TIP #303 GRAVE HOUSES AND ANNUAL FUNERALS I have written before of the deaths, funerals and cemeteries, but I am currently reading the book, "The Kentucky" by the greatest Kentucky historian of modern times, Thomas Clark. He published this book in 1945 and I am amazed by his knowledge and love for the land. In his chapter 12, he deals with the subject of "funeralizing" which contains more information that I had seen in print before. Clark explains, as I have mentioned before, that death is treated very distinctly in early Kentucky. If a rural mountainman died (and perhaps to this time in the mountainous eastern part of the State), per Clark, neighbors all pitched in. A crude coffin, triangular in shape, was built and the box was wrapped in white cloth. It was common for a grave house to be built over the burial site which protected the grave from the weather and the "grave robber". This grave robber was perceived to be an animal - a cross, per Clark, between a weasel and an anteater. It supposedly dug into the grave and destroyed the body. So great care was given to the construction of the gravehouse for protection of their beloved. A grave house could be built of rough logs or covered with boards; some of the newer ones are wood planks covered with tin. Many times objects were placed in the grave house reminding the family of the deceased, or flowers, trinkets or photographs of the deceased. Christmas trees, balloons (for newer time burials), flowers and other decorations were added. The funeral services were many times held on Saturdays and Sundays per Clark, with a long procession of mourners leading up the hill to the gravehouse. The women came first, dressed in black, and carried streamers, or decorations or white cloth. The men followed in silence and mourning. Meals were brought and carried to the graveside where rows of seats had been set up, made of logs. A picture of the deceased was often leaned against the tombstone and streamers draped over the grave. In eastern Kentucky, the funeral service many times included 4-6 ministers who exhorted the mourners for hours on end to make their peace with God. Each minister was "stronger" than the one before in his message of repentance. The messages were accompanied by much crying and repenting and continued for many hours. Photographs of the departed beloved were often passed around from person to person during the service. Many hymns were sung during this time with "The Great Speckled Bird" being the most requested. The individual's obituary was read by the minister. These photographs were taken at the person's death and in the coffin, a fashion held to until this day in many areas. The minister also announced his (their) schedule for other funerals; Clark's reference being primarily services held along the Kentucky River and in the Appalachian area. He also announced the schedule for this funeral again as in many areas, the funeral was an annual event. Each year, the family and friends would gather to repeat the ceremony. The families and ministers scheduled an annual funeral for their lost one and would many times apparently travel from funeral to funeral to remember those who had died years previous. As the procession left the gravesite or gravehouse, more songs were sung with the favorites being "The Village Churchyard" and "Farewell, Mother, I am Dying." The minister or ministers would remain at the end of the service and knelt over the grave. Many of the congregation paused to bow with him and a final exhortation given for the repentance of the grievers. When he was finished, the "festivities" began with the mountain people joining together in gossip, talk about the food waiting for them and arrangements for those coming from a distance to "stay the night" with some of the local family. My thanks to the many years of history that Thomas Clark has preserved and a custom unheard of in most areas. (c) Copyright 10 August 2000, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved. sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Col. Sandi Gorin, 205 Clements, Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 Member: Glasgow-Barren Co Chamber of Commerce Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ TIPS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Tips KYBIOS: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Bios SCKY ARCHIVES: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl Surname Registry: http://sckyregistry.homestead.com/SCKYHome.html Merged Surname Registry all counties in South Central KY: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/files/surnames/surnames.txt