Edwin Oscar Hornberger & Fern Gravett Hornberger
- Edwin Oscar Hornberger & Fern Gravett Hornberger
Both of my parents had remained unmarried after high school, mostly due to the Great Depression. Mom's parents lost everything and were forced to move for economic reasons. Dad's family struggled just to make ends meet after the death of his father. He didn't have much time to date or party as he filled the role of breadwinner for his mother, sister and brother. Grandfather Gravett could do many things including construction. He had excellent building skills as well as being an educator, working on the rail road as a conductor and a musican specializing in both piano and horns. Fern learned to play piano and horns such as sax and clarinet. They both met up with love at first sight in Perryville, MO.
It was mostly dad's town but mom was popular where ever she went and quickly won many new friends. Mom spent a long time, however, missing the relatives and friends back in little Cowling, IL. But, when her dad died in 1939, and with her new marriage to Ed, the strings had been cut. She seldom ever got back to what she always called her high school and hometown, Grayville, Il. That's where all the Cowling kids attended. When Ed and Fern met they were in their mid-20's and, as they told me, they were looking for the love of their life but thinking things were socially pretty desperate around the nation as the Great Depression seemed to drag on forever. That was 1938. They married and moved to Memphis, TN where they both studied and worked to have a life. Mom became a hairdresser and dad entered the construction trades. Ed was tired of life on the farm and turned over his interests to his two Lutheran bachelor uncles, Emil and Ted.
The farm is where Ted and Emil lived out their entire lives, never marrying. Emil was overseas in WW1 but despite being a "hero" as a German translator for the American troops, came home and began an otherwise quiet life while living into his mid-90's. Ted did much the same but for the farm. It was Ted that had to stay and run the farm for the good of the nation during WW1 & 2. He never left the farm but for trips on Saturday night into Perryville. Edwin didn't want that life and he married Fern. In 1941, Donn appeared and then two more kids and Ed spent the rest of his life as a painter-decorator in the AFL/CIO trades. He was a full Journeyman and Fern was a licensed certified social worker for the better part of their adult lives. Both were extraordinarily successful in their individual careers. They had a wonderful life, missed Perryville/Cowling often and remained in touch with the extended family for all their years. Eventually, mom and dad moved to St. Louis to make their careers and this photo is one taken in front of their beautiful home in south county. South county is 65 mi. north of St. Louis and they made the trip often. This photo was taken in 1980 in front of Ed and Fern's home on the celebration of Big Ed's birthday, Oct 6. I recall how they worked to have a home where all the relatives could simply drop by, announced or otherwise...and that happened often. Those days are missed by me, for sure.
I hope someone can put a name these people.
Submitted by
Donn Hornberger
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