June Scavenger Hunt: Find a notable member of the community.

 For the prompt of "Find a notable member of the community," for June's Scavenger Hunt - I could think of no one more fitting than my cousin, Owen Hamner Beck.

*Tombstone photograph from Karen Waddell when she photographed the cemetery about ten years ago.*

To this day, in the Geneva and Smith Mills areas - you likely can't find a person who didn't know Hamner. From his barbecuing to his volunteer efforts around the community - I don't think there's a way Hamner didn't help out the area and its people.

Hamner was my Great-Grandma's (Lorene LaRue Blanford) first cousin. He was the son of Thomas Jesse Beck and his first wife, Laura Pearl LaRue, who was my Great-Great-Grandaunt.

He was an exceptionally close friend to my Great-Grandpa, Dick Blanford, and helped him do many things - including making apple cider. That's the photograph I've decided to share with y'all. Hamner (left in the picture) is helping Dick (center of the photo) with the apple cider process.

Hambone, as many called him, married Drusie Mae Gaines on November 7th, 1931, and they reared seven children together - two being stillborn. Of their surviving children - all were sons. I can only imagine how full Drusie's hands were as they were growing up.

In the 1940 census, the married couple and their children are living on the "Mt. Vernon Rd." and are neighbors of the Bishop's and Rhodes'. In the 1950 census, they're living on Highway 136 and are neighbors of the Dance's and Staser's. Back in those days, everyone knew everyone in that small community... and they were all related too, 😂

Hamner's wife, Drusie, preceded him in death on December 20th, 1990, and then he received his own set of Angel wings on January 25th, 2000. I was almost 7 when he passed - I don't remember Hamner from my childhood (I know I met him but, the memories are just too far back and too fuzzy), but I do remember Grandpa Jady talking about him often after Hamner passed. He always had a story to tell about his Dad and Hamner.

Hamner, like most of the other Beck's, lays resting in the Smith Mills Cemetery.

If y'all have any memories with Hamner, please feel free to share! I imagine several of y'all that are from Geneva and Smith Mills remember him and probably know his sons.