May 2021

Page A12 MAY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A Call 651-450-7727 to request a wholesale catalog, Our Extra-Large Cremains Bags (13”x 15”) are perfectly sized for the Standard Plastic Human Service Urn. or visit UrnBags.com to order some bags. Just $2.90 each*. * Bags sold in multiples of 10 Choose from Black, Blue, or Burgundy J t $3. 0 each* body parts and bones. He admitted to eating the flesh of his traveling companions. He claimed they all had died natu- rally. Keseberg died in destitute despair. James Frazier Reed, also called the leader of the Don- ner Party, was a successful businessman in Illinois and was headed to California. When he landed in San Jose, he be- came an entrepreneur, built several businesses and was able to make San Jose California’s capitol (for a while). His trib- ulation on the expedition occurred when, on October 5th, his wagon ensnared with the wagon belonging to the Graves family. Graves’ driver James Snyder began beating his worn oxen. Reed tried to stop him. Snyder hit Reed with the butt of his whip. Reed took out his knife and stabbed, and ulti- mately, killed Snyder with his knife. The train members were disturbed about a murder and met to decide what to do with Reed. They exiled him from the train. This would later prove to be a blessing. Reed went on to Sutter’s Fort and organized rescue par- ties. After the fourth rescue group, he was able to finally re- unite his clan. The Reeds were only one of two families to not have a death in their immediate family group. The Donner Party expedition was one of poor planning, trust in the wrong people and lack of knowledge of the weather perils. It is a story of how presumably decent peo- ple will respond in treacherous situations. “It makes my blood curdle to think of it! It has been told that I boasted of my shame – said that I enjoyed this horrid food, and that I remarked that human flesh was more pal- atable than California beef. This is a falsehood. It is a hor- rible, revolting falsehood. This food was never otherwise than loathsome, insipid, and disgusting.” He then implores readers to sympathize with him: “A man, before he judges me, should be placed in a similar situation; but if he were, it is a thousand to one he would perish.” –Lewis Keseberg in an interview with Charles MacGlashan in 1890 Observations “Remember take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can.” –Virginia Reed, Survivor When the group of 89 settlers, in their wagon train from Illinois to California, found a note from the trail guide they trusted, they knew they were in trouble. When the expedition ended only 45 of the original 89 sur- vived. The guide had promised a quicker route. The note, posted on a tree, told them that the trail was much more treacherous than thought and they should wait for him. This was probably the final event that doomed the Donner Party to the horrible events that were to come. 175 years ago, this group of emigrants, eager to relocate to the fertile lands of California, thought they were prepared for any hardship. Two brothers, Jacob and George Donner will lead them to their “promised” land. The Donners were born in North Carolina and both had relocated to Illinois. Their plan was to take an expedition to California. They used Independence, Missouri in May 1846 as their starting point. Some travelers started and branched off to locations along the way. The Donners would take California adventurers on the Fremont trail. The 23-wagon train, consisting of 29 men, 15 women and 43 children, was taking a little longer than expected. Some wagons had heavy loads and the horses needed rest and the cattle they were bringing, needed rest. George Donner had his wagon loaded with trade supplies and his wife had a wag- on loaded with supplies for the school she wanted to estab- lish. The Donners and their followers trusted a supposed knowl- edgeable trail guide, Lansford Hastings, author of “The Em- igrants Guide to Oregon and California”. He gave many presentations about his skills in knowledge of trails to the west. Hastings was leading the Harlan Young party, using his “Hasting’s cutoff”. The Donner party wanted to be led by Hastings but arrived a week too late. They followed the route he laid out and soon came across the messages he tacked to trees. The tragedy was coming to fruition. Hastings had never tested the trail with wagons. By Steven Palmer The Hastings route delayed the Donner party’s arrival at the Great Salt Lake by eighteen days. In the desert, they lost cattle and several wagons to groups of warriors. The warriors took 18 oxen, killed another 21 and wounded many others. Without their animals, they were forced to abandon their wagons. The party reached the Truckee Lake at the end of October. They headed for the Sierra Nevada Mountains later than they hoped. On October 28, snow fell continuously and trapped the train. On October 31, at what is now named Donner Pass, their push forward was blocked by the continuing snow. On December 16, members decided to head out in a rescue party to the Johnson ranch in what was named the “Forlorn Hope”, with makeshift snowshoes, seventeen people, according to Tahoetopia, were equipped with “a blanket or quilt and a ra- tion of food that was to last for six days: a strip of stringy dried beef, and a little sugar and coffee”. They also had one rifle, a few pistols, a hatchet, and some tobacco for the men. 14 members had snowshoes; they rest had their standard leather shoes. The weather was against them with 11 feet of snow