Monday's Diggings
The Story Behind an Obituary — Pauline's Notes for Her Father
Have you ever wondered how much information gets left out of an obituary? Or whether the information published in a newspaper matches what the family originally provided?
Among my family papers is a collection of handwritten notes created by my grandmother, Pauline Mentzer Briles, following the death of her father, Charles O. Mentzer, in August 1955.
At first glance, these pages appear to be several attempts to write an obituary. However, as I examined them more closely, I discovered that they contain much more than biographical information. They also include notes about the funeral service, the pallbearers, and relatives and friends who attended.
Fortunately, I also have newspaper obituaries from the Iola Register, Yates Center News, and Emporia Gazette, along with Charles's Kansas death certificate.
Together, these documents provide an opportunity to compare what Pauline wrote with what was eventually published—and to discover information that never made it into the newspapers.
Several Attempts to Tell the Same Story
The eight-page collection of handwritten notes is not a single, continuous document. Instead, it appears to contain several drafts of an obituary, notes about the funeral service, and a list of people attending.
One of Pauline's drafts begins:
Charles O. Mentzer, oldest son of George and Emma Mentzer, was born July 1st 1869 at Kiwanee Illinois.
She continued:
He was but a lad when his parents migrated to Woodson County Kansas where he spent the rest of his life, except the last three years.
Pauline recorded his marriage to Nettie A. Wells in 1892, Nettie's death in 1939, and the names of their five children.
The children were Paul, Gladys Green, Pauline Briles, Leslie Mentzer, and Herbert Mentzer. According to her notes, Paul had died in 1941, while the four surviving children lived in Emporia, Neosho Falls, and LeRoy.
Pauline also recorded that Charles was survived by fourteen grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, a sister, Clara Williams, and two brothers, Henry and Ernest Mentzer.
In another draft, she added:
Mr. Mentzer was a faithful member of the Neosho Falls Methodist Church. He was a devoted husband and father.
That final sentence is especially meaningful to me. While an obituary records dates, places, and family relationships, Pauline's words provide a glimpse of how she remembered her father.
From Handwritten Notes to Newspaper Obituary
One of the most interesting aspects of this collection is the similarity between Pauline's handwritten drafts and the obituary published in the Iola Register on August 16, 1955.
The newspaper obituary begins:
Charles O. Mentzer, whose parents were among Woodson county's earliest settlers, died yesterday afternoon at the Newman Hospital in Emporia. He was 86 years old.
It continues with information about his birth in Kewanee, Illinois, his parents' migration to Kansas, his marriage to Nettie Wells, and his surviving children and siblings.
Much of this wording closely follows Pauline's handwritten notes.
The Yates Center News reprinted the Iola Register obituary on August 18, 1955, under the headline "C. O. Mentzer Dies in Emporia, Monday."
I cannot prove that Pauline's notes were the source used by the Iola Register. However, the similarities in wording and the arrangement of the information suggest that her drafts may have contributed to the published obituary.
The Emporia Gazette published a somewhat different obituary. It included information about Charles's lengthy hospitalization and provided addresses for his daughters living in Emporia.
Thus, even though the newspapers were reporting the same death, they did not publish identical information.
The Funeral Details That Were Not Published
While the newspaper obituaries provide the basic information about Charles's death and funeral arrangements, Pauline's notes preserve details about the actual service.
According to her notes, the funeral was held at the Neosho Falls Methodist Church on Thursday, August 18, 1955.
Rev. Nevenswander of Colony conducted the service.
Pauline recorded that Marion Farnam and Mrs. Ruby Melvin sang, accompanied by Mrs. Mary [Handlin]. The musical selections included "Abide with Me" and "Beyond the [unclear]."
Interment was in the Yates Center Cemetery.
She also recorded the names of six pallbearers, identifying all of them as nephews of the deceased:
Ted Brodman
Ed Herald
Amil Beine
Harley Mentzer
Burdette Mentzer
Keith Mentzer
These names are particularly valuable genealogically. They provide clues to relationships within the extended Mentzer family.
For example, knowing that all six pallbearers were nephews gives me a reason to investigate their parents and determine exactly how each was related to Charles.
Without Pauline's handwritten notes, I might never have known who served as pallbearers.
Who Attended the Funeral?
Another page contains a list titled:
The out of town relatives and friends attending Mr. C. O. Mentzer's funeral were:
Pauline organized the list by community.
Among those she identified from Emporia were Gladys Green, Pauline Briles, and other relatives and friends.
