HOW I BURIED UNCLE HARVE, Part 1. Of the condensed version. When I was a lad we seldom heard of a funeral home. When there was a death in the neighborhood, we didn't call a funeral home or a local flower shop while trying to figure out how much money we would be expected to spend. Instead, we began to wonder where the mattocks, shovels and the broad adz were and what carpenter we could get to make a coffin and who should lay out, wash and dress the corpse. Someone went into the woods and selected a long slim sapling to cut the exact length of the deceased's body. A notch was cut a distance from one end to show how wide. This was given to the carpenter who would cut another longer stick to show the grave diggers how long and wide the grave should be dug. Other men would gather at some barn or mill shed to help the carpenter build a coffin and a wooden vault box. The women and girls would gather at some home to cook and sew. As I grew up I was in turn a tool finder, a stick toter, a water boy and a helper to the rough carpenters who made the vault box from rough oak lumber. I eventually became a helper to the finish carpenter who made the coffin. The coffin was padded inside with quilted-cotton batts and lined with satin cloth. The outside of the coffin was covered with "grave cloth", an imprinted grey muslin that local merchants kept on the top shelf in their stores. We had a well defined and recognized knowledge as to what tasks were men's work and what was expected from the distaff side of the households. Digging the grave and the making of the lumber part of the coffins were indisputably recognized as being within the jurisdiction of the male members, cooking necessary for the burial gatherings and sewing of garments for the deceased or members of the bereaved family to wear to the funeral were well within the realm of the women. When it came to lining the coffin and covering it with cloth there was a definite territorial conflict. The women would do what cutting and sewing they could at the house. The cloth would then be sent to where the coffin was being made by some girl-child with a firm command to "hurry right back". The carpenter, all to often unfamiliar with working with cloth, was left to do the best he could. It was in this nitch that I was able to gain recognition as a useful young member of our society. When Uncle Harve died the family asked me to make his coffin. More next time.

Jess love your stories. Jesus is Lord and is coming again. ----- Original Message ----- From: Jess Wilson<mailto:jswlsn@prtcnet.org> To: KYLAUREL-L@rootsweb.com<mailto:KYLAUREL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 8:02 AM Subject: [KYLAUREL-L] HOW I BURIED UNCLE HARVE, HOW I BURIED UNCLE HARVE, Part 1. Of the condensed version. When I was a lad we seldom heard of a funeral home. When there was a death in the neighborhood, we didn't call a funeral home or a local flower shop while trying to figure out how much money we would be expected to spend. Instead, we began to wonder where the mattocks, shovels and the broad adz were and what carpenter we could get to make a coffin and who should lay out, wash and dress the corpse. Someone went into the woods and selected a long slim sapling to cut the exact length of the deceased's body. A notch was cut a distance from one end to show how wide. This was given to the carpenter who would cut another longer stick to show the grave diggers how long and wide the grave should be dug. Other men would gather at some barn or mill shed to help the carpenter build a coffin and a wooden vault box. The women and girls would gather at some home to cook and sew. As I grew up I was in turn a tool finder, a stick toter, a water boy and a helper to the rough carpenters who made the vault box from rough oak lumber. I eventually became a helper to the finish carpenter who made the coffin. The coffin was padded inside with quilted-cotton batts and lined with satin cloth. The outside of the coffin was covered with "grave cloth", an imprinted grey muslin that local merchants kept on the top shelf in their stores. We had a well defined and recognized knowledge as to what tasks were men's work and what was expected from the distaff side of the households. Digging the grave and the making of the lumber part of the coffins were indisputably recognized as being within the jurisdiction of the male members, cooking necessary for the burial gatherings and sewing of garments for the deceased or members of the bereaved family to wear to the funeral were well within the realm of the women. When it came to lining the coffin and covering it with cloth there was a definite territorial conflict. The women would do what cutting and sewing they could at the house. The cloth would then be sent to where the coffin was being made by some girl-child with a firm command to "hurry right back". The carpenter, all to often unfamiliar with working with cloth, was left to do the best he could. It was in this nitch that I was able to gain recognition as a useful young member of our society. When Uncle Harve died the family asked me to make his coffin. More next time. ==== KYLAUREL Mailing List ==== To subscribe or unsubscribe to this list send an email to: KYLAUREL-L-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:KYLAUREL-L-request@rootsweb.com> In the MESSAGE type the one word .... SUBSCRIBE (or UNSUBSCRIBE)