September 2020

Page A12 SEPTEMBER 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A Monks opened their monasteries to the afflicted and soon became victims themselves. It decimated some of the religious orders. FranciscanMonk, Brother John Clyn, wrote in Kilkenny, wheremany of the Brothers had been lost: “Plague stripped cities, castles, and towns of their inhabitants so thoroughly that there was a scarce anyone left alive in them. The pes- tilence was so contagious and those who touched the dead or sick were immediately affected themselves.” It was reported that many became pious during the plague. The Renaissance that followed in several Euro- pean countries inspired much religious art. The plague returned time and time again. It was record- ed between 1346 and 1671, The Islamic world lost citi- zens between 1500 and 1850. Algiers was hit again be- tween 1620-1621 and 1654-1657. Another wave of the pandemic affected China between 1855 and 1859. San Francisco suffered a plaque infesta- tion from 1900-1904 and again 1907-1908. Though antibiotics and insecticides have greatly re- duced this disease, Madagascar was hit in 2014 and again in 2017. Albert Camus, in his novel The Plague , about a fictional pandemic affecting the French Algerian city of Oran, de- livers many similar visceral thoughts as the world experi- ences the Coronavirus. “At such moments, the collapse of their courage, willpower, and endurance was so abrupt that they felt they could never drag themselves out of the pit of despond into which they had fallen. Therefore, they forced themselves never to think about the problematic day of es- cape, to cease looking to the future, and always to keep, so to speak, their eyes fixed on the ground at their feet.” “What’s true of all the evils in the world is true of plague as well. It helps men to rise above themselves.” –Albert Camus, The Plague Observations “Members of a household brought their dead to a ditch as best they could, without priest, without divine offices. In many places in Siena great pits were dug and piled deep with the multitude of dead. And they died by the hundreds, both day and night, and all were thrown in those ditches and covered with earth. And as soon as those ditches were filled, more were dug. I, Agnolo di Tura…buried my five children with my own hands…And so many died that all believed it was the end of the world.” –Agnolo di Tura, Italian shoemaker, tax collector and chronicler Black rats, also known as ship rats, were responsible for the death of 25 million people in Europe. Yersinia pestis is a bacterium that is found in a dense rat population. The rats become ill very quickly and die. The fleas find another rat, and sucking the blood of one gives it to another. The fleas, especially those aboard a trading vessel, soon find humans, much more attractive than dying rats. Thus, the plague, Black Death, was born. Caffa (also Kaffa), in Crimea, on the northern coast of the Black Sea was set upon, again, by the Mongolians. The plague had reportedly been around since the 1330s. The Mongolians, in their 1345 attack, brought with them the plague. Instead of retreating, as their soldiers dropped dead, they used their infected corpses as catapult fodder to be flung over the walls of the Caffa strongholds. Their plan worked and plague spread. Trading ships from Caffa arrived in Constantinople in 1347, bearing the “black death.” The Mediterranean ship- ping hubs soon became infected. Cities such as Genoa and Pisa became infected. The French port of Marseilles helped spread the virus. The port in Bordeaux may have spread the disease to Spain. In Avignon, France, in 44 days, 11,000 citizens had been buried. A ship left Bordeaux, France and sailed to what is now Weymouth. It spread throughout England. London became infected in August. In 1348, in an eight-week period, a London Cemetery was burying 34 a day. By 1349, England was deeply contami- nated. Between 1347 and 1351, it reportedly took half of all Londoners. King Edward III’s daughter Princess Joan succumbed to the disease. By Steven Palmer “Sometimes it came by road, passing from village to village, sometimes by the river, as in the East Midlands, or by ship, from the Low Countries or from other infected areas…It is exceedingly difficult for us to imagine the impact the plague on these small rural communities, where a village might have no more than 400-500 inhabitants. Few settlements were to- tally depopulated, but in most others whole families were wiped out, and few can have been spared some loss, since the plague killed indiscriminately, striking rich and poor alike,” J. Bolton wrote in his book, Black Death, World Upside Down . It spread to Wales, then to Ireland. The Irish mountain folk avoided it for a while, then it hit with a vengeance. The disease spread by trade ships to Norway. The winter of that year slowed its progress. In the summer of 1349, it took its toll on Germany. Austria