Paul Stokesberry

Incident Details

Cause of Death:
Duty-related illness

Date/Time of Incident:
Monday, October 7, 1918

Incident to Death Duration:
11 days

Incident Location:
501 West Main Street, Plainfield

Incident County:
Hendricks

Incident Township:
Guilford

Weapon Used:
None

Suspect Disposition:
None

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Corrections Employee
Paul Stokesberry Sr.
Indiana Department of Correction
Friday, October 18, 1918

Not Included

Corrections Employee Paul Stokesberry died during an outbreak at the Indiana Boys' School near Plainfield in the midst of the 1918 influenza pandemic.

After contracting the virus while on duty caring for sick offenders, he was under the care of a physician before he passed away from complications of pneumonia 11 days later.

The outbreak at the Indiana Boys' School left 375 staff and offenders ill with influenza, of whom 93 developed pneumonia resulting in 11 deaths.

Corrections Employee Stokesberry, from Plainfield, was a teacher at the facility. He was survived by his wife, son, parents and three brothers.

Historical Note

The 1918 influenza pandemic, commonly referred to as the Spanish flu, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide from February 1918 until April 1920 and claimed the lives of 11,289 Hoosiers. From August to December 1918, the deadly second wave was responsible for 5,900 deaths with the highest occurring in October when 2,092 died statewide and about 292,000 throughout the country. The pandemic caused 53 known law enforcement line of duty deaths in the United States.

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This officer, discovered in 2021, has not been submitted for consideration as an eligible line of duty death to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund by the Indiana Department of Correction.

Personal Details

Age: 27

Law Enforcement Service:
3 years

Burial Place:
Mooresville Cemetery, Mooresville