Playing "Telephone" with Obituaries

Dear Grandparents,

I recently found three obituaries for my 2nd Great-Grandmother Sarah Amanda Gibson Hugunin. They are a good illustration for genealogists on how the facts can change like the messages did in the "telephone" game we played as children.

The obituaries were glued into Amanda's scrap book by her daughter Mamie Hugunin Colby and then passed to her daughter Grace Colby Werst Branchflower and to her daughter Betty Werst Cone and to her daughter Cecily Cone Kelly.

The scrapbook is old and fragile and we have had to remove pages and place them in archival sheet protectors to preserve them.

Among the pages in the book are three obituaries and a set of Resolutions adopted by the Ladies' Aid Society of the Congregational Church in Kirwin. Unfortunately, we do not know from which papers the obituaries come, but it is supposed that they are from the Phillipsburg and Kirwin papers. Last time I visited Phillips County (February 2013) all the bound copies of the newspapers had been sent to the State of Kansas for an eventual on-line access project. I'll have to check again to see if it is finished.

Transcription follows:
From left:
Death of Mrs Hugunin
Died at Phillipsburg, Kansas, March 11, 1894 (someone has crossed out 11 and written 21), of congestion of the brain, Mrs. Sarah Amanda Hugunin, wife of Van E. Hugunin, register of deeds.
Mrs Hugunin was in apparent good health and had started with her husband to attend the social at Dr. Wallace's, when near the Baptist church she complained of being very sick and Mr. H started to take her back home. But she became worse and fell unconscious into her husbands arms. He carried her into Mr. Countryman's and medical aid was immediately summoned but she was already dead before the physician arrived.
Mrs. Hugunin's maiden name was Gibson. she was born in Memphis, Tenn., February 1, 1847, and united in marriage with her now bereaved companion on the 8th day of January 1865 in Edgefield, Tenn. In 1868, they permanently settled in Johnstown, Wisconsin, where they resided until 1877 when they came to Kansas and settled in Phillips county near the town of Kirwin, from which they came to Phillipsburg about two weeks ago, to fulfill the duties of the public office to which Mr. Hugunin had been called,
Mrs. W. W. Colby with a single brother and sister, Walter H. and Grace, are their only children, who share the deep sorrow of their father.
Mrs. Hugunin was an intelligent christian lady and an esteemed member of the Congregational church. Her death, though sudden, and unannounced, was not unprepared for. Her consistent walk as a christian attests her readiness for a change.
The funeral services will take place Saturday, March 25, at 11 a.m. from the Methodist church, Rev. Mr. Strong will be assisted by Rev. Wm. Haresnape, of Kirwin, pastor of the deceased.

Alright, I agree that is a great obituary in terms of what it tells us about the deceased, but look what happens when you read the other obituaries.

Center:
At noon yesterday news reached this city to the effect that Mrs. Hugunin, wife of Van E. Hugunin had died very suddenly in Phillipsburg on Wednesday evening. In company with her husband she was going to church, and died suddenly in his arms, before other held could be summoned. Heart failure was the cause. We are unable to learn further particulars. Miss Lillie Weaver and Mrs. H. Moulton went to that place from here yesterday.

Right:
Obituary
Died - At Phillipsburg, Kan, March 21st, 1894 of congestion of the brain, Mrs. Sarah Amanda Hugunin, wife of Van E. Hugunin register of deeds.
Mrs. Hugunin's maiden name was Gibson. She was born in Memphis, Tenn, February 1, 1847 and united in marriage to her how bereaved companion on the 8th day of January, 1865, in Edgefield, Tenn. In 1868 they permanently settled in Johnstown, Wis., where they resided until 1877, when they came to Kansas and settled in Phillips county near the town of Kirwin, from which place they came to Phillipsburg about March 1st, to fulfill the duties of the public office to which Mr. Hugunin had been called.
Mrs. W. W. Colby with a single brother and sister, Walter H and Grace are their only children, who share the deep sorrow of their father.
Mrs. Hugunin was an intelligent christian lady and an esteemed member of the Congregational church. Her death, though sudden and unannounced was not unprepared for. Her consistent walk as a christian attest her readiness for a change.
Funeral services were held Saturday, March 25th at 11:00 a. m. from the Baptist church, Rev. Mr. Strong assisted by Rev. Wm. Haresnape of Kirwin, pastor of the deceased officiating.

Obviously, the 3rd obituary writer had the benefit of reading from the first even then some of the facts changed. For instance, the funeral is held at the Baptist instead of the Methodist church.

I know, I know,  one should not complain about finding one let alone three obituaries for an ancestor. I simply note the differences in the accounts of Amanda's death at age 49. Also, interesting that the four grand-daughters that were living outside of Kirwin are not mentioned. Finally, what a great surname is Haresnape!

Love,
Cecily