Her list of those from Yates Center included John Williams and his wife, Ted Brodman and his wife, Lester Harding and his wife, Sylvia Mentzer, Ernest Mentzer, Ed Herald and his wife, Amil Beine and his wife, Harley Mentzer and his wife, and Glen Briles and his wife.
Other names appear in the notes, including Eugene Mentzer of Wamego and relatives from outside the immediate area.
Unfortunately, this page contains numerous corrections, crossed-out names, and additions written between the lines. Some names are difficult to decipher.
However, even an incomplete transcription is valuable.
This list documents a gathering of the extended family in August 1955. It identifies people who traveled to attend the funeral and provides evidence of continuing family connections.
For genealogical research, such a list can be particularly useful when studying siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
When the Sources Disagree
Comparing Pauline's notes with the three newspaper obituaries and Charles's death certificate revealed several discrepancies.
Where was Charles born?
Pauline's handwritten notes identify Kewanee, Illinois, as his birthplace. The Iola Register and Yates Center News agree.
However, the Emporia Gazette identifies Yates Center, Kansas, as his birthplace.
His Kansas death certificate also gives Yates Center, Kansas.
Since the informant on the death certificate was his daughter Gladys Green, the two daughters apparently provided—or recorded—different information about their father's birthplace.
This is an important reminder that information on a death certificate is not necessarily firsthand information about events occurring decades earlier.
When did Charles marry Nettie Wells?
Pauline's notes and the Iola Register give 1892 as the marriage year.
The Emporia Gazette gives 1893 and identifies Yates Center as the location.
A marriage record would be needed to resolve this discrepancy.
When did their son Paul die?
Pauline's notes state that Paul died in 1941.
The Emporia Gazette reports that he died on August 14, 1942.
Once again, the difference demonstrates why information from an obituary or family notes should be verified whenever possible.
What the Death Certificate Adds
Charles's Kansas death certificate confirms that he died on August 15, 1955, at Newman Hospital in Emporia, Kansas.
His death occurred at 2:40 p.m., and his daughter Gladys Green was the informant.
The certificate identifies his parents as George Mentzer and Emma Minnick and describes Charles as a retired farmer.
It also records his usual residence as Neosho Falls, Woodson County, Kansas.
One particularly interesting detail is the information about his residence and hospitalization.
The Emporia Gazette reported that Charles had been a patient at Newman Memorial County Hospital since September 1, 1953.
This helps explain Pauline's statement that he had spent his life in Woodson County "except the last three years."
The death certificate also confirms his burial on August 18, 1955, at Yates Center.
Although the death certificate provides important evidence about his death, it does not resolve every question raised by the handwritten notes and obituaries.
Why These Handwritten Pages Matter
Had I only preserved the newspaper obituaries, I would have known when Charles died, where he lived, the names of his surviving family members, and where his funeral was held.
The death certificate would have added his exact time of death, medical information, and the name of the informant.
But Pauline's handwritten notes tell me more.
They identify the pallbearers, record the music performed during the funeral, name relatives and friends who attended, and preserve the words Pauline chose to describe her father.
They also offer a glimpse into the process of preparing an obituary in 1955.
There are crossed-out sentences, rewritten passages, and multiple versions of the same biographical information. Some pages appear to be drafts prepared before the funeral, while others document what happened during the service.
And, perhaps most importantly, these notes preserve Pauline's handwriting.
As I work with these documents, I am reminded that not every valuable genealogical source is an official record or a published newspaper article.
Sometimes the most meaningful information is found on a few sheets of notebook paper, written by a family member trying to record the life of someone they loved.
For me, these pages are more than an obituary draft. They are a small piece of my grandmother's life and a reminder of the importance of preserving the family papers that have been passed down through the generations.
Sources
Pauline Mentzer Briles, handwritten obituary drafts and funeral notes for Charles O. Mentzer, August 1955; family papers.
"C. O. Mentzer Dies in Emporia," The Iola Register (Iola, Kansas), Tuesday, August 16, 1955.
"C. O. Mentzer Dies in Emporia, Monday," The Yates Center News (Yates Center, Kansas), Thursday, August 18, 1955; reprinted from the Iola Register.
"Charles O. Mentzer Dies," The Emporia Gazette (Emporia, Kansas), August 1955; family newspaper clipping.
Kansas death certificate for Charles O. Mentzer, died August 15, 1955, Lyon County, Kansas; copy in family papers.
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