Surname Saturday - Joseph W. Hawk family

I see looking back where I listed the family of George Washington Hawk, my great grandfather, but not that of his son, my grandfather, Joseph Washington Hawk (b. 16 May 1858, Montgomery County, Indiana, d. 11 Oct 1935, Clemville, TX).  So here goes:*Married Martha Jane Hess, daughter of Charles and Margaret (Martin) Hess 21 Sept 1881 in Phillips County, Kansas
Children:
1. Hattie Florence, b. 25 Aug 1882, Kirwin, KS; d. 18 Feb 1967, Bay City, TX; m. Tony Showers, 17 Jan 1903 Rooks County, KS;
2. John Walter, b. 26 Aug 1885, Kirwin, KS, d. 1 Oct 1972, Lake Wilson, MN; m. (1) Lillian Brown 14 Apr 1909 Phillips County, KS, later divorced, (2) Josephine Margaret Shannon, 26 Nov 1920, in Sanborn County, South Dakota;
3. George Washington, b. 30 Oct 1887, Kirwin, KS, died in World War I on November 1, 1918.
4. Charles Edward, b. 25 Aug 1890, Kirwin, KS, d. 29 Nov 1962, Mitchell, South Dakota; m. Amelia Idella Sterner (Mattie) on 14 Sept 1921 in Kingsburg County, SD;
5. Alexander Quintas, b. 12 Feb 1893, Kirwin, KS, d. 13 Mar 1893, Kirwin, KS;
6. William Evans, born and died 13 May 1894, Kirwin, KS;
7. Salina Edythe, b. 17 Aug 1896, Kirwin, KS, d. June 1978 Texas; m. Marshall C. Alexander on 2 Mar 1916 in Matagorda County, Texas;
8. Joe Hesacar (my dad), b. 23 Nov 1899 Kirwin, KS; d. 21 Nov 1981, Palacios, Texas, m. Alma Josephine Bond Showers on September 2, 1936;
9. Rosie Clarcey, b. 30 Oct 1903, Kirwin, KS, d. 14 Jun 1949, San Antonio, TX.

A Letter from Mama

Just recently I came across this letter from my mother written in December, 1977.  (Wow, that was a long time ago.)  People often have one picture of a person--some thought my mother was super critical, for example--but a truer vision of that person might be seen when their thoughts are expressed in a carefully written letter. The sweet concern for me expressed in her letter paints a portrait of the mother I knew and loved.  Without letters like this, her caring and concern would be lost. Sadly, letter writing is going the way of the buggy whip. What a great loss.  Without letters like this, we can't look back at the love that was expressed.  And so often today, we don't take the time to know a person's inner thoughts.

This was written two and a half years before she died.   Her writing is pretty shaky.  This was probably written after her first stroke. Letters were important to her and me at that time because there was still no phone service to the farm.  Thankfully, that did arrive  not long after this and we were able to speak often before her death.   I hope you are able to read the letter. Just in case, I've transcribed it below.

 


Tuesday 13, 1977 (Dec. 13, 1977)

Dear Genie, Teddy & Amy,
Sure wanted to come down for TJ's (Teddy's) birthday.  We just didn't have the push to start start out. Thought of the three of you all day.
Thank you Genie for the C. Will try to see about a water heater this week. Papa and I just can't make it to Lake Jackson.  Not now anyway. Thank you Genie, so very much love.  We may not cash it. You see you had such a rough time. Don't be mad at us or think it wasn't appreciated. It is. You will never know how much. Please understand. Okay?
It's raining here this morning but not cold.
Oh! Did you get the gift for TJ's birthday?
Would he like a watch for Xmas do you think.
Must get this out there. (Getting the letter to the mailbox at the farm.)
Love from Mama and Daddy.
God's care our Love.

Benjamin & Nora Timmons Bond Marriage Certificate

This is a copy of my grandparents' marriage certificate.  They were married in Bowie  County, Texas on November 29, 1898.  I came by this document after visiting the Bowie County courthouse and learning that the old marriage certificates which had not been picked up were given to a lady from Arkadelphia, Arkansas.  The clerk gave me the address and instructions to visit a feedstore in Arkadelphia.  So Bob and I traveled on down the road, met the lady in the feedstore, and were rewarded with several marriage licenses.   This document is getting a little fragile, but then it's only over 100 years old.  You will need to enlarge it to see it clearly.  The little part below belongs on the bottom of the certificate, but for some unknown reason I bought a scanner that would only scan a page about letter size.  Oops.

Gold Star Grandmother Martha Jane Hess Hawk

This is not a group anyone wishes to join, but an admirable group has seen to it that mothers of fallen soldiers are recognized.  Gold Star Mothers Day is always the last Sunday in September.  More information is available at Gold Star Moms.
Jane Hess was born to Charles Hess and Margaret Martin in Grant County, Wisconsin in 1859.  She married Joseph Washington Hawk in Phillips County, Kansas in 1881.  Their son George Washington Hawk was born there in 1887.  In 1908 they left Kansas for south  Texas and lived in Matagorda County, Texas the rest of their lives.   Their son George was first buried in France, but was later moved to Hawley Cemetery and interred with the rest of the family, at his mother's request.  There is information on George W. Hawk, her son who was killed in France in November 1918 at this Matagorda County Sons of World War I.   

