Reporting Mark's Death
From "My Family"
http://web.archive.org/web/20060527201425/http://home.earthlink.net:80/~sammark4/id21.html
excerpts:
As a toddler, I suspect I nearly died at about the same age as my late brother, Mark. My sense of connection with Mark has been very powerful since the time I first faced evil in my early 20's. For some reason, I became rather obsessed with him at that time. Looking back, I wonder if he was trying to communicate something to me.
My hospital records after my first suicide attempt document this grave concern and persistent curiosity I had about him. I pestered the family with questions and did whatever research I could think of at that time to uncover the truth about his death.
Another brother, Harry, died under unusual circumstances, though I have not been able to verify the facts surrounding his death. The truth is, with so many lies floating around in our family lore, I'm not actually sure there was a firstborn named Harry. There are no photos, I've seen no birth certificate, death certificate or even a funeral card. Some validation is to be found, however, on Mark's birth certificate and the birth certificate of another older sibling. In a section "How many other children were born alive but are now dead?" both certificates list "1." Another sibling, who was born after Mark's death, lists "2."
I do know a little about Mark, who died before I was born. I know from family pictures, family stories, his funeral card, and recently, his death certificate. My brother died at 24 months of age, and his death certificate is in grave conflict with family lore.
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