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This volume contains funeral home records for the Charles S. Topping Funeral Parlor, otherwise known as the “Topping Funeral Parlor” for the years of 1905 through 1914. The original blank book was published by F. J. Feineman for mortuary homes across America to fill in and would have cost $3 to purchase at the time. It is a 300-page record book, two records per sheet of paper (1 on front, 1 on back) though the book has additional pages for the index. The scan did not include blank pages and as such, stops at page 264. There is an index at the front of the book, but it is incomplete and inaccurate. We have provided a complete index to the manuscript below the book images.
The form starts with the number of the record and includes the date. It then provides place for the Name of Deceased, where born, name of the individual charged for the funeral, who (or relationship to deceased) gave the order, how the body was secured, date of funeral, place of death, where the funeral service was held and the time, Clergyman officiating, certifying physician, physicians residence, number of Burial Certificate, cause of death, date of death, occupation of the deceased, single or married, religion, age, body to be shipped to, size and style of Casket or Coffin, Manufacturer, Interment at, Lot or grave number, section number, names of pall bearers. A column of information on the front of the form deals with the costs of the specific funeral and a ledger at the bottom for how and when it was paid.
Unfortunately, it does not appear that the section for the names of pall bearers was ever used. The physical records for this item are maintained in archival binders at the Los Gatos Library, located at 100 Villa Ave., Los Gatos, California, and are accessible to the public for viewing and copying.
The last record in the book for Oroville was #53 and occurred on 8 Oct 1905, the first record for Los Gatos community is #55 and occurred on 27 May 1908. Record #54 is blank. Some records have obituaries and certificates of death.
See also: Topping Funeral Parlor Records, 1915 through 1919
Charles S. Topping Funeral Parlor Records, 1905 to 1914
Index to the 1904-1915 Topping Funeral Parlor Records
This is an accurate index to the Topping Funeral Parlor Records for the years of 1915 to 1919. It includes the surname, given name, page number (stamped in blue), location (whether funeral occurred in Oroville or Los Gatos) and whether an obituary is included with the record. Please reference the individual in the file above using the page number.
Surname | Given | Page | Location | Obituary |
---|---|---|---|---|
Light | Peter | 1 | Oroville | |
Mayes | Samuel | 2 | Oroville | |
Purchase | Robert W. | 3 | Oroville | |
Nagel | David | 4 | Oroville | |
Kim | Ah Jr. | 5 | Oroville | |
Fouche | Leroy Francis | 6 | Oroville | |
Farnham | E. P. | 7 | Oroville | Obituary |
Proboose | David | 8 | Oroville | |
Hueng | Ah | 9 | Oroville | |
Patterson | John | 10 | Oroville | |
Whitters | Robert Henry | 11 | Oroville | |
Bishop | James Harris | 12 | Oroville | |
Roderick | Isabelle | 13 | Oroville | |
Joste | John | 14 | Oroville | |
Mason | William Henry | 15 | Oroville | |
Alexander | John | 16 | Oroville | |
Digney | Daniel | 17 | Oroville | |
Babcock | Martha Anna | 18 | Oroville | |
Davis | Joseph R. | 19 | Oroville | |
Wright | Hulbert | 20 | Oroville | |
Ball | Enoch | 21 | Oroville | |
Peralta | C. P. Du Fo | 23 | Oroville | |
McKiermen | John | 22 | Oroville | |
Wolcott | Charles P. | 24 | Oroville | |
Richardson | Walter | 25 | Oroville | |
Granger | Isabella | 26 | Oroville | |
Joung | Lung | 27 | Oroville | |
Tecklenberg | Hans | 28 | Oroville | |
Kneedler | George W. | 29 | Oroville | |
Rutan | John | 30 | Oroville | |
Zink | infant of Daniel | 31 | Oroville | |
Beard | Linda H. | 32 | Oroville | |
Noeles | Peter | 33 | Oroville | |
Knowles | C. L. | 34 | Oroville | |
Corbierre | C. F. | 35 | Oroville | |
Ketchum | Isaac | 36 | Oroville | |
Dinsmore | W. G. | 37 | Oroville | |
DeSumbre | John | 38 | Oroville | |
Hendricks | William T. | 39 | Oroville | |
Streeter | Daniel Gates | 40 | Oroville | |
Cook | Levi Francis | 41 | Oroville | |
Nevels | Addie | 42 | Oroville | |
Sanford | John Warren | 43 | Oroville | |
Beeker | Nannie | 44 | Oroville | |
Curtis | Leonard | 45 | Oroville | |
Sinbad | John | 46 | Oroville | |
Hill | Mary | 47 | Oroville | |
Schumacher | Henry | 48 | Oroville | |
