Mass Death Certificate for a Stillborn Baby 1961

MoochNNoodles

I'm hoping someone here knows something about how stillbirths or the deaths of babies who died within minutes of birth were handled in the 1940's.

In 1947 or 1948 my Grandmother had a little daughter die a few minutes after she was born (she was born alive, only lived less than 15 minutes). There were some atrocious things that happened and may even accept caused it (similar the dr. was boozer when he showed upward to evangelize the baby). My Grandmother never saw her daughter and it'due south haunted her to this day. My Granddaddy is the only 1 who ever saw her and the things he saw he merely this week started talking nigh.

My Mother is visiting my Grandparents and has been recording a lot of things virtually the family and what non. Only the thing is, no 1 knows where this baby was e'er buried. My Grandfather said he paid $35 for her to be cached just at that place was never a funeral or burial service performed. (Apparently it was discouraged since she basically wasn't considered a person....) And so my Female parent has been in touch with every funeral home and the hall of records for the area and they can't find any record of her past her name or even by "Baby ___". My Grandparents never fifty-fifty received a nativity or death certificate.

So at this bespeak my Mother assumes she was cached in "The Potters Field" next to ane of the churches. Just does that make sense, since my Granddad paid for a burial? Or does that audio like it would be the case? I don't know what the going charge per unit for a burial or plot was dorsum then. Since my Grandfather has started opening up most what he saw and experienced my Female parent and I are just beyond furious (including some treatment of her body....too vulgar to put on here). I know times were different and what not and so, merely information technology was still incorrect. But at this indicate, my Mom thinks it would comfort the whole family to just know where this poor infant was buried.

mews2much

Thats terrible my Cousin lost a litle girl and she was cached. The worst part was she was over 9 months preg when she lost her. She got to hold her and proper noun her before they took her away. This was the 1970's though. I wish I could help you.

crazyforinfo

Outset thought that came to listen is the baby was sold and was never dead. That'southward only horrible.

alleygirl

The but thing you can do is contact funeral homes, churches, etc. only honestly there is probably no record. Most babies were buried in an area reserved for things like that, with no markers or annihilation.

epona

I don't know anything concrete well-nigh attitudes at the time in the U.s., only I believe they were similar to here, more of the 'forget it e'er happened' type of thinking. Certainly here in the UK during the inter-war and post-WWII years a lot of people had get resigned to death due to their losses during WWI and II where often even in the case of adults there was never a body to bury and grieve over, that applied equally much for people killed in the rush bombings as for those with family killed in action. People were used to mass graves of unknown soldiers somewhere overseas, or buried under rubble with no sign of them to exist found, and death became something to be quickly grieved before moving on, necessary in circumstances of survival.

It strikes a huge contrast with the earlier Victorian era in England where decease was a part of life and was marked by strict social conventions in mourning periods and dress (inspired at least in part of course past the mourning of Queen Victoria for her belatedly married man), and elaborate funerary and memorial services for those that could beget information technology, including for newborns. Information technology was common for a photo to be taken after death or of stillborn babies ("memento morii") to be sent to loved ones in cards or kept in a locket.

Information technology was the huge losses in the two World Wars that put an end to that culture, I think for and so many people experiencing and so much tragedy in trying times, at that place was no practical way of mourning involving burial and memorials, people became much more hardened to the thought of bloodshed, and memorial and public mourning went out of the window (due largely to the practicalities of beingness bombed pretty much continuously and having to survive atrocious weather) and persisted for decades after WWII.

I feel for your grandmother. I don't know if what I have said is relevant to the U.s., you weren't in exactly the same position as England at that time, but a lot of people had gone to war and not come home, and the threat of the war existence brought to your shores also, I think the mentality between UK and U.s. in that early post-state of war time may non have been and then different. I hope that I accept been able to put it in a socio/cultural perspective.

I hope your grandmother finds the answers she is looking for, but alas I feel she may never get a clear answer. Only be there to listen and to be a shoulder to cry on should she need it.

momofmany

Your story is so sad. My grandmother had ii stillborn children in the 1930's. My mom recalls going to the funeral services for both of them. I think what they did back so was what the family asked for. In the case of my mom's siblings (one a daughter and i a boy), the family took responsibility for burial. If they had just paid for a general burial, I would doubtable that the child was buried in a Potter's Field. Tracking downwards records back then could exist very difficult to practice.

mrblanche

My grandmother had a stillborn baby in the early 1920's. I know they said they had the baby buried the adjacent day, just the nativity took place at home.

