Margaret If I hadn't been in such a hurry reading and responding to your message I would of seen that you already had the name of the previous funeral home (Routh-Jones)in your message. I e-mailed my mom in Springfield about this dilemma and maybe she knows of another avenue we can follow. Happy hunting. Alberta Anderson Bloomington -----Original Message----- From: kuklao [mailto:kuklao@home.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2001 1:51 PM To: MODALLAS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Fw: Funeral Homes Colleen Oliver Researching: Chapman, Cheek, Stafford, Wingo and others. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anderson, Alberta M" <almander@indiana.edu> To: "'kuklao'" <kuklao@home.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2001 7:12 AM Subject: RE: Funeral Homes > Margaret, > Do you live in Buffalo? Did you ask check with the Montgomery funeral home? > Wonder who was the funeral home before Montgomery? Loved reading your > message > about death traditions. > Alberta Anderson > Bloomington, IN > > -----Original Message----- > From: kuklao [mailto:kuklao@home.com] > Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 4:57 PM > To: MODALLAS-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: Funeral Homes > > > 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 > > >