The Higgs family kept an account book and in this book They make two references to Coffins...Katy a black cook who stayed with the family after the Civil War, Katy died in 1898 and a "coffin was bought for Aunt Katy costing $14.00 and she was laid to rest in the Higgs cemetery" another reference was "A coffin was bought for Mother Sept 23, 1889 costing $20.00" Mother was Martha Harrison Higgs born in NC 1802 and died in Barry Co. in 1889. I realize it is a few years after the Civil War but I think it is interesting to know of the cost. As I recall it the Higgs family ran an account at Rose's Store in Purdy, MO. and they also purchased some clothes there to bury her in. I do not have the original account book it is owned by another family member. The account was very long and difficult to read as they made notations in every margin, as was sometimes the practice in those days to save paper space. Betty Lamberson From: "Donna Cooper" <thedonnacooper@gmail.com> To: <mobarry@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 6:42 PM Subject: [MOBARRY] coffin or casket? I didn't know that a coffin and a casket are not the same thing. I suppose in Barry County that the people figured a coffin was a casket. I found this on the web - Although these two words are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between a coffin and a casket. A proper coffin is wider at the shoulder and tapers toward the feet. This was felt to be a prudent saving of costly wood as there was no need for width all the way to the bottom. This style is still to be found in Europe today. Coffins were sometimes very simple pine boxes, unlined and unadorned. Fancier models were lined, had a coffin plate of brass or silver with the deceased’s name and dates and sometimes a sentiment such as “Our Darling” or “Beloved Wife”, and had three metal handles on each side for the six pallbearers to grasp on the way to the grave. Graves were sometimes lined with fir branches, and after the coffin was lowered, bricked over to discourage graverobbers or other disturbance. It was not unusual for cabinet or furniture makers to do a brisk side trade in coffin making. That is like a grave yard and a cemetery are not really the same thing. A grave yard is the yard for the church where a cemetery has no church. I am sure in Barry County the words were interchangeable. Donna Cooper The list-admin is Donna Cooper, address - (thedonnacooper@gmail.com) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On 9/13/2011 10:46 AM, Betty Lamberson wrote: The Higgs family kept an account book and in this book They make two references to Coffins...Katy a black cook who stayed with the family after the Civil War, Katy died in 1898 and a "coffin was bought for Aunt Katy costing $14.00 and she was laid to rest in the Higgs cemetery" another reference was "A coffin was bought for Mother Sept 23, 1889 costing $20.00" Mother was Martha Harrison Higgs born in NC 1802 and died in Barry Co. in 1889. I realize it is a few years after the Civil War but I think it is interesting to know of the cost. As I recall it the Higgs family ran an account at Rose's Store in Purdy, MO. and they also purchased some clothes there to bury her in. I do not have the original account book it is owned by another family member. The account was very long and difficult to read as they made notations in every margin, as was sometimes the practice in those days to save paper space. Betty Lamberson From: "Donna Cooper" [1]<thedonnacooper@gmail.com> To: [2]<mobarry@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 6:42 PM Subject: [MOBARRY] coffin or casket? I didn't know that a coffin and a casket are not the same thing. I suppose in Barry County that the people figured a coffin was a casket. I found this on the web - Although these two words are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between a coffin and a casket. A proper coffin is wider at the shoulder and tapers toward the feet. This was felt to be a prudent saving of costly wood as there was no need for width all the way to the bottom. This style is still to be found in Europe today. Coffins were sometimes very simple pine boxes, unlined and unadorned. Fancier models were lined, had a coffin plate of brass or silver with the deceased’s name and dates and sometimes a sentiment such as “Our Darling� or “Beloved Wife�, and had three metal handles on each side for the six pallbearers to grasp on the way to the grave. Graves were sometimes lined with fir branches, and after the coffin was lowered, bricked over to discourage graverobbers or other disturbance. It was not unusual for cabinet or furniture makers to do a brisk side trade in coffin making. That is like a grave yard and a cemetery are not really the same thing. A grave yard is the yard for the church where a cemetery has no church. I am sure in Barry County the words were interchangeable. Donna Cooper The list-admin is Donna Cooper, address - ([3]thedonnacooper@gmail.com) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [4]MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message The list-admin is Donna Cooper, address - ([5]thedonnacooper@gmail.com) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [6]MOBARRY-request@rootsw eb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the bo dy of the message The difference between a coffin and a casket is about $5,000. References 1. mailto:thedonnacooper@gmail.com 2. mailto:mobarry@rootsweb.com 3. mailto:thedonnacooper@gmail.com 4. mailto:MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com 5. mailto:thedonnacooper@gmail.com 6. mailto:MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com