The latest ceremony of this kind occurred on Sunday, January, 29, 1911: Joel Braunmiller, an eccentric old bachelor, lived alone in a large house on his farm, eight miles north of Maryville, Missouri. He died recently, and left a large estate to his brothers and sisters. The following clause was contained in his will:
“I direct that after my death, my body be shipped by express to St. Louis, Mo., and there cremated and my ashes strewn to the winds from the south side of the Eads Bridge over the river.”
On the date named, Charles R. Lupton, an undertaker of St. Louis, with an urn containing the ashes of Mr. Braunmiller, leaned over the south parapet of the bridge, tipped the urn gradually, and let the ashes fall into the river. The wind, whirling about the piers and buttresses of the great bridge, caught up the ashes and flung them in every direction. When the urn had been emptied, it, too, was dropped into the river.
Mr. S. H. Kemp, Cashier of the Maryville National Bank, who was a close friend of Mr. Braunmiller, and also the executor of his will, stood close beside the undertaker to see that the ceremony was carried out according to the wishes of the deceased. There were also present relatives of the deceased, who had come from various parts of the United States.
Ruling Passion Strong in Death
The wife of Mr. Fisher Dilke, of England, brother-in-law to Sir Peter Wentworth, one of the regicide judges, was interred in the year 1660 in a very singular way.
Her husband caused her coffin to be made of the wooden palings of his barn, and bargaining hard with the sexton beat him down from “a shilling” (the usual sum) to a groat (fourpence); he avoided the expense of bearing by begging four of his friends and neighbors to discharge this office. Having assembled them he read to them a chapter of the book of Job, and then distributed to them the contents of a bottle of Burgundy and sixpennyworth of spiced cakes. As there was no ecclesiastic present, Dilke himself, who acted as chief mourner, took up the spade, and as soon as the coffin was lowered, threw earth upon it, repeating the usual words, “Dust to dust,” etc., adding, “Lord, now lettest thou,” etc. Then the party returned home.
5
MISCELLANEOUS
“Learn to live well, or fairly make your will;
You’ve played, and loved, and eat, and drank your fill:
Walk sober off; before a sprightlier age
Comes titt’ring on, and shoves you from the stage.”
Her Adorable Nose