How do I find the words to write about a life lost too soon? While attempting to create a timeline of my great grandmother, Martha Kenyon, I realized that when you only live 29 years the task at hand becomes limited. However, since genealogy is ongoing and never-ending I've decided to share the information I've collected thus far and reserve the right to make additions.
My great grandmother Martha Kenyon Hiller died during childbirth in 1912. In the 1900's, for every 1,000 women 6-9 died of pregnancy related complications and approximately 100 infants died before the age of 1. Currently, 15 women per 100,000 die in pregnancy or childbirth (1). Although a great improvement, currently for women aged 20-34 "pregnancy complications" is still the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (2). After studying Martha's death certificate it's clear that today she would have received a Cesarean section for her transverse pregnancy, antibiotics for her sepsis and she and her baby would have survived.
My great grandmother's tragic death is every pregnant woman's worst fear. I'm saddened by the fact that she not only left behind a 3 year old son (my grandfather Don Hiller) and husband but grandchildren and great-grandchildren yet to be born, like me. Martha would have been 79 the year I was born.
Martha's story can be found on the here.
1. http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pmss.html
2. http://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod/2013/womenall_2013.pdf