Funeral rites were held in Sedalia, Missouri, in 1890 that no one present would forget for the rest other lives. Mrs. John Peterson had passed away from dropsy. Her final arrangements were complicated by the fact that Mrs. Peterson was around 300 pounds at the time of her death. From a contemporary newspaper account:
Immediately after Mrs. Peterson's death arrangements were made for the funeral. The largest casket that could be procured in the city was the exact measure required at the time of her death, but as it was not delivered until Friday morning the corpse had swollen so much that it was crowded into the narrow case with difficulty. The lid was screwed down and the remains left in that condition for burial.
The funeral services were set for Saturday afternoon, and, as is customary, a number of neighbors acted as watchers on Friday night. Just as the stillness of midnight was approaching, the watchers were startled by a loud report in the parlor, where the coffin was placed. The women screamed and ran out of the house. but the men plucked up enough courage to go into the parlor.
Yes, the coffin had exploded. Read the rest of the horrifying details, including a burial where the word "dropsy" might apply again, at Strange Company.
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