{"id":14351,"date":"2016-05-10T11:32:45","date_gmt":"2016-05-10T15:32:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=14351"},"modified":"2021-04-19T14:56:15","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T18:56:15","slug":"mothers-day-memorials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/mothers-day-memorials.html","title":{"rendered":"Mother\u2019s Day Memorials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this blog article, Gena Philibert-Ortega shows a potentially rich source of family history information for genealogists, printed years after the deceased\u2019s death date: Mother\u2019s Day memorial notices in newspapers. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Celebrating Mother\u2019s Day Sunday got me to thinking about researching female ancestors. I remember that, years ago, our local newspaper had a special section that was printed in May for Mother\u2019s Day. Readers could purchase an \u201cad\u201d that could include a photo, a written sentiment of a few lines \u2013 and for an extra fee they could add a decorative color image like a balloon or heart. This newspaper feature allowed readers to honor their loved one publicly in print. Messages tended to include declarations of \u201cI love you\u201d and \u201cthanks for all you do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mother\u2019s Day is a bittersweet time for some people. While some of us spend the day taking our mom out for a meal or giving her a gift, what happens to those whose mothers have passed away? How do they honor their moms? Placing flowers on her grave is one option, but for some another way to remember mom was by placing a special memorial in the newspaper on Mother\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

These Mother\u2019s Day memorials can be a real treasure for family history research. Look for them in an online collection of newspapers such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Newspaper Memorials<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we look for our ancestors in the newspaper we tend to have a very narrow focus when we search. But Mother\u2019s Day newspaper memorials illustrate an important point to consider in our research: our ancestors can appear in print years after their death. When I think of researching a person\u2019s life I tend to think that there is an \u201cend date\u201d for searching newspaper articles. That end date is probably shortly after they passed away. I may not spend a long time searching newspapers after the person\u2019s death date unless there was an accident or crime involved, or a probate action. Otherwise, I often think that newspaper articles about the person will probably stop somewhere around the funeral date.<\/p>\n

But this isn\u2019t necessarily the case. A few years \u2013 to over a decade or more \u2013 after her death, you may find that the family placed a memorial to their deceased mother or grandmother in the newspapers for Mother\u2019s Day. These memorials may include her date of death and the names of family members left behind. Often, they also include a poem expressing their sorrow. While some of these poems were penned by a loved one, the majority were from another source. Newspapers provided sample poems that could be chosen to make the task easier.<\/p>\n

Remembering Mom<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this 1943 Mother\u2019s Day edition from a Washington, D.C., newspaper, tributes to moms and other loved ones appear. Susie Byrd, who died 14 years prior, is remembered by her daughter Nellie Butler with a short verse.<\/p>\n

\"memorial<\/a>
Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 9 May 1943, page 16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This Special Mother\u2019s Day \u201cIn Memoriam\u201d section from a 1944 Louisiana newspaper even includes some photos of moms who have passed away. The poetic tribute for Beatrice Ragusa was penned by her son Frank P. Ragusa, who was serving in the United States Navy at the time.<\/p>\n

\"memorial<\/a>
Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), 14 May 1944, page 11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His poem in part reads:<\/p>\n

I always have you treasured in my heart and mind, mother.
\nAs an ever loving angel.
\nYou have often, mother, very often, made us happy.
\nWhy? Because you loved us.
\nYes, each and every one of us.
\nToday I am far from home.
\nBut not from you, mother.
\nYou\u2019re closer to me now than ever before.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Though often these memorials contain more sweet sentiment than genealogical data, there are exceptions \u2013 including this one in honor of Mattie W. Wade from a 1946 Virginia newspaper, which provides her birth (unfortunately, only the month and day) and death date.<\/p>\n

\"memorial<\/a>
Richmond Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia), 12 May 1946, page 33<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Honor of Moms Everywhere<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that there are some standard newspaper articles that honor living moms, but don\u2019t forget possible mentions of moms who may have passed away years or even decades prior. Newspaper memorial notices printed on Mother\u2019s Day provided families the opportunity to honor their deceased loved one in a lasting way \u2013 and potentially create a rich source of family history information for genealogists.<\/p>\n

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