In the early 1900's undertaking was a side-line business. Two Mt. Pleasant undertakers were Riddle & Stephenson's Furniture and Undertaking (later E.L. Riddle Furniture and Undertaking) and Thomas Hardware and Undertaking. Now who would have ever thought that a little side-line could blossom into a full-time job with customers just dying to do business with you?
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Saturday, March 13, 1926
Receives New Funeral Hearse
E. L. RIDDLE HAS LIMOUSINE FOR AMBULANCE PURPOSES ALSO
E.L. Riddle Saturday received a large new ambulance-hearse to be used in connection with his funeral equipment. The new vehicle will be of the latest limousine construction, and is equipped more for ambulance service than for a hearse, although it will be used for both purposes when occasion demands.
Mr. Riddle already possesses one of the best motor hearses in this section of the country, but it is not the latest model. He will retain it for use among the colored people.
The new ambulance is a thing of real beauty, and is something that is badly needed here. In case of an accident, it can be used to transport people to a hospital or wherever necessary in the utmost comfort.
Well excuuuuuse me! I thought you wuz my daddy!
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Tuesday, April 20, 1926
An Unusual Situation
MAN THOUGHT TO BE DEAD APPEARS BEFORE THE CORPSE IS BURIED
Mount Vernon, Texas, April 19 -- W. B. Pierce of Eldorado, Ark., arrived here Monday morning from Smackover, Ark., with the corpse of a man whom he thought was his father, Jim Pierce of Smackover, but to his great surprise he was met by his father, very much alive. Mr. Pierce lives at Eldorado and was notified Sunday night by the Sheriffs department at Smackover that the corpse of his father had been found there in an empty railroad oil tank car. He said more than fifty men who were well acquainted with his father at Smackover had viewed the body and identified it as that of his father.
He himself thought it was his father and brought the body here for burial at Purley Cemetery, seven miles south of town, where his sister, Mrs. Spurgeon Solomon, lives. Mr. Pierce and his father returned to Smackover with the body of the unknown man.
Generating community interest in cemetery maintenance has always been a problem. Some time after this article was written, Mt. Pleasant formed a Cemetery Association to oversee the cemeteries. The City of Mt. Pleasant now cares for the major cemeteries inside the City Limits and the Titus County Commissioners help with others in their precincts, but some small family cemeteries located in remote parts of the county still need help.
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Friday, May 28, 1926
Cemeteries In Poor Condition
SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO GET IT CLEANED UP SOON
We have been informed that the cemeteries of Mt. Pleasant have got in very bad condition and that something should be done to get them cleaned up.
Weeds and grass have grown up in profusion all over the graves and the roadways of both cemeteries and are getting higher and higher all the time.
Numbers of people who have lots in the cemeteries keep them cleaned up nicely, but a great majority of them are left absolutely untended and even if a few of these are left in this condition it gives the neighboring plots a tagged appearance.
There should be some sort of organization formed to look after keeping these burial grounds in good condition. This work should start in the early Spring and continued during the Summer. After the first working the labor involved in keeping the grounds in good condition is not so heavy.
Maybe he's just napping, and who is this guy anyway?
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Friday, August 27, 1926
Finds Cemetery Lot Occupied
IN CLEANING OFF GROUND DISCOVERS SOMEONE HAS BEEN BURIED
When W. R. Swan went to the Masonic cemetery this week to clean off the family burial plot of the weeds and grass he discovered that he was not sure he knew his own lot, so he came back to town and found a plat of the cemetery to locate the exact situation of his lot.
When he returned to the cemetery he discovered that someone had at some time been buried on his lot and that a head stone had been erected showing that James S. Morris had been buried there, having died on January 7, 1921, at the age of 41 years.
Efforts have been made to locate the relatives of Mr. Morris, but the records of his death could not be found at the county clerk's office, and there was no record at the office of either of the two undertakers who were in business here at the time. No deed has ever been issued to anyone of that name by the cemetery authorities, and no one seems to know anything of Mr. Morris' death or burial.
If anyone is familiar with the facts of this situation, and know anything about who are Mr. Morris' relatives, this information will be appreciated by Mr. Swan or this office.
During the 1930's, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) performed many worthwhile civic projects, including cleaning local cemeteries.
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Wednesday, May 2, 1937
One Cemetery Is Much Improved By CCC Workers
High Weeds, Grass Are Removed From Masonic Cemetery
The Masonic Cemetery was greatly improved Friday afternoon when Captain W.F. Cox supervised the operations of over a hundred CCC enrollees in cutting the high grass and weeds from the roadways and lots.
