Joseph T Metty - widower for 18 hours

A recent clue let to the retrieval of the death certificates of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Metty from the state of Florida, and the entry for marital state on Joseph's reads "widowed 18 hrs." Examination of his wife's death certificate reveals that she died on 20 October 1918 in the Emergency Hospital at Tampa, Florida. She was 53 years of age at the time and a resident at 409 East Street for six months. The cause of death was influenza. Her remains were returned to Detroit for burial. Her husband Joseph's certificate listing the same address, and same cause of death, indicates he was 52 yoa and that he died on 21 October 1921 at the Gordon Heils Hospital in Tampa. In both instants the place of birth is shown to be Michigan. I would assume that they both died of the strain of influenza commonly referred to as Spanish influenza which raged at that time. Joseph's occupation was listed as loftsman for the Oscar Daniels Co. Can anyone describe what a loftsman would do?

Joseph was born on 7 July 1865, the son of Francis (Frank) and Phillis Digue Metty. Francis was most probably absent at the time of birth as he began military service in Febraury of that year. Francis was a grandson of Felix. Joseph married Virginia Leandra Bondy on 2 September 1885 at South Rockwood, MI. In 1894 they were living in Detroit at Henry and Burke. Joseph's occupation was that of a carpenter. In the 1900 and 1910 census they were shown residing in the River Rouge area. They were still in the Detroit area as late as May of 1915, when Joseph signed an affidavit following the death of his father.

Joseph and Virginia had no children of their own, but raised Leatha Catherine Laura who is believe to have been a niece. Leatha became a Sister M. Emmanuel in the order of the Servants of the Immacualte Heart of Mary.