Funeral Customs in Southwestern Virginia. \"Things We Become Accustom To.\"

Creator: Frank, Jacqueline

: Smith, John

: Muncy, Jonathan Scott

In this project, Jacqueline Frank interviewed Jonathan Scott Muncy and an anonymous informant as well. Both men work in the funeral industry and the subject of these interviews was funeral customs and how they have changed over the years and includes information about funeral attendance, handling of bodies, grieving and many other aspects of funeral culture. This interview is among projects created by students enrolled in English 446 (initially English 452), “Appalachian Folklore,” 1981-2019, and in graduate level counterparts English 548 and 648 “Appalachian Folk Culture(s)” offered 17 fall semesters between 1987 and 2009. Minimally contain collector’s introduction and analysis, transcribed informant interviews, and excerpted and labeled examples of oral, customary, and/or material folklore/folklife collected primarily within the Appalachian region. Most include also tables of contents, informant information, indexes (outlines) of interviews, photographs, miscellaneous paper items, and indexes of informants, genres, and geographic locations. Accompanying audio recordings (several minutes to 2+ hours). Transferred to McConnell Library Archives & Special Collections from Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center, Fall 2013.