From Axer to Ziegler

My Grandmother’s Obituary:

SHERMAN, NELLIE VIOLA
Age 84 years in Riverside, April 30, 1976. Mother of William F. Sherman Jr. & Vincent E. Sherman. Also survived by 7 grandchildren & 5 great-grandchildren. Private services and inurnment were held in Evergreen Cemetery. Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary Directors.

Let’s take this obituary apart.  It’s a short one, so it will be easy to do.

1.  SHERMAN, NELLIE VIOLA
Age 84 years in Riverside, April 30, 1976.
Her name, age, place of death and date are correct.  So far, so good.

2.  Mother of William F. Sherman Jr. & Vincent E. Sherman.
Yes, she was the mother of William F. and Vincent E. Sherman.  However, if nobody knew, they’d assume both of them lived in Riverside, wouldn’t they?  After all, the obituary was published in Riverside and she died in Riverside.  The assumption would be wrong. William F. lived about an hour south of Riverside in San Diego County and Vincent E. lived across the country in Virginia!

3.  Also survived by 7 grandchildren & 5 great-grandchildren.
Yes, she had 7 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

4.  Private services and inurnment were held in Evergreen Cemetery.
Now this is where the facts are really, really wrong!  Private Services?  No.  Inurnment at Evergreen Cemetery?  Definitely No.

This obituary was printed in the newspaper on 1 May, the day after she died.  Now, how conceivable is this?  Services and inurnment held in time for the morning paper?

Private Services were held . . . but not until June 15 when her name was on the headstone with her mother in Springhill Cemetery in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania!

Inurned in Evergreen Cemetery in Riverside, California?  Never happened.  She wasn’t inurned until she was inurned with her mother’s remains in Pennsylvania.

I remember the day she died. My father, the above mentioned William F., called me at work to tell me.  I left work and headed for my parents home an hour and a half away.  I do not remember any services or inurnments since they lived in San Diego County and she died in Riverside County. Since I have her death certificate and all of the bills and receipts from both the mortuary in Riverside and cemetery in Shippensburg, I can say with confidence that the obituary is wrong.

So who furnished the information for the obituary?  The family usually does, don’t they?  Well, yes and no in this case.  The family furnished the information about her descendants to the mortuary, and the mortuary furnished the information to the newspaper. . . . . embellishing it a little.

Springhill Cemetery, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

In summation, death certificates and obituaries, are not always to be taken as gospel.  They are only as accurate as the knowledge of the person furnishing the information.  It’s the same today as it was in the days our ancestors lived and breathed on this fine earth!

. . . and for as long as my mother can remember (and she’s 89 years old!) and her sister can remember (and she’s 82 years old!) Popeye has only had one leg!! Funny, he kept his pipe, but not his leg!

My mother grew up in Hilo, Hawaii, and these were part of their Christmas decorations when she was a child. My aunt remembers them and my uncle remembers them. . . . and I have them!!

Growing up, our Christmas celebrations in Hawaii, on Guam and then in California always included these.  Each one of us, my parents, my brother, my sister and I, got to chose the ornament we wanted to hang.  We’d rotate years, so one year, every  five years, we’d get first pick!  Invariably, my sister and I would fight over Little Orphan Annie.  Nobody wanted one legged Popeye!  I don’t remember who would hang the remaining ornament, after all that was decades ago!!

one legged, pipe smoking, tattooed Popeye

As the children left home, and celebrations at my parents’ home got less elaborate, the ornaments were finally mine!  My children, then my grandchildren looked for them every year and wanted to put them on the tree, and so the tradition continued.  Four generations, enjoying the beat-up wooden ornaments.

This year they will hang from the arms on the light over my dining room table.  They’ve been there before and I enjoy seeing them as I eat my breakfast.

. . . in a few years, I’m not ready to let them go quite yet, they’ll be passed on to one of my children so they can continue the tradition of

. . . the old, beat-up, wooden cartoon ornaments.