From my old home town - Death in New England

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Comments

[pronker]

"All orders by mail or telegraph faithfully attended to." This is their equivalent of 'our operators are standing by!'

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Because there is such demand for coffins! Could you imagine having to mail order a coffin, though? I hope the ice holds out.

[bradygirl_12]

Yikes! Though in the 19th century, people were used to death and didn't sweep it away out of sight. They laid out the loved ones in the parlor and prepared/dressed the bodies themselves until the profession of embalmers really made a push to do it.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

I have to say while I'm not afraid of death, I am afraid of the possible contagions that a corpse might spread (especially if death was due to an illness).