Details Make All the Difference: Lillie Hutchins, Westford, Mass., Circa 1893

I was elated when I saw the detailed information on this typical 1890s cabinet card.  Written on the back: "Youngest child of Mr & Mrs. Stephen Hutchins, Lillie Hutchins.  Sister of Abbie Smith.  About 20 years old.  She died at age of 26 years old.  Buried in West Lawn Cemetary, Westford, Mass."

I found Lillie in the 1880 Federal Census with her parents Stephen and Lucy Hutchins¹.  She was seven years old, and two other children were living at home in Westford, Mass. at the time:  Florence (b. 1860) and Ella (b. 1868).  I didn't see Abbie there, so I went to the earlier 1865 Massachusetts State Census, and there was two-year-old Abby².

The notation on the card mentions Lillie's passing at age 26, and this, too, was quite easy to find in the Massachusetts Death Index on familysearch.org.  The exact date of death was February 10, 1899³.  The cause of death was "Neurasthenia," which is a medical diagnosis not used any more.  Symptoms were  extreme fatigue, depression, and anxiety, and nervous system issues.  Lillie's mother's maiden name was Culver.

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1 "United States Census, 1880," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MH6T-4VB : accessed 29 Aug 2012), Lillie E. A. Hutchins in household of Stephen E. Hutchins, Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts; citing sheet 9A, family 4, NARA microfilm publication T9-0539.^↩
2 "Massachusetts, State Census, 1865," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MQCL-1XX : accessed 29 Aug 2012), Abbie J Hutchins in household of Stephen E Hutchins, Westford, Middlesex, Massachusetts.^↩
3 "Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NWQD-NHL : accessed 29 Aug 2012), Lillie E. A. Hutchins, 1899.^↩