Sunday’s Obituary: Little Emma Still

Any death is sad but especially that of a young child. Emma Still was just a year old when she died.

from the Allentown Leader on 18 July 1906

Her obituary, which ran in The Allentown Leader, reads:

Emma G., the young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Still, died at 7:30 last evening of pneumonia, aged 1 year and 4 months. The funeral will take place Friday at 9 a.m., from the parents’ residence, No. 532 North Court Street. Internment in Highland Cemetery. Rev. Dr. J. F. Pollock will officiate.

At only one year, I doubted I would find much information about little Emma. However since she died in 1906 – the year Pennsylvania began keeping death certificates on a state level – I found her death certificate.

Little Emma G. Still died on 17 July 1906 at 532 Court Street, in the 9^th Ward of Allentown in Lehigh County. Her birth date was listed as 26 March 1906 although her age clearly states 1 year 4 months. She died of pneumonia. She was born in Pennsylvania but both her parents had been born in New Jersey. They are listed as Geo Still and Emma Johnson. She is also listed as colored. It also appears someone went back and wrote Black above the word Colored. It is in a different handwriting and appears to have been added at a later date. She was buried 20 July 1906 in Highland Cemetery.

Sources:

Allentown Leader. (Allentown, Pennsylvania), 18 July 1906. Page 1.

Sunday’s Obituary is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.

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