EnzoLeya

Originally Posted past AlleyGirl

The only matter you can do is contact funeral homes, churches, etc. only honestly there is probably no record. Virtually babies were cached in an surface area reserved for things like that, with no markers or anything.

I take a feeling she'due south probably correct. Records are really hard to observe back in those days. Especially the kind of records y'all are talking about, with that sort of md.

I know of a few "child cemeteries" around here (Iowa). They don't have a unmarried marker, only a arid feild in the centre of nowhere.

I'm terribly sorry for your family

MoochNNoodles

I'k then glad I posted this here. You've all given me great feedback on it. I think what I'yard going to propose to my Mother is to become to the Potters Field and take pictures of that. (she photographed the headstones of about of our family that are cached in the surface area) I think Mom just finding some evidence that the hospital burried the babies they lost in whatsoever certain place would exist a condolement to my Grandparents. I retrieve the whole pretend/forget it never happend mentality from the time is half the hurting for them.

Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

Offset thought that came to mind is the baby was sold and was never dead. That'southward but horrible.

That's one of the nightmares Gram has had all these years. Simply one of the awful things that dr. did in front of my Granddaddy is how we know she had died.

libby74

It sounds as if the baby was born in a hospital; have you contacted them? This is going to sound like a long shot (and probably is) but in that location still may be nurses living who worked in that infirmary. I realize they'd be quite onetime, merely y'all never know. Have you lot tried looking at the local county seat for a birth/death document? You mentioned your Mom contacted the hall of records--I'm not certain if that's the same thing as a county clerk's office. Did your Grandparents attend a specific church? If you recall the baby might have been buried in a church building'southward cemetery, that might be another place to look for a record.
I'm agape this might exist i of those cases that will never exist resolved. My own great-grandparents have no marker, and then fifty-fifty tho' I take dates of death and the cemetery'south location I actually don't know where they are.
Good luck finding some clue as to the baby's where-abouts.

MoochNNoodles

Originally Posted past libby74

It sounds as if the baby was born in a hospital; have you contacted them? This is going to sound like a long shot (and probably is) but there nonetheless may exist nurses living who worked in that infirmary. I realize they'd be quite old, but yous never know. Have you tried looking at the local county seat for a birth/death certificate? You mentioned your Mom contacted the hall of records--I'g not sure if that'due south the same thing as a county clerk's office. Did your Grandparents attend a specific church? If you lot retrieve the babe might accept been buried in a church building's cemetery, that might be another identify to expect for a record.
I'1000 afraid this might be ane of those cases that will never exist resolved. My own great-grandparents take no marker, so fifty-fifty tho' I take dates of death and the cemetery'due south location I really don't know where they are.
Good luck finding some inkling every bit to the baby'south where-abouts.

I'1000 pretty sure the Hall of Records and the clerks office are the aforementioned there. I know they've (Mom and a cousin of ours) gone through the papers on the old micro-fish (don't know how to spell that). I think they did contact the hospital only hadn't heard dorsum from them (to my knowledge). I wonder if after all this time they'd be worried about a police suit or something.

The Potters Field my female parent referred to was at one of the churches most in that location. At that place are 3 hospitals in that town and 2 are St. something or others (I exercise know the names, just trying not to share besides much personal info) and I think they had specific churches they were associated with. My Grandparent'south are Catholic and there are quite a few Cosmic churches in that town, simply Mom knows which ones they had attended. Something I hadn't thought well-nigh till reading your mail service is if one of my Groovy-Aunt'south has any cognition they haven't divulged over the years. The eldest Great Aunt passed a couple years agone, simply the others are around, too as cousins who were old enough to recall this. I'thou going to ask Mom about that tomorrow.

angelrn08

I hold with an above post. I think that your best bet is to contact the hospital. They take to have some record of who was working at that infirmary. Even though it was over 60 years agone at that place could very well exist nurses still alive that you could contact. I am sure that if something bad enough to kill happened they would remember.

Are you lot sure that what he saw would have killed her, or could it be that they simply wanted him to think she was expressionless....people paid loftier price for babies back then.

icklemiss21

I searched and it says the boilerplate price of a funeral was $225 in GA in the 40s so I would imagine it was merely the burial charge with aught else.

