The Beatles famously sang, “It was twenty years ago today. . . .” In our case it was one hundred years ago today that Mrs. Eddy passed away, and I thought it might be of interest to see what happened the following days.
The first starts with newspaper clippings of the news and the funeral, then Lilian Dickey’s diary notes for the first five days after Mrs. Eddy’s passing (excluding December 6, for which there is no record). Then there are letters from Calvin Frye and Laura Sargent (first page) thanking well-wishers after the news had been made public, and an admittance card for Mrs. Eddy's funeral service at her home. Finally we end with the masoleum built at Mt. Auburn Cemetery several years later, as it appears today.
“Add [i.e., the nickname for her husband Adam Dickey] phoned 8 A.M. asking me to go out to the ‘home’ [i.e., Chestnut Hill home of Mrs. Eddy] saying ‘All was over.’ I got there a little after 9. A.M.”
“Every thing quiet—sat in the ‘study’ a good deal of the day—selected her casket to day. Gen. Baker, Mr. [Mrs.?] Rathvon, Laura Sargent—James Neal. Mr. Mc Lellan—Add & myself.—”
“Our Leader was laid in her casket—”
“Funeral at 11 A.M. beautiful service—Judge Smith read— Mrs. Powers [the Second Reader of The Mother Church], the poem ‘Mothers Evening Prayer,’ returned from cemetery at 2.30 P.M.”
First page from letter by Laura Sargent giving thanks.
Admittance card into the funeral of Mrs. Eddy, signed by Director John V. Dittemore.
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