"The worst thing parents have to endure is burying their own child."

"The worst thing parents have to endure is burying their own child." I'm not sure which relative told this to me, but I'm sure it's true.

Now, imagine parents having to bury all nine of their children. In fact, three of them were buried in the same year - 1972. That's what Joseph and Marybeth Tinnings had to do.

Joyce Egginton's true story, From Cradle to Grave, is on this family. Egginton begins the story by providing the names, birth dates, and death dates of:

• Barbara - 4 years old when she died in 1972
• Joseph - 2 years old when he died in 1972
• Jennifer - 1 year old when she died in 1972
• Timothy - less than 1 month old when he died in 1973
• Nathan - 5 monts old when he died in 1975
• Michael (adopted) - 2 years old when he died in 1981
• Mary Francis - 3 months old when she died in 1979
• Jonathan - 4 months old when he died in 1980
• Tami Lynne - not quite 4 months old when she died in 1985

Questions were raised. Were the children born with genetic defects? Was is SID (sudden infant death)? Why would a healthy adopted child also die at such a young age? If they were murdered by their mother, was it because of postpartum depression?

It wasn't until the death of Tami Lynne that a criminal investigation was held.

Although this book that we have in the library is a little worn, the writing is still fresh and intriguing. From Cradle to Grave can be found on the second floor under the call number 364.1523 TIN.

c Waterloo Public Library 2007