Johnson | Elizabeth B. | 49 | Oroville | |
Goldsmith | Adam | 51 | Oroville | |
Schierfold | Herman Frederick | 50 | Oroville | |
Jensen | Emma | 52 | Oroville | |
LeRossignol | Howard B. | 53 | Oroville | |
54 | ||||
Johnson | Mary A. | 55 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Black | Sarah Ann | 56 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Madison | Henry Bennett | 57 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Welch | Ephraim | 58 | Los Gatos | |
Anderson | Gudbyorg | 59 | Los Gatos | |
Foreman | Stanton | 60 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Mayhew | William Montgomery | 61 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Hoerler | Hurbert | 62 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Penwell | Henry Carlton | 63 | Los Gatos | |
Hamilton | Joseph E. | 64 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
McIntosh | Duncan Bryant | 65 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Cooper | Samuel Newell | 66 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Harwood | William Sumner | 67 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Mann | Anna | 68 | Los Gatos | |
Barton | Martha Coffin | 69 | Los Gatos | |
Kepmer | May Morrison | 70 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Cox | James Warren | 71 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Prine | Amos Barker | 72 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Ford | Eugene Long | 73 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Trapani | Frank | 74 | Los Gatos | |
Beard | John Dickey | 75 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Firth | James | 76 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Bean | John | 77 | Los Gatos | |
Wallace | Campbell W. | 78 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Bishop | William Aubrey | 79 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Coll | William Silvester | 80 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Darneal | Edward Marlborough | 81 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Sullivan | James Joseph | 82 | Los Gatos | |
Oakes | Carey | 83 | Los Gatos | |
Kinsey | Solomon | 84 | Los Gatos | |
Fales | Alexander Doreas | 85 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
86 | ||||
Schmidt | John | 87 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Rodulovich | Spario | 88 | Los Gatos | |
Emmons | Prudence S. | 89 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Spatz | Pauline | 90 | Los Gatos | |
Mann | Israel D. | 91 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Ziegler | Joseph (infant) | 92 | Los Gatos | |
Hall | George Milton | 93 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Owens | Josiah | 94 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Morgan | Anne Eugeina Felicia | 95 | Los Gatos | |
Power | Flora | 96 | Los Gatos | |
Edwards | Wilson Steven | 97 | Los Gatos | |
Hanegress | Freta | 98 | Los Gatos | |
Chivers | Laura | 99 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Erwin | Evangeline | 100 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Hall | William | 101 | Los Gatos | |
Austin | Otis Brown | 103 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
McIntyre | William B. | 102 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Alexander | Infant of James | 104 | Los Gatos | |
Jacobs | John M. | 105 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Walker | Leslie | 106 | Los Gatos | |
Austin | Harry | 107 | Los Gatos | |
Olson | Esther Amalia | 108 | Los Gatos | |
Sabin | Sidney Avery | 109 | Los Gatos | |
110 | ||||
111 | ||||
Fletcher | Emma Lynde Alvoid | 112 | Los Gatos | |
Gelatt | David Clifford | 113 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Noble | Benjamin Henry | 114 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Scofield | Orange Dayton | 115 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Johnson | George | 116 | Los Gatos | |
Seastream | Marie | 117 | Los Gatos | |
Frisbie | Stephen Henry | 118 | Los Gatos | |
Follett | Giles Alfred | 119 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Sorenson | Sina Sophia | 120 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Ausman | Emily Loraine | 121 | Los Gatos | |
Lawrence | Stanley Monroe | 122 | Los Gatos | |
Kaldunski | Thomass T. | 123 | Los Gatos | |
Parker | Julia Anna | 124 | Los Gatos | |
Forrest | James Morton | 125 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Lawrence | Lucy M. | 126 | Los Gatos | |
