Thos. Pearn: Death as a learning experience

This granite "log," marking the Chariton Cemetery graves of Thomas Pearn and his wife, Elizabeth, obscures the fact that the unfortunate Mr. Pearn actually was among the earliest to be buried in the 1864 graveyard --- during 1873, some nine years after its founding. This more recent tombstone most likely was erected after the death some 45 years later, in 1918, of his widow, Elizabeth.

Thomas, a native of England, was only 34 when he died and, because of detailed reporting of his departure in The Chariton Patriot of May 7, 1873, we know the cause --- heart disease. It's unlikely in this day an age that a detailed report of autopsy results would be included in an obituary, phrasing death as a useful learning experience, but the rules and practices were different back in the good old days. Here's the obituary in its entirety:

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DIED --- We have to announce the sad death of our townsman, Mr. Thos. Pearn, which occurred on Sunday evening last, of heart disease. Mr. Pearn has been but a few months in our town, having come here in October last, from Adel in this State, and was engaged in tailoring in the room formerly occupied by Braden's dry goods store. He was 34 years old and an Englishman by birth, having been in this country four or five years, was in all respects much of a gentleman and during his short stay in Chariton he has made many warm friends who mourn his loss and sympathize with his bereaved wife in her affliction. His remains were buried yesterday (Tuesday) P.M., in the cemetery at this place.

A post mortem examination was held by the leading physicians of the city, which most clearly demonstrated the fact that his death was caused by "disease of the heart" in one of its most extensive forms, hypertrophy, with dilation and extensive ossification of some of the valves and arteries. The heart was of remarkable size, weighing 32 and 1/2 ounces which is more than four times its normal weight --- occupying a part of the right and almost the entire left breast, obliterating, almost completely, the left lung. This is an interesting case, to the "Physiologist" and "Pathologist" and will doubtless afford useful lessons for future practice.

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Thomas and Elizabeth (Bayless) Pearn were married ca. 1867 in England and he came alone to the United States in 1869, joined later by Elizabeth and their daughter, Nellie. Two additional children, Harry T. and Katie, were born in the United States and a fourth child, Rose, died in infancy.

His death in 1873 left Elizabeth a widow with three children age 5 and younger to support. She did not remarry, but moved prior to 1880 to De Soto in Dallas County where she supported her family as a dressmaker. She died at the home of her daughter, Katie Anderson, in De Soto on Sept. 5, 1918, at the age of 73 and her remains were brought to Chariton for burial next to those of Thomas.