Betty, I can't answer your question specifically, but I do know that in the times before "modern medicine", most deaths were accompanied by someone "sitting up" with the body, and then some kind of burial ceremony, followed by a meal after the burial. The practice of "sitting up" with the body came about for several reasons. The most important of these was to make sure the person was actually dead. Many times, people would pass out, or be thrown into a temporary stupor, only to find themselves in a coffin, ready for burial. The reason for this was unknown at the time, but we now know some of it was because they were being poisoned by their pewter trenchers and mugs. The lead from these utensils would leach into their food and drink, thus causing temporary unconsciousness. Very few of the people back then could tell if a person was really dead, especially if they were "common folk" who could not afford, or did not have, a doctor in the area. In addition, it was believed the soul of a person did not leave the body immediately, but sometimes lingered for awhile. "Sitting up" with the body, and if a person was Catholic, praying the Rosary, was thought to help the dead person's soul "pass" from this world to the next, and also kept the passing from being a lonely, solitary journey. After the burial ceremony, a large meal was held to celebrate the dead person's passing to a "better life", since most people had a hardscrabble existence with no hope for improvement. The meal also fed those who had traveled to attend the funeral. (There were no restaurants back then, only taverns, and some could not afford even that.) These meals were accompanied by the drinking of toasts to the deceased. This practice eventually became the "wake". Protestant families also held celebratory meals just as the Catholics did, but the meals became more sedate in America when some of the Protestant sects began to preach against "strong" drink. Instead of taking on the appearance of a party, they were frequently more somber affairs that only lasted the afternoon of the funeral. There were many other factors that influenced our burial customs, but hopefully, this gives you an idea of where some of them originated. Of course, many areas had their own unique rituals, and the information above is based on a generalized history of funeral practices.. Hope this helps. Cheryl Luginbill (researching Barrick, Case, and Highfill surnames in Dallas Co.)