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 girl die a few minutes after she was born (she was born alive, but lived less than 15 minutes). There were some awful things that happened and may even have caused it (like the doctor was drunk when he showed up to deliver the baby). My Grandmother never saw her daughter and it's haunted her to this day. My Grandfather is the only one who ever saw her and the things he saw he just this week started talking about.
My Mother is visiting my Grandparents and has been recording a lot of things about the family and what not. But the thing is, no one knows where this baby was ever buried. My Grandfather said he paid $35 for her to be buried but there was never a funeral or burial service performed. (Apparently it was discouraged since she basically wasn't considered a person....) So my Mother 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 by her name or even by "Baby ___". My Grandparents never even received a birth or death certificate.
So at this point my Mother assumes she was buried in "The Potters Field" next to one of the churches. But does that make sense, since my Grandfather paid for a burial? Or does that sound like it would be the case? I don't know what the going rate for a burial or plot was back then. Since my Grandfather has started opening up about what he saw and experienced my Mother 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 then, but it was still wrong. But at this point, my Mom thinks it would comfort the whole family to just know where this poor baby was buried.
In 1947 or 1948 my Grandmother had a little girl die a few minutes after she was born (she was born alive, but lived less than 15 minutes). There were some awful things that happened and may even have caused it (like the doctor was drunk when he showed up to deliver the baby). My Grandmother never saw her daughter and it's haunted her to this day. My Grandfather is the only one who ever saw her and the things he saw he just this week started talking about.
My Mother is visiting my Grandparents and has been recording a lot of things about the family and what not. But the thing is, no one knows where this baby was ever buried. My Grandfather said he paid $35 for her to be buried but there was never a funeral or burial service performed. (Apparently it was discouraged since she basically wasn't considered a person....) So my Mother 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 by her name or even by "Baby ___". My Grandparents never even received a birth or death certificate.
So at this point my Mother assumes she was buried in "The Potters Field" next to one of the churches. But does that make sense, since my Grandfather paid for a burial? Or does that sound like it would be the case? I don't know what the going rate for a burial or plot was back then. Since my Grandfather has started opening up about what he saw and experienced my Mother 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 then, but it was still wrong. But at this point, my Mom thinks it would comfort the whole family to just know where this poor baby was buried.