year-old Lena Angevine Warner lost her parents and all five siblings to the yellow fever epidemic — a traumatic event that led to her eventually becoming a nursing legend.
Of the eight members of her family who contracted yellow fever, Warner was the only survivor.
With her parents dead, Warner moved in with her grandparents in Memphis and went on to become a nurse who served on the team that identified the cause of yellow fever and revolutionized her profession in Tennessee.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Memphis healthcare The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Yellow fever history nursing Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
Did you know we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization? We rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and other earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉🏽 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉🏽 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
John Klyce
John Klyce is an enterprise reporter with The Daily Memphian who writes a wide range of in-depth features, as well as profiles about local leaders, scientists, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone else doing exciting and important work in this city. He previously spent four years with the Memphis Business Journal, where he covered public companies, startups, and innovation, and a fifth year with The Commercial Appeal, where he covered education, and chronicled how gun violence and poverty were affecting Memphis youth and their families. He has also been a fellow with the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. John has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Boston University.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories? If you’re a subscriber, scroll down to the comments. If you’re not a subscriber, only paid subscribers can add their thoughts, so subscribe now. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.