Every life lost in a pandemic is a tragedy, regardless of the victim’s age. However, the death of a young person is a particularly devastating loss. The Spanish flu pandemic is infamous for causing fatal illness in young people, and unfortunately, fifteen-year-old Matthew McKenzie was one of the victims.
Matthew’s grave is situated in Polmont Old Parish Church Cemetery. It is found near an adjacent field maple tree, which obscures the headstone. Matthew passed away at his home, Parkview, in the nearby village of Redding, on November 7, 1918, from “acute pneumonia and influenza.”
Matthew Donaldson McKenzie was born on September 15, 1903, at 2 Livingstone Place, Redding. His parents were railway guard James and Jane (nee Tait). He was the youngest of three children and the couple’s first and only son.
In 1911, the McKenzie family moved to 189 Livingstone Cottages. Matthew, who was seven years old, started attending school. Eventually, he left school and became an apprentice engineer. James was with Matthew when he passed away. Losing their only son must have been devastating for James and Jane. In 1921, almost three years after Matthew’s death, the family still lived at Parkview. Matthew’s sisters, Diana and Isabella, who were both in their twenties, still lived at home. This is not surprising, as the high death toll among young men due to the war and the Spanish flu left many young women without potential partners.
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