A Little Historical Research

This evening, I was asked to look through old newspaper articles looking for a particular person's name as part of some geneology research. Apparently, the person was too busy to look through the books of archived articles herself, and I have to say, she really missed out. There was some funny stuff written up in the paper in the 1850-1940s. Some of my favorite highlights include the B-25 bomber that had to land on a country road en route to IL from GA because they ran out of gas. I would not want to explain that scenario to the army supervisor. It seems that the FIRST step to the flight plan would have been to make sure the plane was stocked with enough fuel for the trip. The article went on to say that the state police did a "mighty fine job" directing traffic. Love it.

Several of the articles pertained to horrific accidents. One page told the story of two people who were burned in some sort of gas accident. One died and the other survived. The very next article told of the same unfortunate soul's demise when a pin came out of a jack and a car landed on his head...only it was in far more detail. Apparently, folks did not read the newspaper over their morning toast and coffee in the 1940's.

But my absolute favorite were the obituary's. One obit read "Her kind and cheerful disposition was always an inviting characteristic. As the rays of the morning sun drives the dewdrops from off the rose, so did her cheerfulness banish sorrow and gloom from her prescence...She shed forth such an influence as lasting as time and eternity, which will last when the sun ceases to shine, the moon is turned to blood, and all the nations of the earth gone hence." (1917) Wow. Nick and Rach, take note...I want mine to read to like that. There were several that were just as flowery and overflowing with kind words and phrases. Makes you wonder if these people were really that wonderful, or if that's just what you had to say when they died and if people read them later and thought that she was really the meanest person on the street...

This is how I spent my evening at the library. If I'm honest, I was kind of bummed when I was done because I had a good time reading through those old articles and getting a feel for the viewpoint from "life back then."

What will my great- and great-great-grandbabies think about our newstories? Only time will tell.

Seriously...Rachel...make sure MomMom's obit says that her cheerfulness will banish gloom and sorrow from her presence... and no laughing while you write it either!