I used to live near Fairmount Cemetery (far west end of Wellesley Avenue in Spokane). It is peaceful, there are no cars or dogs, and there is no trash to distract thinking. And I love to read all the tombstones and to imagine the stories.
One set of tombstones that caught my eye years ago were these two side by side:
Lewis S. Sears
born Jan 26, 1857; died May 12, 1889, aged 32 yrs, 3ms, 16ds
Asleep in Jesus blessed sleep
And the smaller of the two stones read:
Little Lew
daughter of L.S. and M.A. Sears
born May 12, 1889; died Dec 26, 1890
Gone to Papa to sleep with Jesus
In my imagination I wondered what had happened? Little Lew was born the same day her father died. Was there a buggy accident? And there was no stone for mother, M.A. Sears.
Lewis Sidney Sears' death certificate online via our Digital Archives (www.digitalarchives.wa.gov ):
The certificate states that he was a carpenter, born in Seneca Falls, New York, and died of typhoid fever. The duration of the disease is noted to be "fifty seven." Fifty-seven what? Hours? Days?
(Continued next post.)
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