The Buck family April of 1901

It is hard to put into words that tragedy and the joy the Buck family experienced in 1901.  Clara B. Smith had married Frederick Buck and is living in Zionsville Indiana in the early spring of 1901.  The Buck family is expecting the birth of their fifth child.  Then tragedy strikes, two of the Buck children comedown with the measles, a very common childhood illness and most children 1901 recovered. But, 400-500 of the 48,000 cases of measles prior to vaccine died of the disease. The Buck children Paul and Eldon did not recover, as most children did.  The first to pass away was Paul Milton Buck on Apr. 5. 1901  His obituary follows

Zionsvile Times  Apr. 11, 1901

Paul M., son of Fred Buck, aged two years, died April 5, from complications resulting from measles.  The funeral occurred Sunday with interment at Mt. Tabor cemetery.  At the time this child lay dead another son was born to the parents.  Another son, one of the twins, was at the same time not expected to live, but was improving a the time of writing this notice.

The son that lay dying was Eldon E. Buck he passed away on Apr. 10, 1901  The son that was born to the family was Mayo Buck b. Apr. 5, 1901.

The obituary was provided by Lavern Wing a Smith family researcher.  Mr. Wing also believes that the reporting on the burial place of being Mt. Tabor Cemetery; is in error, as all the Smith family is buried in Howard Cemetery and he knows of no reason why Mt. Tabor would be used for two burial away from the family.