Halie Forstner Vividly Remembers Spanish Flu That Almost Took Her Father

  • Friday, January 29, 2021
Halie Forstner as a child
Halie Forstner as a child

Halie Gass Forstner lived through the Spanish flu and she has thus far survived the coronavirus as she soon turns 110.

Ms. Forstner this past week made the move into Morning Pointe of Chattanooga at Shallowford.

Born in 1911 on the Georgia side of Sand Mountain, she is no stranger to the challenges a pandemic puts on a nation. As a young child, she endured the Spanish Flu of 1918 and lost friends and family members to the illness.

She vividly remembers keeping a safe distance from her father as he battled - and eventually beat - the Spanish flu. She and her mother took a wagon from their home on the mountain to Chattanooga to get vaccinated against that virus.

Having lived through that time in history, Ms. Forstner got her COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. “I want to keep myself and others around me safe, so I’m interested in getting the vaccine,” said Ms. Forstner.

Known throughout the Chattanooga community for her sharp mind, historic knowledge, and, of course, her age, Halie Forstner graduated from Chattanooga High School in the building now occupied by Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences in 1930.

In 2016, Ms. Forstner was named an honorary graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and was recognized by state legislators and then-Governor Bill Haslam.

She was married to Charles Forstner for 52 years until his passing in 1990. She is proud of her numerous friends and family members, especially her church family at Lookout Valley Presbyterian Church.

Now, she has a new family to join at Morning Pointe. “We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Forstner to our Morning Pointe family,” said Greg A. Vital, president of Morning Pointe Senior Living. “It certainly is an honor that she chose Morning Pointe as her next home and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones with her in the coming years.”

He said Morning Pointe Senior Living is working to help curb the spread of COVID-19 by partnering with CVS Pharmacy to administer the vaccine to residents and associates in each of its 35 communities. Vaccination clinics are ongoing and require a two-step process over the course of several weeks. The latest vaccination clinic schedule can be viewed at www.morningpointe.com/covid_

Halie Forstner is ready for her COVID-19 vaccine
Halie Forstner is ready for her COVID-19 vaccine
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