"Ken McCutchan is a life-long resident of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, descended from pioneer families that entered the area in the early 1800s. He is veteran of WWII, having served with Army Corps of Engineers in both North Africa and Europe. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Composition and Modern Language from the University of Evansville, a certificate in French Language and Culture from the Sorbonne in Paris, and an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from the University of Southern Indiana. His other books include: The Adventures of Isaac Knight, From then Til Now, Saundersville, An English Settlement, At The Bend in the River, and Dearest Lizzie. Mr. McCutchan's books may be purchased at Willard Library in Evansville, IN.

The Life and Deaths of Little Annie Smith   

by Kenneth P. McCutchan

Little Annie Smith was dead, but it was a peculiar sort of funeral. A large gathering of family, friends and the curious had followed her coffin to the little cemetery overlooking the outskirts of New Albany, Indiana, a century ago.

As they stood nervously huddled together around the open grave, there was tension in the atmosphere. Some people looked frightened, some were confused, and some just wept openly and bitterly.

The preacher seemed tediously deliberate in administering the graveside rites, as if he were trying to delay the final commitment as long as possible.

But at last the words were said, and the coffin lowered into the ground. The crowd was reluctant to leave, but as the diggers began their grim task of shoveling in the dirt, the people turned away and went home, wondering.

Wondering, because this was the second time around, Anna had died before.

That time she had been properly laid out, and the neighbors, as was the custom, had brought in loads of food for the wake.

A group of close friends had come to sit up with the corpse all night. The hours had dragged on, and toward morning Annie suddenly opened her eyes, sat up, and asked what all the commotion was about.

As if refreshed from a long sleep, the little girl had claimed to be feeling well – so well, in fact, that two days later she had persuaded her mother to let her go to the Sunday school picnic.

Back in those days, in a small community, the annual Sunday school picnic was the high point of the summer season, a social event that was not to be missed. So Annie had gone to the picnic and had a grand time.

Tragically, 10 days later she died again, and even though the funeral was put off as long as possible, this time she did not awaken. So it was finally, for Annie, “ashes to ashes and dust to dust.”

But forever after, folks wondered.