A Funeral Mix-Up
A widower's funeral arrangements go awry when a last-minute change in venue leaves mourners split between two churches.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A peculiar incident occurred Sunday in the arrangements for the funeral of C. R. Wyman, who was killed last week in the West. Wyman was a member of the Maccabees, and it was announced that they would have charge of the funeral. The body was not to be present at the services, being held at the undertaker's awaiting the arrival of Wyman's father. The services were announced for the Methodist church, but for some reason not yet understood the widow decided that the Presbyterian church was the one that suited her better. The Methodist pastor was not informed of the change and no notice was put in the newspapers. Consequently, two bodies of mourners gathered, one at each church, and not until the hour announced for the services were the people at the Methodist church made acquainted with the change. Flowers were sent to each church. Wyman is still unburied, no word having been received from his father.
“Consequently two bodies of mourners gathered, one at each church, and not until the hour announced for the services were the people at the Methodist church made acquainted with the change.”
Miscommunications in a small town can spiral quickly, even in the era of digital notification. This story highlights the tight-knit social protocols of early 1900s Walla Walla, where religious life was a primary anchor for civic identity.
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