and con- tinuous winter weather, complete with furious winds. One member, Charles Stanton, weak and exhausted, was left behind to die alone. Only seven people made it to the Johnson ranch. The “Forlorn Hope” group was now battered, weak and starv- ing. Their feet were frostbitten. The group began to eat the flesh of their dead companions. As they went on, and food was still not existent, member William Foster suggested killing their two Miwok Indian scouts, who had come to rescue members of the party. Member William Eddy told the two, Luis and Salvador, to flee and they quickly left and attempted to get ahead of the party. Further along, Luis and Salvador were found weak and shivering, unable to go on. Foster shot them both and the rest of the party ate their flesh. This was the only known murder for food. Lewis Keseberg, born Johann Ludwig Christian Keseberg, was a member of the Donner party with his wife Phillipine, who gave birth to a son along the journey, and daughter Ada. They also had two teamsters, Karl Burger and a man called Hard- koop, and two wagons. They had to lose a wagon, and Hard- koop could not continue walking with the train. Left behind, he was last seen sitting beside the trail. Lewis, Jr., his infant son, died, and his wife and daughter left with a relief team. After several snowbound months in the Sierra, George Don- ner was injured and weak. His wife Tamsen would not leave her husband and he died in her arms. She was healthy and strong and could have gone on and probably survived; her death was always suspect. Keseberg confessed to eating her flesh but claimed that he did not kill her. Many wanted to charge him, but there was lack of proof. When the fourth rescue team came, they discovered Keseberg at a cabin he found. The rescuers were horrified by the sight of The Promised Land Steven Palmer entered funeral service in 1971. He is an honors graduate of the New England Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences. Hehasbeen licensedonbothcoasts, heownedtheWestcott Funeral Homes of Cottonwood and Camp Verde, AZ, where he remains ac- tive in operations. Steve offers his observations on current funeral serviceissues.HemaybereachedbymailatPOBox352,Cottonwood, AZ 86326, by phone at (928)634-9566, by fax at (928)634-5156, by e- mail at steve@westcottfuneralhome.com or through his website at www.westcottfuneralhome.com or on Facebook. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at Pandemic “Last Responders” Face Mental Health Battles Invisible to Outsiders Michael Schimmel MIAMI,FL— As the number of COVID related cases and deaths decline, suggesting the pandemic is coming to an end, mental health experts worry about its long lasting im- pact on society. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one of the primary concerns for front line responders and the general public. However, often forgotten in this conversation are last responders such as hospice, funeral and cemetery professionals that have managed more than 500,000 deaths from Covid-19 during the last year. In a recently published article titled, Post Pandemic: A New Grief Sets In, Michael Schimmel, CEO of Sym- pathy Brands, parent com- pany to Cemetery.com, eCondolence.com and shiva.com, companies that have played an integral role in helping funeral homes and cemeteries provide nu- merous services during the pandemic ranging from pre-planning, and virtual services including Viewner- als®, to aftercare support for grieving families, says it is time to “ACT” in order to support last responders. “For last responders, ‘new grief ’ from the pandem- ic was more than just late nights, never-ending week- ends and crowded storage fa- cilities,” says Schimmel. “It meant absorbing the weight of the increasing number of fessionalism and empathy. That is a lot of stress.” Prior to Covid-19, there were an estimated 7,700 deaths per day. With Covid-19, the death rate increased to more than 9,000 deaths daily with each one touching a funeral home or cemetery somewhere in the country. Schimmel says that, “last responders are undeniably the si- lent superheroes, performing essential services and provid- ing families with compassionate care during a time of loss and grief. However, as funeral professionals, they grieve along with each family they serve and there has been endless grief.” In his article, Schimmel advises the industry to ACT: Acknowledge, Consider and Try a three-step process that confronts the mental health needs of last responders and provides guidance on how to heal. As part of the extensiv e Sympathy Brands portfolio, eCondolence.com, shiva.com an d Cemetery.com connect families and funeral homes through the stages of plan- ning, service, and aftercare with its consumer brands, pro- prietary Viewneral® technology, and nationwide concierge services. The companies provide a modern approach to end-of-life matters. Sympathy Brands’ strategic partners include best-in-class funeral homes, cemeteries, insurance companies, non-profits, bakeries and caterers to make planning and fulfillment supportive, convenient and seamless. For more information, visi t eCondolence™ shi- va.com ™ a nd Cemetery.com™ an d sympathybrands.com. S E N D U S Y O U R N EWS ! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 1-800-321-7479 info@nomispublications.com deaths due to the coronavirus. It meant finding new ways to serve families and learning and imple- menting new technologies. It meant carrying the load of loss home to their loved ones. 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