‘The Angels Called Them’: Infant Loss and Commemoration in Early Twentieth-Century Indiana

Abstract

While we might assume that early twentieth-century American parents who suffered the death of a newborn faced their heartache in private, an examination of Indiana in the early 20th century suggests that there was frequently a more public response. In a variety of ways, parents commemorated these infants, making public claims to their grief and their love. Both mothers and fathers made these public proclamations. This study draws on the extensive literature that has grown up around these losses, including questions of miscarriage, stillborns, and early infant death. It also considers the census starting in the late 19th century, the 32 cemeteries located in Kokomo, Indiana, as well as newspaper coverage in that state. It principally focuses on the time period between 1900-1930. It explores naming practices for these infants, challenges the belief that hospitals necessarily removed stillborn from public commemoration, and addresses how the Catholic ritual of baptism might have influenced the historical interpretation.