Yelland | Eleanor Sherman | 127 | Los Gatos | |
Klotz | Waldemar F. | 128 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Robertson | Andrew Camp | 129 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Dye | Nancy McGreer | 130 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Ellis | Thimothy William | 131 | Los Gatos | |
Pratt | Denison | 132 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Nesten | Mrs. Ellen | 133 | Los Gatos | |
Deacon | William | 134 | Los Gatos | |
Khum | Lam | 135 | Los Gatos | |
Stevens | Mamie | 136 | Los Gatos | |
Buxton | John Wesley | 137 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Wells | Edith C. | 138 | Los Gatos | |
Martin | Lenard Jacob | 139 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Layton | Aaron | 140 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Kent | 141 | Los Gatos | ||
Mason | William Augustus | 142 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Ball | Sarah | 143 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Wight | Mary A. | 144 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Wall | Joshua | 145 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Lawrence | Lucinda | 146 | Los Gatos | |
Stuart | Mary Elizabeth | 147 | Los Gatos | |
Ladagnous | Helene M. | 148 | Los Gatos | |
Van Denburgh | Daniel | 149 | Los Gatos | |
Gurlach | Percy A. | 150 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Thompson | Mary | 151 | Los Gatos | |
Lightbody | Jane Jannette S. | 152 | Los Gatos | |
Latimer | George | 153 | Los Gatos | |
Fritsch | Emily Alice | 154 | Los Gatos | |
Boys | Fred Harrison | 155 | Los Gatos | |
Suamosa | Tako | 156 | Los Gatos | |
Van de Venter | Ellen | 157 | Los Gatos | |
Sakanai | infant of S. | 158 | Los Gatos | |
Cecil | Don Francis | 159 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Roland | Joseph | 160 | Los Gatos | |
Flourney | John | 161 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Fairfield | Ann Morton | 162 | Los Gatos | |
Mallory | Charles Wesley | 163 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Copple | Irwin Charles | 164 | Los Gatos | |
Asedo | Carrie | 165 | Los Gatos | |
Woods | George Anthony | 166 | Los Gatos | |
Jordan | Frank E. | 167 | Los Gatos | |
Mann | Ella S. | 168 | Los Gatos | |
Mann | Annie Lorilla | 169 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Sine | Francis Nellie | 170 | Los Gatos | |
Lyndon | John Weldon | 171 | Los Gatos | |
Ewan | Catherine H. | 172 | Los Gatos | |
Heisinger | Forrest Earl | 173 | Los Gatos | |
Robertson | Martha Almira | 174 | Los Gatos | |
Withers | John Even Price | 175 | Los Gatos | |
Caldwell | Grace Louise | 176 | Los Gatos | |
Edwards | Albert Earnest | 177 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Clancy | Robert K. | 178 | Los Gatos | |
Bouton | Harriet Fowles | 179 | Los Gatos | |
Mason | May Reb | 180 | Los Gatos | |
Clutts | Rebecca Ann Caroline | 181 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Butler | Elvira Ann | 182 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Coller | William | 183 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Tonaka | Mary | 184 | Los Gatos | |
Merrill | Kate Amelia | 185 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Belknap | Carrington | 186 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Devereaux | Reuben | 187 | Los Gatos | |
Lamb | Francis Arthur | 188 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Sakanai | Frederick Toshi Measa | 189 | Los Gatos | |
Miehl | Eva | 190 | Los Gatos | |
Devereaux | Polly M. | 191 | Los Gatos | |
Post | Harriet Louise | 192 | Los Gatos | |
Baily | Ruamah Jane | 193 | Los Gatos | |
Musante | Ernest | 194 | Los Gatos | |
Darneal | Cordelia Adelaid | 195 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Morgan | Elizabeth M. A. | 196 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Crall | Edward L. | 197 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Sickafoose | George W. | 198 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Lipscomb | Edna N. | 199 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Savisari | Catherine Louise | 200 | Los Gatos | |
Newcomb | Harley | 201 | Los Gatos | |
French | Charles D. | 202 | Los Gatos | |
Thompson | Charlotte S. | 203 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Alexander | Harriet Marie | 204 | Los Gatos | |
Wurz | Charles | 205 | Los Gatos | |