The boys did a fine job, although there were not enough implements available for them to properly do their work. They were also handicapped as owners of the lots had no representatives present to instruct them in what kind of work they wanted.
There were only a few members of the Cemetery Association present to direct the work and there was little cooperation extended to Captain Cox, who volunteered the services of the camp enrollees.
Work on the Colonial Hill Cemetery is scheduled to take place on next Friday afternoon, but if weather conditions prevent the CCC men from going to the field, they will conduct the work before that time.
Mt. Pleasant Times Review, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
March 25, 1924
HAUNTED HOUSE CREATES INTEREST
GHOSTS ARE SAID TO BE SEEN AT HOUSE NEAR PANTHER'S CHAPEL.
Considerable interest has been taken the past week in reports that there is a haunted house in the Panther's Chapel community, where real "spooks" can be seen.
Some men from town are said to have paid the place a visit a few nights ago and that a headless man was seen carrying what appeared to be a lighted lantern. There are other versions of the appearance of the spiritual inhabitant of the house, which no one will occupy, but this is the most common form attributed to it. One party visited the place, armed with guns, but as soon as the spook showed itself the men went away so abruptly that they forgot all about their firearms until they were too far away to use them, and they decided not to go back again.
It is claimed that, the house was left vacant on account of the visits which the ghost paid to it, and although no one was ever molested in any way, still no one wanted to have a ghost around, so no one will live in the house. We understand that watch parties are being planned to visit the place for several nights in order to see a real live ghost.
Don't cut me! I wuz just playin' possum!
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Friday, October 5, 1928
Autopsy Threat Arouses "Dead" Man in Hospital
MEXICO CITY Oct. 4 - When Anenio Hernandez, posing as dead, heard the doctor give orders for an autopsy, he leaped to his feet in fright.
The "dead" man, who had been picked up on a street corner with an ugly wound to his head, explained that upon arriving at the hospital he "played possum," hoping to avoid giving testimony as to the origin of his wound. He said that he was afraid that the police would arrest his assailant and thus deprive him of the opportunity to wreak personal vengeance.
Here are a few news articles, ads, and other items relating to Titus County and other cemeteries, undertakers, ghosts, and other miscellaneous items that we found interesting while reading old newspaper articles. They are not presented in any particular order. We thought you might enjoy reading them, too, so we listed them here for your entertainment.
New Memorial Art Shop (Monument Sales Business) in 1928
Mt. Pleasant Times Review, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Friday, February 3, 1928
OPENING NEW BUSINESS LINE
I.N. WILLIAMS IS BUILDING A NEW MEMORIAL ART SHOP
Mount Pleasant can shortly boast of having the most complete and up to date Memorial Art Shop in Texas, as I.N. Williams has had a corps of men busy at work for several weeks putting this plant into tip top shape, sparing no expense in erecting an up to date plant, installing labor saving devices and beautifying the premises. This Art shop will be located on the Bankhead Highway in West Mt. Pleasant and just west of the cemetery and High School building.
In talking with Mr. Williams, he stated that he expects to build his business into large proportions on the principle "that every purchaser from his place of business must be satisfied," and he expects to satisfy each customer and hold the confidence of the public by handling only the very best of material and giving the very best of workmanship on each monument. In keeping with this desire he will open his Memorial "Art" Shop with the "Rock of Ages" brand of Barre granite, certified material and copyrighted designs. In marble, he will handle only the best of the well known brand of "Silver Grey" Georgia marble.
Mr. Williams states that he expects to be open and ready for the public within the next two weeks.
I.N. Williams, Jr. Monument Yard on Southeast Corner of Square - Photo BI-0052
From 1900 to 1938 I.N. Williams, Jr. had a monument business on the southeast corner of the court house square. This photo was taken in approximately 1926. The ad below the photo was from the Mt. Pleasant Times.
That's, well....uh, Shocking!
WARNING - DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, BUT FIND A NEW DOCTOR!
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Friday, November 30, 1928
Official Shocked By Live Wire Is Buried Alive; Dies
Prague, Czechoslovakia, Nov. 29 - The town councilor of the little Moravian town of Bakova was deliberately buried alive after accidental contact with a highly charged electric wire that rendered him unconscious.
On the advice of a woman doctor of the village, the official, Kutclera, was placed in a hole in the ground in the belief that the earth would absorb the electricity from his body. When dug up after thirty minutes interment, Kutclera was dead.
