The Washington times., 1912-07-22
TEXAS WOMEN WIN
MATERIAL SUCCESS
IN UNUSUAL FIELD
Thirteen of Fair Sex Under
takers in Lone Star
State.

clerk, laundry girl, a poet, an author
ess, vocalist, teacher, an agent,
X. w. c. A. secretary, or stenographer.
No doubt some of these lines would be
the first thing that would appeal to a
person, but in Texas there are thirteen
women who have chosen to be under
takers.
From interviews with all of them, they
seemed delighted with their work, and
say that while woman embalmer has
many obstacles to overcome, that they
prefer this to any other line.
Is It that they are more sympathetic
than the average class of women7 Is II
because they are unselfish and in doing
their work like to feel that they are
helping others? Certainly 1t cannot be
that they enjoy being the exclusive ones
! OF their profession. ...
| The hours of work vary. Perhaps
! one morning woman undertaken can
sleep late and be a regular lady" in
her hours. Can eat a late breakfast,
read the morning paper and plan her
days toilet with as much care and
precision as IL she did not have a
steady place. AS IL she did not have
| to work. Perhaps again, that In the
midst Of all her comfort and mornings
nap a call comes in, and, indeed, she
must hurry. No time can be given
! to the different clothes that she wears
She must be ready to take a machine
| or stage out to certain points many
miles from the railroad.
Live In West Texas. ..
A noticeable feature, too, of the Texas
woman undertakers, is that eight Of the
thirteen live in west Texas? In asking
about this, one Of the number sug-
gests that in the sparsely settled dis
tricts sympathizine friends cannot come
| as quickly as in the towns and cities,
! and that the woman undertaken could
! always add so much In the Erief-strick-
| en- homes.
Sometimes these women have drivers
! with them; other times they do no..
Many times they have to make tho
drives alone at night, driving forty or
Perhaps the one woman undertaken
in Texas who has had more experience
in West Texas, than any other in the
Is Mrs 6 seve1a Ms
Baumgarten was in business in Big
Springs She is also one of the pioneer
women undertakers of Texas, and dur
Ing her early days in the work GOV
cred an area of wide range.
This being the only two In several
counties. all Of the calls for undertake
ers came from these to Mrs. Bau,.,.
these counties were there railroads. and
the only way to make the trip was By
the old-fashioned stage. -
! Many times" said Mrs. Baumgar-
ten. Il have driven fifty or sixty miles
in a sand-storm. Some of the time l
( would have a driver. while again there
was nothing left for me to do but MAKE
! the trip alone.
Twelve Others.
But other than Mrs. Baumgar rten.
| there are twelve other women under
taers in Texas. These are: Mrs. A. e.
Beck, of Yoakum; Miss Gertrude Ellis;
Toyah; Mrs. w. B. Horner, Ell Paso:
Mrs. B. Lattner, Mineral Wells: Mrs.
Lena Mahon, Maria; Mrs. H. Schwartz.
Baird; Mrs. NJ. Simmons. El Paso; Mrs.
Josie P. Smith, Dallas; Mrs. Jack Tay-
lor Beaumont; Mrs. c. w. Thomas,
Canyon City; Mrs i; s. Wright. Tenn
| Mrs. John Fall, Waco; NJ. A. Clark.
| colored, Clarksville.
! Mrs. Baumgarten says that she be-
lieves that the women undertaken Is an
essential feature of the worlds pro-
gress-as Is the professional nurse.
To Mrs. John Fall, of Waco, belongs
the distinction of being the only wo-
man in Texas who owns and manages
4 an undertaking establishment.
At the death Of Mr.. Fall, In January.
Mrs. Fall decided to continue In the
business which her husband had oper.
ated for twenty-five years. Mrs. FAN
competent assistants. and her son. John
Halbert Fall Is In training to be an
hard" said Mr.. Fail. but do think
that 1t is one of the most interesting In
the world"
Mrs. C. M. Thomas, of Canyon City,
says that the reason that she entered
the business was because she realized
80 ~ fnIya L.. -.
handling of the bodies of women and
children. Her husband was in the un-
dertakng business, and since they lived
SO far in the western part of Texas re-
liable help was hard to find. She began
by helping her husband, then later took
| q course in training school in Dallas.
II always liked the work." said Mrs.
Jack Taylor, of Beaumont. However,
she did not decide to become an under.
taker until she lost her four-year-old
Mr.. Taylor died two years before y
me- Then. when the little girl was
taken I had to find some work to keeI
my mind from thinking of my loss. .
Since Mrs. Taylor had always imagined
that she would like this kind Of work
she spent two years training, prepara,
tory TO- taking her examinations fol
For years Mrs. Lena Mahon had want
ed to become a trained nurse. Tn,
family objected so strenuously unit
finally she gave up all thoughts Of fol
lowing this professionally. Finally
relative came to see them, but thii
visitor was Indifferent in his opinion
about the work that the girl-Widuv
wanted to do, and began to encourag,
her. Later he suggested the study O
| undertaking, since, there were so few
| in comparison with any other work tina
woman could do. With this encour
agement Mrs. Mahon went of to. schoo
and spent a year training to be an un
dertaker
At the time that she obtained he
license. 1906, Mrs. Mahon was tn
youngest undertaken in Texas, and ais
| in the United States.
Mrs. A. L. Beck of Yoakum Is asso
ciated with her husband, A. r. Beck
in the furniture and undertaking bust
ness. Mr.. Beck was among the frs
licensed undertakers in Texas, and ha
been In bushes ever since. She think
that the work is one in which womel
are needed. That this line is being neg
lected with the rapid development o
Women's ability to handle many othe
business affairs. That in the care o
the bcdieI of women and children tina
the ability of a woman cannot be sur
passed.
Soon after Mrs. Lattner was mar
1 Ut h.