Every Funeral Tradition of the Time Was Violated By This Burial… (Part II)

Refutation of Addie Hoyt Fargo blog 2/13/2012

Different day, same old stuff.....making up conclusions based on thin air and re-stating them as facts.

To second guess the reaction to Addie's death and the following actions without any physical or historical supporting evidence is just plain irresponsible.  There's nothing like Monday morning quarterbacks to decide what "should have been done".

The message in this blog is that unusual circumstances were employed to bury someone that was believed to have a deadly and virulent form of diphtheria.  Very likely, but so what?  The neophyte Dr. Oatway made the diagnosis (historical record) and the decision to bury Addie post haste was made by more than  E J.  Hildebrandt, Oatway and others were involved in making sure the community was not exposed unnecessarily to the disease.   Makes sense to rational people since community leaders are charged with protecting the population.

E J did the best he could under the circumstances (supported by historical record).  Nice coffin, decent hole in the ground, friend and relatives attended and a minister to provide last rights.  Supported by historical record.

No foul play was indicated (forensic record, historical record).

The grave was 34 inches deep before any artifacts were found (measured by the grave digger and sexton).  The ground was uneven...........maybe it was 40 inches from the other side.  Really doesn't matter since it was obvious the grave contents had moved around after interment (observation and corroboration from forensic experts).

Diphtherial may have been contracted in a trip to Portage (obituary, historical record). 

Duration of disease is not known specifically but Addie had been ill for more than two days (obituary).

The death of typhoid in Florida has no bearing on the conduct of the people in Lake Mills.  Neither does the presence of a diptheria antitoxin.  Read the account......Addie was dead by the time the diagnosis was made (historical references). 

It's easy to separate facts and fiction...... simply stop reading the Addie Hoyt Fargo blog and the fiction is eliminated from the conversation.