Mary Corr Gorry, my third great-grandmother, died July 3, 1901 at her home at 358 East. 10th Street in New York City at about the age of 70. According to her death certificate, the cause of death was heart failure brought on by heat stroke. I imagine that the turn-of-the-century tenements on the Lower East Side were not well ventilated and that a particularly hot summer was fatal to many elderly.
Her funeral expenses were billed to her daughter Hannah and include: a solid walnut casket with an engraved silver name plate and satin lining, a hearse and three carriages, candles, the use of a candelabra and camp chairs, advertising of the funeral (again, no name of newspaper, so not so helpful), and a few other things. In addition, you can see that after Mary's expenses have been tallied, the remainder of the funeral expenses for Joseph Gorry, Mary's grandson and Hannah's nephew, are finally paid, three and a half years after his death.
I think these types of records are so interesting and can reveal much about the era (and the person) if you read between the lines.Thanks for sharing.
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