Manion | William A. | 206 | Los Gatos | |
Mahan | James Henry | 207 | Los Gatos | |
Lockwood | Charles Hanford | 208 | Los Gatos | |
Forbes | William | 209 | Los Gatos | |
Hedza | Anastacia Hernandez | 210 | Los Gatos | |
Ingham | Abbie W. | 211 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Harris | William Henry | 212 | Los Gatos | |
Burgoz | Jules | 213 | Los Gatos | |
Powell | Charles George | 214 | Los Gatos | |
Johnson | Charlotte Marjorie | 215 | Los Gatos | |
Tashiro | Tanne | 216 | Los Gatos | |
McCartney | Paden Aram | 217 | Los Gatos | |
Withey | Hadassah | 218 | Los Gatos | |
Lord | Samuel Leotus | 219 | Los Gatos | |
Berry | Josephine Debora | 220 | Los Gatos | |
Hall | Mary | 221 | Los Gatos | |
Howell | Charles Franklin | 222 | Los Gatos | |
Yoshaioka | S. | 223 | Los Gatos | |
Hammang | Nellie | 224 | Los Gatos | |
Beatie | George Wallace | 225 | Los Gatos | |
Knowles | Sabra Ann | 226 | Los Gatos | |
Hubbell | Matthew | 227 | Los Gatos | |
Baker | James Edward | 228 | Los Gatos | |
Mason | Amelia B. | 229 | Los Gatos | |
Calley | Harriet Elizabeth Proctor | 230 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Warwick | William | 231 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Walbridge | Elizabeth Jane | 232 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Joy | Charles Henry | 233 | Los Gatos | |
Lyndon | Ora Everett | 234 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Peck | Wesley | 235 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Bowman | Elizabeth | 236 | Los Gatos | |
Bainter | Delila | 237 | Los Gatos | |
Atkinson | Henry A. | 238 | Los Gatos | |
Glennon | Michael | 239 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Kershaw | Sophia Wood | 240 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Vincent | Bert Harden | 241 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Sisson | Nancy Jane | 242 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Dickenson | Hiram Martin | 243 | Los Gatos | |
Greenhill | Humphrey D. | 244 | Los Gatos | |
Cleveland | Ellis Ephraim | 245 | Los Gatos | |
Gray | Emily | 246 | Los Gatos | |
Bacon | Russel | 247 | Los Gatos | |
Brown | Charles W. | 248 | Los Gatos | |
Finlay | Anna Eliza | 249 | Los Gatos | |
Weed | Susan R. | 250 | Los Gatos | |
Reynolds | Harriet A. | 251 | Los Gatos | |
Winning | Eli Arthur | 252 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Norris | Agnes R. | 253 | Los Gatos | |
Ransom | Mary Hadassah | 254 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Inouye | Frank Hiromu | 255 | Los Gatos | |
Theasby | Philip | 256 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
Root | D. H. | 257 | Los Gatos | |
Bacon | Olive | 258 | Los Gatos | |
Shermantine | Catherine | 259 | Los Gatos | |
Marsh | Sarah Maria | 260 | Los Gatos | |
Gill | Fronia C. | 261 | Los Gatos | |
Brunskull | Stephen M. | 262 | Los Gatos | |
Milligan | David Harvey | 263 | Los Gatos | Obituary |
McCarthy | Ellen | 264 | Los Gatos |
About the Records
Charles S. Topping operated a funeral parlor in Los Gatos, California, with records spanning from 1905 to 1919 across two volumes. This volume is the first and covers the years of 1905 through 1914. In 1919, Edwin H. Melvin assumed management, subsequently renaming it Melvin Funeral Parlor (refer to their records for more details). While it’s clear the Topping parlor was active before 1905 in Oroville, these records initiate in January of that year; I do not know what happened to the earlier record books and/or if they still exist.
According to Bill Ellis, Charles S. Topping’s grandson, his grandfather was Los Gatos’s first mortician, potentially establishing the parlor before 1886, predating A. F. Place’s business. I have found evidence only supporting the operation of the Charles S. Topping parlor in 1895 and 1898 in Oroville, not Los Gatos. In Los Gatos the Topping Funeral Parlor was eventually located at 249 West Main Street in 1908, housed on the first floor of a gray building adjacent to the Happy Dragon. That home is now blue.
Mr. Topping was known to be acquainted with some of the impoverished Chinese residents in the area, often providing private funeral services free of charge. During the Chinese New Year, the community reciprocated his kindness with gifts. This narrative is recounted by his grandson, Bill. However, it should be noted that such acts of service are not documented in the records mentioned, other than by Bill’s statement, coming 2nd hand.