Thank you all for the insight into the pioneer funerals in Erath County. It was much appreciated. Vynette in Arizona ---------- > From: DebbyKay <debbykay@hotmail.com> > To: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [ERATH] Funeral records or funeral homes > Date: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 11:01 AM > > Bill, > > Thanks. Just a thought! Oh ... if only! There are so many questions and so > few answers. > > I really appreciate all of your help. > > Take care. > > Debby > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Texasdog@aol.com> > To: <TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 1999 12:16 PM > Subject: Re: [ERATH] Funeral records or funeral homes > > > > Debby, > > There were 81 grandchildren and my grandmother died near Afton > > in 1925 and one of my cousins got her old doctor's book. To give you an > > idea of the informality of birth records in the early 1900s, my > grandmother > > would keep "births" like in a format that reminded me of how we might > > keep scores of "domino games" today. About once a month or every six > > weeks, she might travel to Dickens and record the births. This was > > recorded on a large sheet of paper that would be lined with rows and > > columns. She might have delivered six or eight children during this > > period and she would write down the parents, the date, maybe the > community, > > and if it was a boy or girl or if there were twins. This would > > have been during the 1910s or so when she was in her 60s. She might > > miss the date by a few or several days, too. For example, she might have > > travelled from home for several days spending the night with "blue babys" > > or what have you.....and I gather these birth records would have all the > > degree of accuracy that a truck driver's expense account and log book > > would have today. In other words, paper work was considered a triviality > > in that the health of the patients came first and the "birth log" would > often > > be from "memory" weeks after the fact. I know of at least one occasion > > where the "birth log" listed the wrong gender of the baby. Death records > > in the rural area might be the in the same manner but up from 1903 until > > 1927 when the state took the responsibility from local counties, probably > > only 65 to 75% of the births were recorded in the best of years. Death > > records were not automatic as they are today. > > > > > > Bill McCarty Odessa, Texas > > > > http://members.tripod.com/cindyradway/Erath/erath.html > > http://members.aol.com/texastag/mccarty.html > > > > > > ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== > > --- Author Retains Copyright --- > > -- Copyright 1999 Author -- All Rights Reserved > > Post to List: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com > > Unsubscribe request To: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com > > > > > > > ==== TXERATH Mailing List ==== > --- Author Retains Copyright --- > -- Copyright 1999 Author -- All Rights Reserved > Post to List: TXERATH-L@rootsweb.com http://www.selfroots.com > Unsubscribe request To: TXERATH-L-request@rootsweb.com >