Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Henry Hemker died as a result of complications from influenza while performing his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department had been tasked with enforcing local health laws to help prevent the spread of influenza, as well as performing their regular police duties.
Patrolman Hemker was survived by his wife and three children.
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Patrolman Henry John Hemker died on October 17, 1918 of influenza contracted in the line of duty. He was 39.
He is one of 201 officers honored here, and one of 5 at St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more people worldwide than the war that preceded it. Police officers worked it without vaccines, without antibiotics, and often without masks, enforcing quarantines, transporting the sick, and standing posts in cities where the dead outpaced the undertakers.
They caught it doing the job. There was no treatment to give them.
Survivors
Patrolman Hemker was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-3E651E49- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Henry. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
No vaccine, no antibiotics, and you stood the post anyway.
Patrolman Hemker served with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Hemker.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Henry John Hemker is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MO, 26 of 813 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.2% of this state's fallen. That is 5.9 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 5 of 176 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Henry John Hemker's cause is highlighted.
How Henry John Hemker Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Henry John Hemker is highlighted in Oct.
Others Who Wore This Badge
175 officers from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
