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—...