This week’s #FridayFind is… a kill count in an obituary?

If you’re familiar with Friday Finds, then you already know how… incredibly detailed…. 20th century obituaries can be. (See our find from last June on an unfortunate cause of death.) In some ways though, they’re just like our modern day announcements (if a bit long winded).

Death announcement? “Captain Robert Bruce Ferry [...] died Sunday morning, at his home at Niles Valley, after 24 days’ illness of intestinal trouble.” Check.

Biographical information? “The Ferret family were natives of Normandy and were Siegnaries and princes dating back to 1090.” A royal lineage! Check.

Accomplishments? “Captain Ferry served in many of the fiercest battles of the war - Standardville, Rappahannock Station, Second Bull Run, Brandy Station, Germantown, Gettysburg, Middleburgh, Mine Run, Wilderness, Siege of Petersburg and others.” A union war hero! Check.

Deer kill count? Wait, what? “Last fall, on Asaph Run, he killed a big buck, which brought his record for deer killed from 1851 to 1910 to 1,029.” I suppose when you have a kill count averaging more than 17 deer a year, it’s a pretty big deal.

What details have you discovered while reading old obituaries? Share your story and email us at emma@backlog-archivists.com