Black funeral ribbon worn by a City of Bridgeport government official at the funeral of P. T. Barnum. The silk ribbon is printed in silver color ink. The text at the top reads "In Memoriam." The seal of the City of Bridgeport, with its incorporation date of 1836, is beneath. Below the seal are the words, "Bridgeport City Government," and in larger letters below, "Phineas T. Barnum." The date of the funeral, April 10, 1891, is at the bottom of the ribbon. P. T. Barnum died at his home Marina, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on April 7, 1891, apparently from a weakened heart and late effects of a stroke. He was 80 years and 9 months old. He is thought to have suffered a stroke on November 6, 1890, from which he never fully recovered. His death was not unexpected, and he decided to have his obituary published on March 24, 1891, by the New York Tribune so that he could read it before he passed. He spent the last few weeks of his life receiving visits from friends and giving them gifts. Barnum planned his own funeral service, which was held at South Congregational Church in Bridgeport because that church had the capacity to hold the large number of mourners anticipated. Barnum himself was a member of the Universalist church in Bridgeport, and his pastor, Lewis B. Fisher, with Barnum's long-time friend, the Rev. Robert Collyer, conducted the funeral ceremony. The service reflected Barnum's Universalist faith. His coffin was carried from the church to Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport, a magnificent landscaped cemetery that he had helped create in the late 1840s.