and Switzerland become hard hit with the plague. Religious groups blamed the deadly bacterial infection on the Jews, claiming they had poisoned the wells. Anti-Semitic acts of violence and persecution caused many of the Jews to flee to Poland and Lithuania. In 1349, in Strasbourg, 2,000 Jewish citizens were burned alive. Contact with the dead or the sick resulted in infection. The familiar sight of lesions and pustules in the armpits and legs came to those who performed burials and tended the afflicted. There were very few willing to risk exposure. Physicians stayed away; shop owners disappeared out of fear (needed supplies were not available). Final services and prayers did not happen as clergy refused to become susceptible to the plague. Livestock also became victims to the disease. Sheep, pigs, cattle, and goats became victims. Fever, nausea, vomiting, aching joints, pustules, in the neck, groin and armpits were signs of affliction. Some suffered gan- grene. The sight of flea bites was another sign. Most of the in- fected died within eight days. Pneumonic plague obviously settled in the lungs making breathing difficult. Fever and blood producing coughs were common. There was an extremely high mortality rate. Septicemic plague was less common, but much more dead- ly. Purple skin patches and high fever led to a rapid death. Treatment of the plague was crude. Bloodletting and in- cising the pustules (releasing pus) were often unsanitary and counterproductive to the immunity and overall strength of the patient. Mustard plasters, aromatic therapy and vinegar baths were also used. Many thought this was God’s vengeance of unholy behavior by its citizens. In 1348, the “Flagellants” came to prominence. They were religious zealots that flogged themselves into a bloody resolve to atone for sins and to attain purification. The Great Mortality Steven Palmer entered funeral service in 1971. He is an honors graduate of the New England Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences. He has been licensed on both coasts, he owned the Westcott Funeral Homes of Cottonwood and Camp Verde, AZ, where he remains ac- tive in operations. Steve offers his observations on current funeral ser- vice issues. He may be reached by mail at PO Box 352, 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 ©adfinity ® Independently owned by licensed funeral director Dave McComb, Inman Shipping Worldwide offers unmatched integrity and expertise. We have more than 40 years of experience bringing loved ones home for ceremony. We offer: • International & domestic ship-in services • Unsurpassed attention to detail • State-of-the-art tracking software • 24/7 call center staffed by Inman employees WE GIVE YOU MORE TIME TO SERVE your families Contact us today to learn more. (800) 321-0566 • ShipInman.com of trust, compassion, and quality within their com- munity and we couldn’t be more excited to help them continue those tradi- tions.” Rollings also added that this marks their second partnership in Ohio. While Willis and his wife, Letty, purchased the funer- al home from his parents in 2001, their own children did not have an interest in joining the family business. Faced with the uncertainty of the funeral home’s own- ership and not wanting to burden his wife with the business should anything happen to him, he set out to find a potential succes- sor. Ultimately, they were led to Rollings Funeral Ser- vice because of Greg and Debbie Rollings. Willis mentioned that “With just Greg and Debbie, they’re family owned and not a conglomerate. Plus, Greg is also a person I know I can trust.” He also mentioned that he and wife love serv- ing families and want to continue serving as long as they can and that they have that opportunity with Roll- ings Funeral Service, just without the worry of the future. Annually, Willis Fu- neral Home serves around 170 families. With over 50 locations along the east coast, Roll- ings Funeral Service is one of the largest private funer- al home owners in the east- ern United States. Rollings prides their selves on being a great alternative to selling to a publicly traded com- pany and they continue to search for firms that will be a great fit for their growing family of funeral homes. Rollings Funeral Service announces Partnership with Ohio Funeral Home Willis Funeral Home TYRONE,GA— Rollings Funeral Service is proud to announce their most recent partnership with Willis Funeral Home in Gallipolis, OH. The firm, which has been serving their community for al- most 50 years, was for- merly owned by husband and wife, Matthew and Letty Willis. Greg Rollings, presi- dent and CEO of Roll- ings Funeral Service, com- mented “Willis Funeral Home has been a fami- ly firm since their found- ing in 1974, and we knew right away that they uphold the same family values that we look for in all the firms we come across. The Willis family has built a tradition Your Real Source. Anywhere. Anytime.