Infant and maternal mortality rates were incredibly high in the 1800s. Pearl and Enon Chance had three children in 1892, 1893, and 1894. This grave marker in the Millen City Cemetery honors them. All were lost during childbirth. At this time in the United States, out of 1000 births, 281 infants would die (statista.com, n.d.).

The maternal mortality rate hovered around 25 deaths out of 1000 in the late 1800s. Pearl Chance died approximately one month after giving birth to her fourth child in 1896. That child, Mary Pearl Chance Hopkins, lived to be 99. (Here is a visualization of maternal death over the years.)

Because death was so frequent during the Victorian age, symbolism would be used on grave markers. Often portrayed as the “eternal sleep,” the use of pillows, as seen here, is quite common. While this is not a cradle for an infant, the infant has been placed on what looks to be a small bed. This also would convert the “eternal rest.”

One thing about this monument is that the children rest by themselves. The mother, Pearl Chance, was laid to rest in Waynesboro, Georgia. Waynesboro and Millen are twenty miles apart. The Chance family was of means so that they could travel easily. I’ve always wondered about this. The Chance family was influential in Waynesboro. Census records did not help me understand this mystery.