Remembered

As I was doing the research for my family tree I stumbled upon a record. Here  was recorded the birth of Alma K Bennett. The date was 1919. Also,sadly enough, it was recorded that she died in 1919. No mention of days or months,just the year.

Alma K Bennett would have been an Aunt of mine. She would have been number eight from my Moms' side had she survived. My Grandmother had eleven children counting Alma. Ten survived to adulthood. My Mom is the last one still living. I asked my mother about this record when I first discovered it. She told me she didn't really know too much about that. She explained she had overheard her sisters talking about it, but they quickly stopped as soon as they became aware of her presence. Mom went on to tell me that back in those days it wasn't considered proper to speak about such things. Many women lost children due to the lack of medical attention and knowledge. A lot of women died during and shortly following childbirth.The feeling was,it is best to not speak about such things,it is a part of life and that was that.

I have been unsuccessful in finding this child's final resting place. Those that would know are long gone now. Looking upon the record I can't help but wonder about all that. It must have been terrible for my Grandmother. To lose a child has to be one of the most trying ordeals for anyone to endure. She had little ones at home to take care of and little time to grieve. There were no " grief counselors " in her day to turn to. No support groups. But endure she did, and went on to have more children.

The how or why of this tragedy will never be known. If not for my research Alma K Bennett may have been lost to time. Certainly my Mom never said anything about that. In all fairness to Mom it did happen 5 years before her birth. She had only heard whispered rumors.

I am pleased to have discovered this. I'm hopeful one day to learn the day and month of her birth and death. I'm hopeful I can find her final resting place. I would like to place a flower there and say HI Aunt Alma. No one is gone as long as they are remembered.