In Memoriam
The above hymn is offered as a memorial to both William Wilbur Aldrich and to his father, Charles Wilbur Aldrich. Bert used to sing this little hymn to his children when they were small and it seems appropriate to include it here. WIlliam Wilbur was named after his paternal grandfather, William H. Aldrich, and he has his father’s middle name. He didn’t live long, but he was loved while he was here. His older sister, Estella remembered his funeral although she was only four years old at the time. As a child, she was very impressed that there were pennies on her little brother’s eyelids in the coffin. This was an ancient funeral custom where Egyptian folklore reasoned that the coins were needed to pay passage into the next life. There is a more practical reason for this ancient practice, however, which is why it continued on even in a Christian society through 1910. The eye is the softest tissue of the body, especially in babies. It dehydrates easily and has a tendency to shrink, allowing the eyelid to open. The weight of the pennies kept this from happening.
