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Archiver > ILJACKSO > 2003-04 > 1051492795
From: Bill <>
Subject: [ILJACKSON] Little Egypt Heritage, 27 April 2003, Vol 2 #17
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003 21:20:21 -0400
Little Egypt Heritage Articles
Stories of Southern Illinois
(c) Bill Oliver
20 April 2003
Vol 2 Issue: #16
ISBN: pending
Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt,
The mind is a fascinating "thing". Often I cannot remember
what I had for Easter Dinner less than an hour later, or the
name of a person introduced a few seconds ago. Yet, at
times, I will write a sentence, a paragraph even, of
something I've read years ago, or replay in my mind, a tune
heard hours, days, or weeks ago. While on my way driving to
Church last Sunday, I heard a piece of music which blended
Bach and Canadian Native traditions. Though I needed to
concentrate on my driving in traffic, the piece repeated
itself in my head at various times during the day, though
the name of the piece, and the name of the performers are
gone as if never heard.
Last week's article brought back nostalgia of a Northwestern
General Store that was still operating in the 1960s in
Fulton County, Ohio. A place called Lytton's out beyond St
Mary's, but on Road "N". It more than reminded me of a
modern day "collectables establishment" ... there was just
"everything" there. My two young boys loved to be let loose
in there to wonder at all the things stocked. I firmly
believe that if you asked for something that would be
produced in Central Africa, after a reasonable search the
owner would produce it. There were things manufactured by
Kosh by gosh, came from Otumwa, Iowa, cheese even from
Wisconsin. This building is still standing, but barely,
long now closed. I don't believe it is as wide as my house,
nor longer than the depth of my city lot. The ancient
proprietor probably deceased, though lives yet because I
fondly remember.
Another fascinating place was the Old Rome Center Country
Store near Adrian, Michigan. When our children were first
introduced to this place it was a small one room place with
old counters and display cases filled with all types of
sewing tools and material, as well as, kitchen gadgits.
Then, there were all the candy sticks. The room was
complete with an old coal stove, a checker board with the
pieces made of corn cob slices, cracker tins and pickle
barrels.
Tucked away on high ground overlooking the remnants of the
community of Tunnel Hill, Illinois is a building which I
imagine as a stage inn. Across the road, along the low
ground, is a row of buildings which would be "main" street.
There had to be a general store there somewhere. Though the
surrounding homes there are well kept and in mostly modern
renovation, the old establishment on the high ground is
yearly less recognizable due to the growth of vines and ivy
encasing it. I wonder about it each time I return to
"home" ground of the BENSONs and HARPERs and OLIVERs.
Perhaps, the next visit, I will find someone who will tell
me the story of that vine covered building. Meanwhile it is
a deceased entity.
Speaking of the deceased ..... the talk in my circles lately
has been about cemeteries. Since my interest in "fleshing
out" old bones is so intense there seems to be a "magnet"
effect. Letters have come in telling interesting anecdotal
stories. Yet it doesn't end just there. Folks have loaned
or recommended books about cemeteries and preserving them
and the stones therein.
Alex Haley's Pulitzer Prize winning 1976 book, which traced
six generations of his ancestry, is credited with
encouraging better research methods and standards, as well
as, showing new concepts of research. More importantly, it
gave good examples of customs.
Once we discounted "grave witching" as hooey. My Nebraska
cousins taught me not to laugh at that craft and my Nebraska
friends taught many of us the rules to the craft a few years
ago. This week my Southern Illinois friends reported and
sent digitized pictures of a grave witching workshop in
Massac County. It is interesting to note that in our
history graveyards did not have plot maps with registered
burials. Before there could be a grave dug, a grave
witching had to be performed so that needless digging could
be avoided.
Along with those pictures were some others of stone markers
with my surname on them. Finally, there were some pictures
where the hairs on my arms stood out as if charged with
static electricity. The room felt cooler suddenly. The
first picture was not taken in a neat, well cared for
cemetery. It was a cemetery, for there was a stone marker,
but obviously it was in or near a swamp, plus the growth
around the stone was in the wild state. There was no
immediate explanaaton for the feeling. A few pictures later
a rather lengthly explanation accompanied the pictures.
This was a cemetery back along CRENSHAW Creek in Massac
County, Illinois. Somewhere along where these pictures were
taken, my 2nd Great Grandfather walked and worked, and might
possibly be buried near by, if not right there.
Well, it is quite natural to get goose bumps if an ancestor
had a noted demise. This probably would cause a
particularly unique grave marker and more paper work to
trail, errrr, locate. However, so far we have not located
any of that wonderful paper trail or a stone.
Burial customs have a reason behind them, albeit, that may
be based on a superstition. For example, pall bearers wore
gloves. That makes a neat show, however, the custom is
based on the superstition that the spirit of the deceased
could enter the bearers body through their bare hands.
Widow's Weeds [black clothes] were and are worn to make the
person less visible to the deceased, thus preventing the
spirit from bothering the living. Do you know why one
doesn't or shouldn't cut into a funeral procession?? It is
so as not to attract the wrath of the evil spirits following
the procession. You thought it was just to cause an
invonvenience to those who have to wait till the "train"
passed. :)
Clocks were/are stopped, not only to mark the time of death,
but all "life" stopped for the family until after the
funeral, at which time, the clocks were started again to
symbolize the beginning of the family's life again.
A clap of thunder after a funeral indicated that the soul of
the deceased was accepted in Heaven.
Though there were at least two females who advertised that
they "laid out of the dead" prior to 1800, between mid-19th
century and our "great 20th-century depression", family and
neighbors prepared the body for burial. This preparation
consisted of washing and dressing the deceased and "laying
it out" for visitors to pay their respects.
Our custom of sitting with and viewing the deceased is
called "visitation", "calling", "waking the dead" or just
the "wake". I'm sure that the last term congers up toasting
to the deceased with hard liquor or beer. Well, to be sure,
that does happen in many cultures. That is the social part
of the funeral activities ... lots of food and "drink".
That part of the practice of the wake which was the "watch"
was the practice of the practical side of the activities.
Besides a genuine fear of being buried alive, there were no
screens on windows and doors in summer, with bugs and flies
having a natural attraction to the dead, family and friends
would perform around the clock vigils to protect the
corpses. Even in winter, dogs, cats and rats could be
"spoilers". Around the clock vigils also served to watch
just in case the "body" woke up asking for something to
drink.
Well, an "undertaker" is one who undertakes funeral
arrangements and that term was replaced by either "funeral
director" or "mortician". Mortician, though in use, is not
as popular. Funeral Director, on the other hand, is mostly
used today.
I leave you with this bit of trivia. Have you seen the
plumes on the old horse drawn hearses?
No plume: deceased was poor.
Two plumes: moderate financial circumstances.
Three or four plumes: pretty well off.
Five to six plumes: deceased was well off.
Seven to eight plumes: deceased was most wealthy.
Oh, well, who needs plumes?
Wado,
Bill
-=-
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL
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