Cause of Death: Puerperal Eclampsia (Amanuensis Monday)

The Jackson Four

Yesterday I introduced you to "the Jackson four," a group of three siblings and their sister-in-law buried in Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery at Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia. Today I would like to focus on the sister-in-law, Mittie P. Jackson:

In Memory of
Mittie P. Jackson
Wife of B. M. Jackson
Born Nov 7, 1882
Died Feb 12, 1919
Here is one who is sleeping in faith and love,
with hope that is treasured in Heaven above.

While searching for information about Mrs. Mittie Jackson, I was fortunate to find her death certificate via FamilySearch.org and the Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927 database. In it, her cause of death was described as "puerperal eclampsia." This condition lasted for 1 & 3/4 days, and a contributory cause was her pregnancy of five months. An online medical dictionary (with the American Heritage Medical Dictionary listed as the source) describes this condition as "Convulsions and coma that are associated with hypertension, edema, or proteinuria, occurring in a woman immediately following childbirth."

All I could think of upon reading the death certificate and the subsequent definition is How awful! Mittie was only 36 years old when she died. Somewhat ironically, she was laid to rest in the Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery on Valentine's Day, 1919.

Here's more information transcribed from Mittie's death certificate:

- Full name: Mrs. Mittie Whitworth Jackson
- Died 12 Feb 1919 at Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia
- Born 7 Nov 1882 in Georgia
- Occupation: Housekeeper
- Father: J. B. Whitworth (born Georgia)
- Mother: Caroline Lampkin (born Georgia)
- Informant: Byron Jackson of Lawrenceville, Georgia [I think this is her husband.]
- Cause of Death: Puerperal Eclampsia (1 & 3/4 days); Contributory: Pregnancy (5 months)
- Burial: Fairview at Lawrenceville, Georgia 14 Feb 1919