Everyone is familiar with obituaries and how useful they are in family history research. But, don’t stop there! Check a few days later in the newspaper and look for the funeral notice. While not used much these days, at the beginning of the 20th century, funeral notices were a very common part of the newspaper.
Not only will a funeral notice name the deceased, it may also name those who attended the funeral and what tributes they offered the family or deceased. Of particular interest is the description of the coffin. Usually the description will indicate the type of wood used the kind of handles and if the coffin had a name plate or not.
The notice will also describe how the body was dressed, who conducted the funeral, what songs were sung what scriptures were read. All of this information, while depressing, adds to the history of the deceased. One such notice described the trek to the cemetery and the various vehicles used to make the trip.
