Sunday World Herald, April 6 1913
GYPSY FUNERAL DRAWS CROWD OF SPECTATORS
Relatives of dead Syrian are surprised at the number of people
in Attendance
South Omaha witnessed its first gypsy funeral yesterday morning when Peter Adam was laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Attracted by the novelty of the burial, a large crowd of the curious assembled at the cemetery to witness it.
The funeral started from Heafey & Heafey's and proceeded to St. Mary's Church where a requiem mass was celebrated. The Rev. Father M.L. Ballou preached a lengthy and eloquent sermon upon death and the charity due strangers in the time of sorrow.
As pall bearers, the four brothers, father, and sister of the deceased accompanied the body to the cemetery. The fact that Ms. Josephine Adam was a pall bearer permitted her to journey to the grave. As is the custom of the gypsies none of the other women relatives, even the mother, followed the remains to the last resting place.
The camp of the relatives is at Twenty-Fourth & G streets, near the hospital where the young man died. At the camp all Friday night a fire was kept burning brightly and the relatives sat beside this until morning. The sorrow of the mother as the remains passed yesterday was touching.
At the cemetery in the presence of the crowds various bands of Gypsies from the surrounding country stood beside the grave and reviewed the remains for this purpose. The 25 cent piece placed in the man's hand by his mother was allowed to remain, together with some small coins placed there by his brothers. The 50 dollar bill which was placed in one of the dead man's hands while at the undertakers is to be kept by the colony as a token of the sad event in the history of their tribe.
After the casket had been lowered into the grave, the relatives shoveled in the dirt. The sexton had no part in the ceremonies. The grave was entirely filled by the relatives and Morgan Heafey before any left the cemetery.
Outside the cemetery last night little fires blazed brightly at various spots. They marked the camps of friends and relatives of the departed as they burned their fires to light the soul on its way. Silently during the night they kept their vigil, deeply religious, and strangely primitive in their simple faith.
GYPSY FUNERAL DRAWS CROWD OF SPECTATORS
Relatives of dead Syrian are surprised at the number of people
in Attendance
South Omaha witnessed its first gypsy funeral yesterday morning when Peter Adam was laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Attracted by the novelty of the burial, a large crowd of the curious assembled at the cemetery to witness it.
The funeral started from Heafey & Heafey's and proceeded to St. Mary's Church where a requiem mass was celebrated. The Rev. Father M.L. Ballou preached a lengthy and eloquent sermon upon death and the charity due strangers in the time of sorrow.
As pall bearers, the four brothers, father, and sister of the deceased accompanied the body to the cemetery. The fact that Ms. Josephine Adam was a pall bearer permitted her to journey to the grave. As is the custom of the gypsies none of the other women relatives, even the mother, followed the remains to the last resting place.
The camp of the relatives is at Twenty-Fourth & G streets, near the hospital where the young man died. At the camp all Friday night a fire was kept burning brightly and the relatives sat beside this until morning. The sorrow of the mother as the remains passed yesterday was touching.
At the cemetery in the presence of the crowds various bands of Gypsies from the surrounding country stood beside the grave and reviewed the remains for this purpose. The 25 cent piece placed in the man's hand by his mother was allowed to remain, together with some small coins placed there by his brothers. The 50 dollar bill which was placed in one of the dead man's hands while at the undertakers is to be kept by the colony as a token of the sad event in the history of their tribe.
After the casket had been lowered into the grave, the relatives shoveled in the dirt. The sexton had no part in the ceremonies. The grave was entirely filled by the relatives and Morgan Heafey before any left the cemetery.
Outside the cemetery last night little fires blazed brightly at various spots. They marked the camps of friends and relatives of the departed as they burned their fires to light the soul on its way. Silently during the night they kept their vigil, deeply religious, and strangely primitive in their simple faith.
Sunday World Herald, April 6 1913
GYPSY FUNERAL DRAWS CROWD OF SPECTATORS
Relatives of dead Syrian are surprised at the number of people
in Attendance
South Omaha witnessed its first gypsy funeral yesterday morning when Peter Adam was laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Attracted by the novelty of the burial, a large crowd of the curious assembled at the cemetery to witness it.
The funeral started from Heafey & Heafey's and proceeded to St. Mary's Church where a requiem mass was celebrated. The Rev. Father M.L. Ballou preached a lengthy and eloquent sermon upon death and the charity due strangers in the time of sorrow.
As pall bearers, the four brothers, father, and sister of the deceased accompanied the body to the cemetery. The fact that Ms. Josephine Adam was a pall bearer permitted her to journey to the grave. As is the custom of the gypsies none of the other women relatives, even the mother, followed the remains to the last resting place.
The camp of the relatives is at Twenty-Fourth & G streets, near the hospital where the young man died. At the camp all Friday night a fire was kept burning brightly and the relatives sat beside this until morning. The sorrow of the mother as the remains passed yesterday was touching.
At the cemetery in the presence of the crowds various bands of Gypsies from the surrounding country stood beside the grave and reviewed the remains for this purpose. The 25 cent piece placed in the man's hand by his mother was allowed to remain, together with some small coins placed there by his brothers. The 50 dollar bill which was placed in one of the dead man's hands while at the undertakers is to be kept by the colony as a token of the sad event in the history of their tribe.
After the casket had been lowered into the grave, the relatives shoveled in the dirt. The sexton had no part in the ceremonies. The grave was entirely filled by the relatives and Morgan Heafey before any left the cemetery.
Outside the cemetery last night little fires blazed brightly at various spots. They marked the camps of friends and relatives of the departed as they burned their fires to light the soul on its way. Silently during the night they kept their vigil, deeply religious, and strangely primitive in their simple faith.
GYPSY FUNERAL DRAWS CROWD OF SPECTATORS
Relatives of dead Syrian are surprised at the number of people
in Attendance
South Omaha witnessed its first gypsy funeral yesterday morning when Peter Adam was laid to rest at St. Mary's Cemetery. Attracted by the novelty of the burial, a large crowd of the curious assembled at the cemetery to witness it.
The funeral started from Heafey & Heafey's and proceeded to St. Mary's Church where a requiem mass was celebrated. The Rev. Father M.L. Ballou preached a lengthy and eloquent sermon upon death and the charity due strangers in the time of sorrow.
As pall bearers, the four brothers, father, and sister of the deceased accompanied the body to the cemetery. The fact that Ms. Josephine Adam was a pall bearer permitted her to journey to the grave. As is the custom of the gypsies none of the other women relatives, even the mother, followed the remains to the last resting place.
The camp of the relatives is at Twenty-Fourth & G streets, near the hospital where the young man died. At the camp all Friday night a fire was kept burning brightly and the relatives sat beside this until morning. The sorrow of the mother as the remains passed yesterday was touching.
At the cemetery in the presence of the crowds various bands of Gypsies from the surrounding country stood beside the grave and reviewed the remains for this purpose. The 25 cent piece placed in the man's hand by his mother was allowed to remain, together with some small coins placed there by his brothers. The 50 dollar bill which was placed in one of the dead man's hands while at the undertakers is to be kept by the colony as a token of the sad event in the history of their tribe.
After the casket had been lowered into the grave, the relatives shoveled in the dirt. The sexton had no part in the ceremonies. The grave was entirely filled by the relatives and Morgan Heafey before any left the cemetery.
Outside the cemetery last night little fires blazed brightly at various spots. They marked the camps of friends and relatives of the departed as they burned their fires to light the soul on its way. Silently during the night they kept their vigil, deeply religious, and strangely primitive in their simple faith.
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