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the home of a nearby relative. Because the body was not embalmed, the “wake room” was kept as cool as possible. Visitation went on all day and into the late evening. Friends and neighbors brought food in abundance. Since visitors sometimes came from quite a distance, they were given a meal before returning home. Flowers were not usually on display, except in summer when people cut them from garden beds.

A few people volunteered to sit up all night with the remains, and it was not uncommon for “bottled spirits” to make their presence known. After a few rounds of the home-brew, the jovial stories about the dear departed were the entertainment for the next few hours.

Following a couple of days of waking, a horse-drawn wagon or Sled- hearse