A bit more reflecting on my family history before returning tomorrow to theological musings.

Yesterday I wrote about blessing a new tombstone for my great, great grandpa, Patrick Maney. Based on the scant existing church records (St. John’s current rector told us that the parish suffered a catastrophic fire in the late 19th century and apparently lost almost all of its records, of which Patrick’s would have been a part), Patrick died on November 16 and was buried the next day. The problem is that he died in the little town of Convoy, OH, which is approximately 30 miles west of Delphos, where he is buried.

So what’s the problem, you ask? Just this. In 1870 there were no cars or motorized hearses. Transportation of the body would have likely been done by horses and a 60 mile round trip in one day is no small feat (nor does this begin to answer the related question of  why the family chose St. John’s over closer Catholic churches in Indiana, but we’ll never know the answer to this).

So how did the family get the body to Delphos for burial the next day, given the transportation limitations? Thanks to Jeff Birkmeier, of Wholesale Granite, the company that designed and made Patrick’s beautiful new tombstone, we think we’ve solved the mystery (Jeff is clearly a lot smarter than we are because he figured it out right away).

We know from census records that Patrick worked on the railroad (as did their sons John and Dan) and Patrick and Bridget’s house in Convoy was located literally next to the railroad tracks. That same rail line, the old Pennsylvania railroad, runs right next to St. John’s cemetery and so it is pretty likely that the railroad transported the body for the family to Delphos. Thirty miles by train is nothing and is the only real explanation that is consistent with the known chronology of Patrick’s death.

Patrick and his sons working on the railroad would also explain how my family would have been aware of St. John’s in the first place. Perhaps they used the line to come and worship there. Regardless, solving this mystery was a lot of fun for both my wife and me, and it helped me to sharpen some of my old historical investigation skills that have badly eroded over the years because of lack of use.

All this made yesterday’s blessing of Patrick and Bridget’s new tombstone extra sweet because in playing history sleuth, we connected to these people whom we never knew in person and that’s kinda cool.