CNN has a story that every genealogist can identify with: verifying the accuracy of death information is critical. Two weeks ago, on a day celebrated in many countries as the "Day of the Dead," Ademir Jorge Goncalves, a Brazilian bricklayer walked into his own funeral.
The sight of Goncalves alive shocked relatives, some of whom tried to jump out of the windows of the funeral home in southern Brazil.
The sight of Goncalves alive shocked relatives, some of whom tried to jump out of the windows of the funeral home in southern Brazil.
On November 1, some family members and friends had identified the victim of a car crash as the 59-year-old Goncalves. Only one thing was wrong: they were mistaken. What Goncalves' family did not know is that he had spent the night drinking at a bar near the site of the crash, but he was not the victim. He apparently was sobering up elsewhere.
The mystery was solved later that day when a family in a neighboring town came inquiring about a son who was missing. The family identified the body as their son.
You can read more on the CNN web site at http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/11/08/walking.dead/index.html.
