Hello,

I sent for a Washington death certificate, but it does not state the burial location. I'm hoping some of you can give me a likely suggestion on where to look.

The man's name was Mitchel (with one 'L') Barada. He died on April 10, 1917 and was buried on April 13. His occupation is listed as "Laborer" and the cause was accidental drowning. His wife was only 17 years old and he had no family in Washington state, so I wonder if he might have been buried at public expense. Place of death was Neppel (Moses Lake), but his "Former or usual residence" is left blank, as are place of burial and undertaker.

Any ideas on which cemetery in Neppel might have been used for indigent burials? I'm assuming there would be no headstone, but would appreciate any leads on where the records might be.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise.

Sincerely,

Scott Sandage
Pittsburgh, PA

Hi Scott,

I'm still searching through old online newspapers to see if I can find a death notice.

Here is the link to the Washington State Digital Archives, where you will see Mitchel's death info and the original marriage certificate for Mitchel and Marjorie:

http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/

Beth
not related

Scott,

If you look at the image of the April 10, 1915 marriage certificate for Mitchel Barada (age 30) and Marjorie Vickers (age 15) on the digital archives website, you will note their residences as Warden, Washington, which is only about 20 miles Southeast of Moses Lake. Marjorie's parents, J. G. and Eva Vickers, signed as witnesses on the certificate and were enumerated in the 1920 US Census as residiing in Warden.

I suggest you also look for cemeteries around Warden or between Warden and Moses Lake. Mitchel may have been only a laborer, but after two years of marriage Marjorie's family probably made sure he had a "proper" burial.

Bob Witherspoon

Hi again Scott,

I didn't find a death / funeral notice in online subscription newspaper sites. I don't find a lookup volunteer on the Grant County genweb site, nor on the RAOGK site (Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness).

I checked the Washington State Library Catalog for available newspapers from the time-frame and area of Mitchel's death. The best I could find is a Neppel paper:

http://cals.evergreen.edu/search~S8?/dmoses+lake/dmoses+lake...

Your local librarian should be able to send for the microfilm via interlibrary loan for use at your local library. I have done this for other states, but not Washington.

Or, you can "Ask a Librarian", a free service through the Washington State Library. You can request an obituary request and they will try to find it for you:

http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/ask_form.aspx

Good luck,

Beth

I did find a child born to them, after his death. Notice it is in Kittitas County.

Name: Eunice Elinore Barada
Birth Date: 23 Oct 1917
Location: Kittitas
Sex: Female
Race: White
Father's Name: Mitchell Barada
Mother's Name: Marjori Lois Vickers
Image Filename: 1314

Elaine

Goodness I found another child born to them.
Washington State Births 1907-1919

Name: Richard Earl Barada
Birth Date: 9 Jul 1916
Location: Kittitas
Sex: Male
Race: White
Father's Name: Mitchell Barada
Mother's Name: Marjorie Vickers
Image Filename: 1314

Elaine

There are a number of factors unknown, which each could determine where he was buried.

You indicated he had no family in Washington State, where was his family? I didn't find him in the 1910 census, so was he born outside of the USA? If he had family outside of Washington State, is it possible "they" could have paid to have his remains returned home? You might also wish to check the local cemeteries near his family.

He died two months to soon to be found in the World War I Draft Registration for the June 17, 1917, draft day..

As noted, he was married in Washington State to Marjorie, living in "possibly" Warden, WA. Her parents were living there as noted in 1920. Her father was listed as a railroad agent in the census. He was born in Tennessee, wife Eva in Kentucky. The son, age 17 in the 1920 census, was born in Kentucky. So, Marjorie "possibly" born in Kentucky. I searched for ANY Marjorie born 1900 plus/minus 2 years in the 1920 census having the two children as noted, without success. So, I don't know if you already have knowledge of where she and the children went after his death. If so, it is "possible" either child could be alive. If not, a grandchild "might" have information on the burial place of the grandfather. Or, you may be a grandchild for that matter. I also did not find a second marriage listed for Marjorie in the Washington Archives.

Now, if Mitchel(l) and Marjorie were still together in 1917 is a question. Since she is not found in the 1920 census and there was the great influenza outbreak, had she died by 1920? Or, she could have been listed under "M. Lastname", or even using Lois. I didn't check that deeply. If they were together as a family unit and he died, her father, being a railroad agent, "might" have had him shipped back to his family...if they were in the US. He "might" have funded the burial in Washington. He was "Renting" in the 1920 census, so I then "eliminated" the potential of burial on the family farm/family cemetery. Being a railroad agent, that also indicated no family farm. BUT, a James G. Vickers did obtain land under the homestead act in 1913 in Yakima County. The 1930 Census has a James G. Vickers as a hotel guest in Raymond, Pacific County, WA.

If they were not living together and he had no family to take care of the burial, or to pay to have it returned home, it is then true, he could have been buried by the City, County, or State; and in an unmarked grave.

His death also creates wild thinking. He drowned. Was it an accidental drowning or did father-in-law hunt him down.

I, and possibly others, did check the cemetery transcriptions available online, without success. The main problems: All cemeteries are not transcribed...at all. Those that are, graves were potentially missed by the transcriber. Those that are, graves were unmarked, the stone unreadible, or missing. The name misspelled in the transcription, "Parada", etc.

Obituaries in that time period were just coming into wide popularity; but, a family member would have had to pay for one. A lot of people did not pay, especially in a small town where everyone would have known anyway. Most obituaries at that time were mostly news articles written by a reporter about the rich, famous, imfamous or victims of accident, in this case a possibility. So, the news article is probably your best bet. Again, try the Washington Library service for that date of death in the "Neppel"/Moses Lake area.

Ron Bestrom