Yes she had an afflication, but appears to have been of a temporary condition. The best I can tell you is it was spelled ofrtalmys. The "fr" could be an "h". No idea what the afflication was, but it was labeled as "temporary". It was the 1880 census. She was 28 and single and lived with her stepfather and her mother. I am descended from his first wife, Julia.

The younger children of Julia, were essentially sent to the convents. It was said that it was hard on Pelagie to care for her own children and his from his first union.

Good luck on your search. There is plenty of information out there, since the Belgians of Door County are well-documented.

Lisa