Caldwell County MO Archives History .....GOING INTO MOURNING THE SIXTIES AND LETTERS WRITING IN THE SIXTIES 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 4, 2008, 2:02 pm

GOING INTO MOURNING THE SIXTIES AND LETTERS WRITING IN THE SIXTIES
	Narrator:  Mrs. Sallie Morris, 71, of Hamilton, Mo. 

     Most middle aged people can recall the sight of women who had gone into 
deep mourning for close kin.  Even in the 90s, mourning veils were almost a 
necessity for the widow, who wore a long heavy crepe veil for a year at 
least.  The short end hung over the face, the long flowing end at the back.  
The black dresses had black crepe bands.  Men wore black crepe bands on hats 
or on sleeves.  People in deep mourning had quite a time getting out of it, 
for every one noted its absence.  One family told of wearing black dresses 
constantly for twenty years, for one period of mourning would not be finished 
before another death.
     Mrs. Sallie Morris speaks of her own family experience on this line.  In 
this, she was aided by old family letters of the sixties which tell 
about "going into mourning."  The women put on mourning for a soldier uncle 
who had been killed in battle and the men wore crepe on hats.  They ordered 
black bordered letter paper (there was a plenty used those days), in fact the 
letters announcing the deaths were on such paper.  The family stayed at home 
from everything except church for a long time.
     Three years later, Mrs. Morris' grandmother Mrs. Crisswell died back at 
Canal Dover Ohio, the family home.  By that time, Mrs. Orr (a married 
daughter) had come out "west" to Caldwell county Missouri to live.  The 
letters to her telling of her mother's death also told of the mourning 
preparations.  They first bought black calico to make dresses for immediate 
use.  Then they dyed all their bright clothes, mentioning a dark red merino 
which would take black nicely and a bright scarf.  All dresses etc. which 
would take black were put into the dye pot.  Fearing lest Mrs. Orr, being out 
here by herself would not do the right thing, they sent her 14 yards of black 
delano to make herself a mourning dress and there would be enough left to make 
a black dress for the Little Sallie then 4 years old!  Even little children 
must go into mourning.
     The old letter told of the custom of placing a sprig of evergreen in the 
dead person's hand, so they did it in old Mrs. Crisswell's case.  The letter 
was the first news of death.  Apparently in those days, news of death was not 
commonly sent by telegram, for both these deaths were reported by letter.
     The letter paper of that day was very tiny and the writing, to match, was 
small and cramped.  It took 3 cents to carry letters in the late 60s even if 
the envelopes were very small.  On envelopes not in mourning, there was often 
a dove or bunch of forget me nots engraved or impressed on the left upper 
corner.  The edge too might be fixed up with impressed borders.
     The letters often started "I seat myself to write you" which seemed to be 
a formula, corresponding to the later "I take my pen in hand."
     Interview  October 1934.


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