On This Day in Family History - July 10

Elizabeth Ann Decker was born 10 July 1851

She was the daughter of William and Mary Ann Burford Decker

Mary Ann was a sister of my great-great-grandfather Alexander Oscar Burford, Sr.

I don't have any pictures of any of today's birthday people, but this family intrigues me because...

Marilla Decker was born in 1849 and died age 1 year 2 months

Elizabeth Decker was born in 1851 and died age 2 years 4 months

William Decker was born in 1857 and died age 2 years 7 months

Abraham Decker was born in 1862 and died age 1 year 4 months

These graves are all in Burford Cemetery, Jasper County, Illinois.

 

Child mortality rates were high back in those days -- but this is just too sad. I can't find the parents' graves. They are not recorded as being buried in the same cemetery with the children, anyway. I did find a Mary Ann Decker married to a William C Decker, both buried in (of all places) Van Buren County, Michigan. But there's no telling whether they would be the same ones or not. 

Back in those days, children usually died of diseases that are now curable with antibiotics. But this bunch makes me wonder just what was going on with this family. I wonder if this is a case where the mother had Rh negative blood and the father's blood was Rh positive. In those cases, the first baby is not affected, but all the babies after that may be born with problems. I can't find any information about how long a child could be expected to live, without treatments that we have today (blood transfusions). The William Decker and Mary Ann Decker that I found in Michigan had one child who did grow to adulthood -- was a soldier and died in 1902, but unknown date of birth. Maybe he was the firstborn? 

Well, it's all speculation. But I've always felt sorry for this family, even though I know very little about them.