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Archiver > FTM-HELP > 2007-03 > 1173751901


From: "bill-lewis" <>
Subject: [FTM-HELP] Recording Infant Deaths
Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:11:41 -0600
References: <mailman.881.1173683065.18763.ftm-help@rootsweb.com><000701c764bc$6fbaf0a0$030aa8c0@bill><003401c764f0$a6b29ac0$6501a8c0@LINDACOMPUTER>


What do you use when you know there was a child born to a couple that died in infancy or early childhood and that child's name is unknown?

This is a problem because some had so many die so young and often little else is known. For lack of any other information I will enter John Inf Smith or John Child Smith based on age, same or next year infant. When the sex is known John Son Smith or John Daughter Smith.

I only put stillborn if I know it was otherwise I assume the child lived some time, ones I know were from a few hours to days and of course illness took them at any age. I record dates if known or put an about if I know a child died and there is a gap in the children's ages in the census like 2, 6, 8, 11, 14 and the census states mother of six, five living I can assume there might have been a child who would have been four at the time of the census. For this one I would put b. Abt. 1906 d. Abt. 1906 although they may have been older.

My mom did oral interviews during the 50's and 60's and since she grew up in the area knew that in the empty space to the north of Sam and Mary Barton are buried 3 children a son and twin daughters. We do not know the order of their births or the dates but using the above method a guess was made and information on the guess was recorded in the notes for the children.

Sometimes a woman died soon after birth and if difficult the child did not survive I have 3 of these and in two instances know the child and mother shared a casket, for one the marker just has the mothers name on it but it is told that the child was laid so she was holding it. All of this information is recorded in the notes for the mother.

In my area there are annual Cemetery Homecomings in the past this was when the cemetery was cleared and brush cut and weeds cut down now collections are taken and a person is hired to keep the cemetery. Family lore on the ancestors is passed down during the walks in the cemetery and during the meal. Information on who is possibly buried in stone marked spots, many of these are children, can be obtained and the surrounding burials recorded so the location is known. The cemetery association may have this information or you can make an announcement that you are looking for information on unmarked burials and obtain it that way and write down everything you hear.

I went a bit off topic but data is important so record everything and just state it is from family stories heard at the cemetery homecoming.

The opposite of this is when walking a cemetery you record a stone for a child born in 1887 and died in 1892 since much information is from census data some children are recorded only in stone and the stone usually states son or daughter of and the parents names. I have added several names that were unknown to family researchers who lived closer to the cemetery than I do. In some instances the child is not in the same cemetery with other family but may be buried by a grandmother or other relative as they died and the family moved later.

Bill

Bill or Jo Ann Lewis

Bookwizards
1857 Provine St.
Fort Worth, Tx 76103



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