Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Oscar Schneider died as a result of complications from influenza while performing his assigned duties during the Influenza Pandemic.
During the pandemic, Chief of Police Schneider was serving as the borough's Health Officer when their only health officer contracted influenza. As he was serving in both capacities, he became ill and was taken to his home on East Clay Avenue, where he died due to complications of influenza three days later.
The West Hazleton Borough Police Department was tasked with enforcing local health laws to help prevent the spread of influenza and with performing its regular police duties.
Chief of Police Schneider served with the West Hazleton Borough Police Department for nine months.
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Chief of Police Oscar Schneider died on October 28, 1918 of influenza contracted in the line of duty. He was 30.
He is one of 201 officers honored here.
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
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-26BDB46F- 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 Oscar. 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.
Chief of Police Schneider served with the West Hazleton Borough Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the West Hazleton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Schneider.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Oscar Schneider 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 PA, 121 of 1,261 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.6% of this state's fallen. That is 0.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Oscar Schneider's cause is highlighted.
How Oscar Schneider Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Oscar Schneider is highlighted in Oct.