Back in the day announcing the death of a family member was quite different. There was no telephone and of course no Internet.
Although notifying friends and family members in person was best, Mourning cards, edged in black were often hand delivered or mailed.
Some were sealed with black sealing wax. Victorian families often posted a similar mourning card to the front door to let neighbors and visitors know there had been a death. Sometimes the door was adorned with a black bow, black crepe, a wreath of laurel, or a bundle of yew branches .
Black seemed to be the universal color of death. For at least a year after the death, Victorian relatives some time used stationery and handkerchiefs with a black border. Widows wore black and many would not leave their homes without covering their faces with a dark veil. Some restricted their jewelry to what was called “mourning jewelry” , limited to jet black there were lockets, bracelets, or brooches woven or braided from the hair of the deceased. Men’s mourning practices could generally go about their lives, sometimes wearing a black arm band to signify their loss.
Chicago and Cook County Cemeteries 