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This episode discusses the contributions of women morticians by first focusing on one woman mortician's involvement in the Eastland Disaster.
Highlights.
- An obituary from the Oak Leaves dated December 30, 1947, about Mrs. Catherine Wheeler Wyand, who ran an undertaking business in Chicago.
- Catherine Wyand's background. The 1880 Cook County, Illinois census reveals that Catherine and her husband John were living in Chicago, with John working as a blacksmith.
- Somewhere between 1880 and 1895, the Wyands entered the funeral business, with Catherine being the one of the few woman undertakers in Chicago at the time.
- investigate the Eastland disaster victims from my family's neighborhood of South Lawndale (now Little Village),
- Focus on Anna Brenner, an 18-year-old Western Electric employee who perished on the ship. Anna's Find a Grave biography, contributed by Sonia Sanchez, reveals the tragic story of Anna, her cousin Catherine Heiser, and Catherine's boyfriend on the day of the disaster. The Chicago Ancestors page lists Catherine Wyand as the undertaker for Anna Brenner, making her possibly the only woman undertaker who worked with Eastland victims.
- Introduce the fascinating history of women embalmers, referencing Morgan Conn's MA thesis, "Women for Women: The Forgotten History of Early U.S. Women Embalmers." I highlight pioneering women in the field, such as Henrietta Smith Bowers Duterte, Lina Odou, Lena Reynolds Simmons, and Mrs. E.G. Bernard,--many of whom founded embalming schools and made significant contributions to the profession.
- Emphasize how Catherine Wyand's story adds a new dimension to the understanding of the Eastland Disaster and the often-overlooked contributions of women in the funeral industry.
- Mention contemporary mortician Caitlin Doughty, who continues to challenge and change the funeral industry with her work and advocacy.
- Encourage you to contribute to Find a Grave to help preserve and share historical information. We can keep these stories alive and ensure that the legacy of these remarkable individuals lives on!
Links: - Connie Knox, Find A Grave - Top 5 Tips (youtube.com)
- Anna Brenner - Find A Grave
- Lena Reynolds Simmons
- Henrietta S. Bowers Duterte (1817-1903) • (blackpast.org)
- Women's Activism NYC (womensactivism.nyc)
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