The "Wake" was the sitting up with the corpse prior to the funeral. Nowadays, we more call it Visitation at the funeral home, or the Viewing. > [Original Message] > From: Virginia A. <vdach@gte.net> > To: <KYBREATH-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 4/6/04 5:40:20 PM > Subject: Re: [KYBREATH-L] Preachin on the Ground > > I'm not sure, but isn't the "wake", the "party" that takes place after the > funeral and the "burying"? Or is that what it has evolved into? Frankly, > it makes more sense that it would be the 'staying awake'. > > I also remember the coffin being in the parlor and members of the family > sitting with low lighting on during the night. My grandfather died in 1949 > in Ky. I was very young. Then it seemed as though the funeral went on all > day long. I know there were at least two services in two different > churches. Then they put the coffin in the ground and covered it. As I > remember, we all went back to my grandmothers and there was a huge gathering > and tons of food. > > Now days, I guess they cannot cover the coffin until all of the family had > left the cemetery. > > Also, after hearing my mother's story, I wonder if the "sitting with the > dead" wasn't a safety issue. My mother was only about two or three when her > father was killed in an accident. The body was placed in the parlor and > the room was lit with candles as there was no electricity. Somehow, the > house caught on fire and burned to the ground...............coffin and all. > (Unintentional cremation?) > > Virginia in Seattle > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Shelly Platz" <sunshine311_us@yahoo.com> > To: <KYBREATH-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 2:15 PM > Subject: Re: [KYBREATH-L] Preachin on the Ground > > > > Yes, Linda. I have been to several. > > > > > > Hi, wasn't that also called a "Wake"? I've never been to one but I hear > that > > was the "thing to do" when someone passed on. > > > > Lynda > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway - Enter today > > > > > > ==== KYBREATH Mailing List ==== > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== KYBREATH Mailing List ==== > Want to submit family infomation for Surname Files at the Breathitt County library? Contact library@tgtel.com