Gone to the Grave

Burial Customs of the Arkansas Ozarks, 1850-1950

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Death & Dying, Folklore & Mythology, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book Gone to the Grave by Abby Burnett, University Press of Mississippi
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Abby Burnett ISBN: 9781626743427
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi Publication: April 3, 2015
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi Language: English
Author: Abby Burnett
ISBN: 9781626743427
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Publication: April 3, 2015
Imprint: University Press of Mississippi
Language: English

Before there was a death care industry where professional funeral directors offered embalming and other services, residents of the Arkansas Ozarks--and, for that matter, people throughout the South--buried their own dead. Every part of the complicated, labor-intensive process was handled within the deceased's community. This process included preparation of the body for burial, making a wooden coffin, digging the grave, and overseeing the burial ceremony, as well as observing a wide variety of customs and superstitions.

These traditions, especially in rural communities, remained the norm up through the end of World War II, after which a variety of factors, primarily the loss of manpower and the rise of the funeral industry, brought about the end of most customs.

Gone to the Grave, a meticulous autopsy of this now vanished way of life and death, documents mourning and practical rituals through interviews, diaries and reminiscences, obituaries, and a wide variety of other sources. Abby Burnett covers attempts to stave off death; passings that, for various reasons, could not be mourned according to tradition; factors contributing to high maternal and infant mortality; and the ways in which loss was expressed though obituaries and epitaphs. A concluding chapter examines early undertaking practices and the many angles funeral industry professionals worked to convince the public of the need for their services.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Before there was a death care industry where professional funeral directors offered embalming and other services, residents of the Arkansas Ozarks--and, for that matter, people throughout the South--buried their own dead. Every part of the complicated, labor-intensive process was handled within the deceased's community. This process included preparation of the body for burial, making a wooden coffin, digging the grave, and overseeing the burial ceremony, as well as observing a wide variety of customs and superstitions.

These traditions, especially in rural communities, remained the norm up through the end of World War II, after which a variety of factors, primarily the loss of manpower and the rise of the funeral industry, brought about the end of most customs.

Gone to the Grave, a meticulous autopsy of this now vanished way of life and death, documents mourning and practical rituals through interviews, diaries and reminiscences, obituaries, and a wide variety of other sources. Abby Burnett covers attempts to stave off death; passings that, for various reasons, could not be mourned according to tradition; factors contributing to high maternal and infant mortality; and the ways in which loss was expressed though obituaries and epitaphs. A concluding chapter examines early undertaking practices and the many angles funeral industry professionals worked to convince the public of the need for their services.

More books from University Press of Mississippi

Cover of the book Ain't That a Knee-Slapper by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Southern Splendor by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Cajun Foodways by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Carville by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Resorting to Casinos by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Sports Crazy by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Grant Morrison by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book The Gorilla Man and the Empress of Steak by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Remaking Dixie by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Women Pioneers of the Louisiana Environmental Movement by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Autobiography as Activism by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book The Writing Dead by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book The Land of Rowan Oak by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book The Enchanted Quest of Dana and Ginger Lamb by Abby Burnett
Cover of the book Searching for the New Black Man by Abby Burnett
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy