Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[kerry]

I think Robert made sure everyone kept a low profile and the press therefore didn't get much information, so I have no idea what we don't know, but based on what we do know I can't come up with much of a judgment on Mary Harlan Lincoln. I feel like a narrative has grown up around her that isn't based on any much information. One of the few pieces of info I can think of was that Jessie's ex-husband claimed Mary Harlan Lincoln basically took his kids away from him. I had never heard that his daughters could not attend the burial. My only speculation as to that would be that I don't think it was a very religious service - wasn't Robert an atheist? As the rest of the family was into Christian Science, perhaps their mother wanted to honor Robert's wishes without admitting this to the kids. And also, maybe after his traumatic life full of funerals of family members, he didn't wish his kids to go through it, and wanted them to just remember him alive.