Max Hunter Folk Song Collection, at Southwest Missouri State University.

An old fave, forgotten due to sloppy bookmarking. Rediscovered when searching for versions of that great old folktune “Gathering Flowers for the Master’s Bouquet,” penned by Marvin Blumgardner.

I suspect this of being a nom de guerre considering the song’s subject matter and central metaphor. The lyrics begin, “Death is an angel sent down from above, gathering blooms for the one that he loves*” and continue in that piously morbid vein for a tidy 2:54. The song has been recorded by several old hands (including the fantastic version by the Stanley Brothers that was my introduction to the tune).

Of course, “Blumgardner” could simply be a transcriptionist’s slip, considering that Marvin Baumgardner is also credited with the song, in more authoritative contexts.

*Actually, that’s how I recall the lyrics. In reality they run: “Death is an angel sent down from above; sent for the buds and the flowers we love.”