GDG- RE:This Republic Is Suffering

[Bernadette Atkins]

Yes, I cover these topics in my small mourning ritual book. Last word's were very important, many dying folks would be suffering in pain but would refuse painkillers because they wanted their final words to be clear. There are many examples, Stonewall Jackson, etc. Even Little Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin has final words from her death bed.Death was a daily part of life. There was a high infant mortality rate, people died from accidents, illness, accidental poisoning...then a brutal war comes along and creates a problem with the mourning rituals of the time. There's perhaps no death bed, no final words, no body, so there's no wake, no funeral. When I do my "Mourning" programs and lectures, some are mortified by the things I talk about, but most are fascinated. Think about it, many of our parents remember wakes being held in the parlor of a home.  
Cheers from Icy Gettysburg
Bernadette
AKA WIDOWSWEEDS