I would try nurses besides, or maybe search to see if someone else went through the same thing and has gotten any further than yous in their search. While it may non requite ultimate closure, information technology may assistance some.

MoochNNoodles

Originally Posted by angelrn08

Are you sure that what he saw would have killed her, or could it be that they simply wanted him to remember she was expressionless....people paid loftier cost for babies dorsum then.

Oh nosotros're positive she was not alive...from the style the doctor "held" her body up in front of my Grandad...

siobhan

I as well would contact the hospital and obtain the records. The pathology section especially should accept some records if in that location was a dead infant. It also depended very much on the religion of individuals or even the hospital in those days- more so than at present.

My own example is of my own parents who lost a child at about 6 months. The infirmary did not accept responsibility for him (the baby was male) and the baby had to be buried by my male parent and some friends in a cemetery that went with our place of worship. Roman Catholics in the same hospital had to bury their babies in a section of the cemetery for people not baptized- why they were not baptized at "birth" I exercise non understand. I am unsure about other religious practices. This does non occur now I am told.

Just I practise believe your start point of entry is the records department of the hospital. If they practice non want to help y'all, then you will know something is up. Too contact whoever has the doctors files and enquire for your grandmother'due south - or whoever in your family has responsibleness for this. In all likelihood, this physician is not practicing if he is still among us then obtaining his records could pose a mystery. However, contact members of his family or other doctors he worked with and of grade the infirmary and they should bespeak you in the management of his files. Sometimes, alas, physicians will place a notice in a newspaper when they end their do and enquire one-time patients if they desire their files.

I would also contact the Physicians Association and encounter if they can locate his records or at least where he went and even if they cannot give you personal info, they might provide you with his last accost and colleagues' names.

Skilful luck! I promise it is nothing nefarious and more than a case of the harsh measures that were taken in those days re babies that died at birth or born not at full term. Your gmother's case is baffling though. It seems curious they did not release the body? (and this reminds me of that book about the doctor who delivered his own baby, discovered she had Down's syndrome and asked his nurse tio place her in an institution.I forget the proper noun- an first-class volume). Hopefully and really, most likely. though, this is more a instance of a hospital whose policies were very different than we would allow now. I know of a hospital in NEngland who had a pathologist who kept the parts of autopsied babies and did research! (and that was just less than ten yrs ago). So annihilation is possible!

Many hospitals as well now have an individual who helps peple navigate the hierarchy - if it a very large one- so seeing that person if ane exists could be a wise thought too.

Good luck!

laureen227

Originally Posted past Siobhan

It seems curious they did not release the body? (and this reminds me of that volume about the doctor who delivered his own baby, discovered she had Downwards's syndrome and asked his nurse tio identify her in an institution.I forget the name- an fantabulous volume).

i was curious about the volume - was it The Memory Keeper's Daughter? that 1 fits what you mentioned...

libby74

I remember your best bet is, every bit I mentioned before, trying to find nurses that worked in the hospital at that time. You mentioned questioning elderly relatives who may remember something. Unfortunately, yous just may never get a answers to your questions apropos this infant. Hospitals in the 40s only didn't keep records like they do today. Obviously, I don't know the land in which this incident occurred. Do you lot know when death records became mandatory for this country? It's possible that no birth or death record was recorded if the baby was stillborn. I've been doing genealogy for a lot of years, and take discovered that sometimes there but aren't any answers to be establish. I hope you tin can find some bit of infortmation that will help you lot, but don't be surprised if nothing surfaces.

siobhan

YES! That's the book- thx, it is in my library room (aka messy den that also serves as a invitee rm on occasion, lol) but for the life of me, could not recall the name. I enjoyed that book!

butzie

That would be if the baby was born in a hospital. My Mom had a sibling that only lived one day, a boy. Mom remembers him being born at home but she was and then young that I am sure that she didn't know what happened to her blood brother.

I am pretty sure that he was not buried in a Potter's field. I think that the German immigrants in the city helped my grandparents.

That would be after 1923 and earlier 1925 when my Mom was 5 and before her surviving blood brother was born.

I have no idea about whatever birth certificate.

I am still the baby in the family unit by far.

Mass Death Certificate for a Stillborn Baby 1961

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