I've been searching for a photo of George W. Hawk for some time but haven't been able to find one.   Neither the Kansas nor Texas books of photographs of World War I soldiers include one, although he is listed in the Texas book.   I only have one known photo of my grandmother, included here.  If there are others out there, I'd love to see them or have copies.  

My dad's Uncle Quint's family

I only heard my dad talk about two of his uncles - his favorites - Uncle Quint and Uncle Bill.  Uncle Quint was Oliver Quintas Hawk, sometimes listed as Olliver Quintas Hawk.   Uncle Bill was William Evans Hawk, oldest son of George Washington and Salina Hudson Hawk. 

This summer I was able to visit the grave of Uncle Quint and his wife, Suda Anderson Hawk, in a tiny town in eastern New Mexico called Elida.  Elida is in Roosevelt County, southwest of Clovis.

I was curious about this part of my dad's family for several reasons. On the way to Texas, my dad's family had stopped at this uncle's house in Oklahoma on their move to Texas.  My great grandmother had remained there and is buried in Payne County, Oklahoma. But the Oklahoma family kind of disappeared from there.  I searched back in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Texas, even California, but wasn't able to find them until the census records became available online through Ancestry.  To my surprise, Uncle Quint and family had moved to New Mexico.  He didn't die until 1960 when he was about 87 years old.  My folks and I had traveled near there in about 1965 and I'm pretty sure my dad didn't know his Uncle Quint's family was that close. 

Uncle Quint and Aunt Suda (I'm assuming that's what she was called, although I can imagine it being Sudie) had three childlren:  Walter Hesicar, Oliver Quintas, and a daughter, Cecil M. 

Walter Hesicar (same middle name as my father, Joe Hawk) was born in 1888 in Nodaway County, Missouri.  He married Dessie McQuain in Payne County, Oklahoma.  They had one child that I know of: Homer Oliver Hawk, born in 1908.  In 1930 they were living in Payne County, OK.

Oliver Q. Hawk was born 1900 in Payne County, Oklahoma and married Beatrice Cochrain in Roosevelt County, NM on Valentine's Day in 1921.  They had two children I know of: Ollie Clint Hawk, born 1926 and  Bennie Louisa Hawk, born 1929.  He died in Smith County, Texas in 1973.

Cecil M. Hawk was born in 1903 in Oklahoma and married Steve Cochrain on the same day her brother married Beatrice Cochrain.   She and Steve Cochrain had a son, Montie Cochrain. she is buried in the Elida Cemetery, as is her husband and son.  After her husband's death, she married again and her name on the tombstone is Lea.

 
I would love to know more about my Hawk and Cochrain cousins.  As usual, I was rushing down the road and didn't take time to see if there were any of the family still left in Elida.  That just means a trip back!

Aunt Jackie's Story

Aunt Jackie's story about their late night swim is again in the news.   She would be so tickled to see it on the internet.  She would have loved the world wide web.  See her story at Baytown Texas site

An Arranged Marriage

When I was a teenager, in a time long ago, a neighbor and friend of my mother, had become widowed and then remarried quickly. Of course, the community was appalled at this scandolous behavior. I was therefore surprised when Mama defended the lady, who had complained to her of being so lonely after her husband's death. It was only much later than I learned the reason for that defense: my mother had done exactly the same thing! 

Let me explain.  Mother was first married to Leonard George Showers and they lived in 1930 in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana according to the census. Leonard was the son of Hattie Hawk Showers, eldest daughter of Joseph W. and Martha Jane (Hess) Hawk, and was therefore also my Dad's oldest sister. The elder Showers family also emigrated to Texas from Kansas with the rest of the family by covered wagon in 1908. Mama and Leonard Showers had one child, a boy also named Leonard George, born in 1931. Below is the only photo we have of Leonard.  He is shown with his son, my brother George.

Sadly, Leonard Sr. contracted tuberculosis, and after lingering for several years, died of this disease on March 1, 1936. During his illness, they had returned to his parents' home in south Texas.  As he lay dying, according to my brother and others in the family, he asked his Uncle Joe, my father, to marry and take care of his wife and son. My parents did marry, and only six months later, on September 2, 1936. Remember, this would have been in the middle of the Great Depression.  Can you imagine being suddenly a widow with a young son to raise, and in a rural farm community with no jobs?  In spite of being an "arranged marriage" it was a long and happy one, and they always seemed very devoted to one another. They were married for just short of 44 years when my mother died in June of 1980.

In my post of January 3, 2010, I covered the family lines of my parents, Joe H. Hawk and Alma Josephine Bond. See My Parents' Families