Question about funerals

[Terri]

Big, Irish Catholic funerals to be precise!

Out of all the tributes to the deceased:

Telegrams
Sympathy cards
Sympathy letters
Mass cards

is any one considered more "important" than the others? (Or in other words, which would most likely to have been sent by family members as opposed to friends).

I'm going through Irish grandfather's very long obituary, which must have a hundred different names on it and trying to figure out which of the names might be "family".

Yes I know, this is called grasping at very thin straws!:d
Thank you!

[Guinevere]

Family is usually mentioned first in Obits, Terri, in descending order of relationship.

[Terri]

I've got the immediate family Gwynne, they are named as such before the cards and such like etc.

It's all the rest I'm interested in ...............!

[samesizedfeet]

it's generally relatives that send mass cards. BUT, very close friends will have a mass read as well so it's not really a clear sign that it's 100% a relative.

For example, when my brother died we had mass cards from all parts of the family who are catholic but also the neighbours who had known him since he was a baby so looked on him as extended family.

The other thing with mass cards is a church would probably only read one mass for a person who's not in their immediate congregation so if a huge chunk of the family all attend one church (that's not the same as yours) then there would only be one mass read i.e. they wouldn't all send a mass card individually.

[Joy Dean]

Just to add confusion :)

I possess a mass card for my great-grandmother sent by a friend of hers in Dublin. My great-grandmother was born in Ireland and died in England when she was 66, and she was Church of England at the time of her death.

[Terri]

I knew it would be a very long shot, but thanks anyway.

Looking through the lists again, it does seem that most of the mass cards are from people in the same town ........

..... but all these names (with addresses!) and I've no idea who any of them are ... it's such a genealogical waste! :d

[Gert in Oz]

Good luck with figureing it out Terri, i`ve been trying to find out who the people in my great grandfathers funeral notice where, in the hopes it might give me a clue as to where he came from, but when you get flowers were sent from Mr & Mrs Taylor and family of Scarborough, it seems imposible.

[Just Gillian]

In my experience, as a member of a Catholic family, mass cards have been sent by family, friends and acquaintances. Perpetual mass cards are usually from family and close friends. Unlike Zoe, I've found that priests will say individual masses for each mass requested, regardless of whether they are for the same person or whether the deceased is a member of that congregation.

Good luck with sorting it out! After a recent family death, we received one mass card from a name no-one in the family recognised at all, so presumably a very distant connection.

[Nell]

I've found obits tricky. My grandmother had cuttings of obits for various aunts and uncles of hers. But she didn't date them so I didn't know when the deaths occurred and had to work out rough years from clues in the obits like "he worked there for 38 years" etc.

Also, various daughters would be described as "Mrs H Pledge" when of course H was her husband's initial.

Much easier now the bmds are all transcribed!

[JBee]

I would send a Mass Card even if I wasn't family. In fact the majority I've asked for have been for friends and acquaintances.

[Terri]

Well, I've had a tiny bit of success. Through one particular name on the list - a gent with grandmother's (who I know absolutely nothing about) maiden name, I'm fairly certain I've traced her family in 1911. Actually that's a huge bit of success, but until the 1901 census for Longford turns up I won't be able to absolutely confirm it.

I give up on all the rest. The funeral was in 1952 - too long ago sadly!

Five priests officiating at this funeral! FIVE! Strewth!