Hi Listers, I recently ran across some books of funeral home and caretakers in Springfield, that listed quite a few deaths from Polk, Dallas, Webster, and Greene of course. Off the top of my head I can only remember two of them. Klinger Funeral Home and Thieme Funeral Home in Springfield. I believe that the Klinger Funeral Home started listing in 1912. Not sure about Thieme. I know that there was one other funeral home that started with a "A", but do not recall the name. Colleen Oliver Researching: Chapman, Cheek, Stafford, Wingo and others. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Margaret A. Maulin" <mmaulin@spamcop.net> To: <MODALLAS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 9:54 AM Subject: Funeral Homes > I looked through the Dallas County History book and did not find any > discussion of early Funeral Homes. It would be interesting to find this > information. There is an article in Chapter 4, "Cemeteries in Dallas > County" which describes customs in sickness and death but does not > indicate when these customs ceased and undertakers took over. > "When people became ill in olden times there were no hospitals or > funeral homes. Neighbors would take turns sitting up which often lasted > for months. > When death came the ones there would close the eyes and weight them > shut with coins. A white cloth was tied underneath the chin across the > top of the head to hold the mouth shut. The body was laid on a board and > covered with a sheet. The ones who sat up with the body, which was only > kept one night, would wet a cloth in a solution and keep on the face. > The caskets or boxes were usually made of walnut or whatever lumber was > available for that purpose. It was lined with white muslin. The dress, > if it was for a lady, was oft times made at night. > A runner was sent out to notify all the neighbors of the death and when > the funeral would be. > So many times, a cemetery not being near, they would be buried on the > farm. If a church and cemetery were near the bell would be tolled at the church. > The box or casket would be placed in a wagon or hack with hay in the > bed and moved to the church where the service was to be held. Many > funerals were held in the yards of the homes or in the church yard. > Neighbors would dig the grave and it was superstition not to ever > compete the grave until just before the burial. > A good pair of lines off of harness was used to lower the box into the > grave with four strong men holding them. > The graves were dug much deeper then than present day. > While the dirt was being thrown in on the box it was the custom to > sing. The families never left until the grave was filled. > Many of the graves have never been marked with anything except a field rock." > > In Chapter 8, "Climate and Health": "There is no hospital in the County. > Patients are taken to hospitals in Springfield, Lebanon, Columbia and > Nevada. Three funeral homes provide ambulance service: Jones-Cantlon, > Parrish-Buckner and Montgomery." This was written in 1971; the county > still has no hospital. > > Here are the undertakers names of some of the death certificates I have: > Routh & Jones of Buffalo, 1922, 1923, 1924 > L. B. Jones, Buffalo, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1950, 1957 > Jones-Cantlon, Buffalo, 1967 > Parish, Buffalo, 1976, 1977 > Montgomery, Buffalo, 1956, 1960, 1978 > Montgomery-Viets, Buffalo, 1985 > > Currently, there are only two Funeral Homes in Buffalo - > Montgomery-Viets and Cantlon. I tried to locate original records back > in 1991 and was informed that Cantlon only has "business records" of Routh-Jones. > > Margaret Maulin >