Forum Flashbacks: Feb. 27-March 5
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, FEB. 28, 1975
50 YEARS AGO: Mrs. Adkins Celebrates 100th Birthday At Party – The happy occasion of Mrs. Ida Adkins 100th birthday was made complete by the visit of her son, William E. Adkins. He arrived Tuesday from Shreveport, La., to be with his mother at her birthday party held Wednesday at Black’s Nursing Home, Maryville.
50 years ago
Maryville Daily Forum, Feb. 28, 1975
“It’s a good long time to wait for a celebration,” said Mrs. Ida Adkins. But what a celebration it was Wednesday with a number of birthday cakes, visits from many friends, flowers, gifts and most important of all, a visit from her son, William E. Adkins, Shreveport, La.
One hundred years is a long time and like she said, “There’s quite a gap, things are very much different, very much. We learned to depend on our own powers of intellect. We had to make the most of what we had.” …
Although Mrs. Adkins has been a resident of the Black Nursing Home, Maryville, off and on for the past four years, she still calls Graham her home. Born in Maryville, she moved to Graham with her family when she was 4-years old. When she was 12, she and a girl friend became members of the Graham United Methodist Church, joining during a tent meeting.
As she says, “I’ve had some experience in the sewing line.” She did dressmaking for many years and continues to sew as a hobby. Now her sewing primarily benefits the other residents of the home, doing mending and patching for them.
Poetry has been another of her lifelong interests. “I’m a lover of it, I get hungry for it, so I get my book and read.” In addition to reading her poetry she also has composed a number of poems. In one she wrote at the request of John Jahne, July 26, 1926, she tried to touch on the items of her town.
HOMETOWN
Graham, how regally it crowns
The gentle slope, above the Elkhorn Creek
In quiet solitude, her poise
And manners ever meek.
My hometown well loved,
As that of ancient lore;
Is filled with myriad greetings
From out each cottage door.
To me the sun shines brightest,
On that sequestered nook,
And deep shadows seem to play
Along the babbling brook.
The flowers bloom in deeper hue,
Than those I elsewhere find;
As most of earth is centered there,
In that hometown of mine.
100 years ago
The Maryville Daily Democrat-Forum, March 2, 1925
ENDS LIFE BY TAKING POISON
Excelsior Springs, Mo. — A “Main street” romance, happy in its birthplace in a home-talent play, turned into tragedy as pretty Kathleen Hawkins, school teacher, wept over the suicide of Glenn Hornbuckle of Maryville, Mo. — the man she liked but could not love.
Hornbuckle took poison on the girl’s porch last night when she continued to refuse to marry him.
Miss Hawkins’ refusal to take his proposal of marriage seriously caused him to swallow a capsule of strychnine last night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Bates with whom the young woman boarded. When Hornbuckle collapsed a few minutes after taking the poison, Miss Hawkins ran crying up stairs to Mr. Bates.
Miss Hawkins was the heroine and Hornbuckle the hero of a home talent play here last September. The friendship began then. The young man went regularly with the school teacher until he started to work with a publishing company in Kansas City. She protested that she did not care enough for him to marry him.
When he came here a week ago and found Miss Hawkins entertaining another young man, he watched moodily from across the street for several hours. Yesterday, he demanded that she cease all attentions to other young men.
“Let’s not talk seriously,” the girl commented.
Hornbuckle then put a capsule of strychnine in his mouth. He died a few minutes later.
___________
Glenn Hornbuckle, who committed suicide in Excelsior Springs yesterday afternoon, disappeared from Maryville in August, 1924, deserting his wife to whom he was married in the fall of 1923. He had operated a beauty shop here for several weeks before his disappearance. He had previously been employed as a printer here.
No divorce proceedings had been started by Mrs. Hornbuckle here, and it is not known whether or not her husband had started proceedings. … His wife, who was visiting with his mother, Mrs. Anna Hornbuckle, who is living over the Real Estate Bank, received word of her husband’s death last night. She collapsed following the receipt of the message. …
Hornbuckle had served in the aviation corps of the army during the World War. It is said by some of his friends in Maryville that he had been mentally unbalanced at times following his discharge from the army. …
Hornbuckle, who was 25 years old, is also survived by an infant daughter, Mary Charline, born about three months ago.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The 50-year and 100-year flashbacks are courtesy of the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project from the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessible at shsmo.newspapers.com.
MARYVILLE DAILY FORUM, MARCH 1, 1975
50 YEARS AGO: Musical Program; Royalty Climax Honors Night ’75 – Climaxing an evening of musical and comedy entertainment, Joe Meyer and Jolene Giesken were named Mr. and Miss MHS at the annual Honors Night Feb. 20.
