The Obituary of John Turner Acord

 Today's prompt from Genealogly Girl on Instagram is #favorite. One of my favorite rescources is Newspaper articles. Yes, sometimes there are typos. Sometimes, the information isn't 100% correct. And sometimes it can show you where other rescources may not be accurate. But they also help fill in gaps and build your tree and answer questions you've always had. 

One of those questions for me has been about the deaths of my 3rd great grandparents, John Turner and Sarah Zulema KOSIER ACORD. According to their headstones they died one month apart. John died, according to his headstone, 7 January 1934, and Sarah died on her 72nd birthday, 6 February 1934. It's always felt like there was a story there. There may not be, but it feels like it. I've searched for years for obituaries and I finally found his in the Southwest American that was published Thursday, 11 January, 1934 out of Fort Smith, Arkansas. 

If you go off the obituary and look at a 1934 calendar, it would appear he actually died on the 8th of January. We may never know which resource has it right, but it is worth noting, regardless. But I still can't seem to find one for her. 

This past summer I was given boxes of resources that had belonged to my great uncle's first wife, Tommie HOSKINS MOONEY. One of those rescources was the complete set of Northwest Arkansas Connections: Selected Obituaries by Jimmie and Doris EVANS DEWBERRY. In Book 3 there is one snippet on page 93 that came from The Herald-Democrat, Clarksville, Arkansas, Thursday, 15 February, 1934, Oark items:

"We are very sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. James A. Acord. The bereaved ones have our sympathy."

The DEWBERRY's make note of the typo giving James the middle initial 'A' rather than 'T' but state that the death date matches the death certificate and tombstone as well as the date given by family members of Sarah Zulema KOSIER ACORD. 

I may never know the story. There may not even be one. It may be as simple as a coincidence or as tragically sweet as a broken heart. 

Newspapers remain one of my favorite resources though. And despite their inaccuracies, they still have a way of helping us to see beyond dates and dashes to see relationships, skill sets, employment and communities. 

Until next time, 
Becky