Progress Notes

Recently, I received some comments from Tarney Sandifer Smith regarding a photo I had uploaded for the narrative about Absalom Bear (photo 01) in the Progress Notes of October 17.

01 Absalom Bear with Mildred (Adcock) Smith, Granddaugter, John Bear and unknown Children

Ms. Smith’s husband, Phillip Harvey Smith, is a great grandson of John Wesley Bear, brother to Absalom Bear, and is the son of Mildred Adcock, who was the young woman in the photo above. Mildred Adcock, was the daughter of Samuel and Mary Elizabeth Bear Adcock (known as “Lizzie”), and granddaughter of John Wesley Bear and his wife, Delilah Elizabeth Dobson Bear (known as “Aunt Lily”). Mildred Adcock married Harvey Smith, who was Phillip Harvey Smith’s father.

Copied here is what Ms. Smith wrote me in her letter:

Ms. Smith’s letter prompted me to present some more information about John Wesley Bear and the Adcock family for this week’s Progress Notes.

John Wesley and Delilah Bear lived on a farm part of which now is owned by Jack and Joyce Brumley located on Pea Ridge Road a few miles west of Tuscumbia on the south side of the Osage River. The Sam Adcock family early on lived in a “dogtrot cabin” located on the John Bear farm.

Later, the Adcock family moved to a larger home, which Ms. Smith thinks was on the “Lurton farm.”

Here is a photo of Sam and Lizzie Adcock (daughter of John and Delilah Bear) at the larger home with their children when they were young (photo 02):

02 Sam, Lizzie and Children - c1914 - At home near the Bear Farm
Click image for larger view

The caption for this photo is:

“Sam and Lizzie Bear Adcock with their children, taken about 1915:
From left: Raymond, Garland, Sam, Ross, Lizzie with daughter Mildred in front.”

Note: You may notice that the photo indicates the home is located on the John Bear farm so some uncertainty is present about the location of this home.

Here is another photo of Sam and Lizzie Adcock with some of their grandchildren (photo 03):

03 Sam and Lizzie with Grandchildren

 And here is the caption for the photo:

“Sam and Lizzie Bear Adcock with their grandchildren, taken in 1933: From left:
Harold Wayne Adcock, Sam Adcock, Lizzie Adcock holding baby Howard Adcock and Joyce Smith, Ray Adcock kneeling in front.
(They had three more grandchildren born after this picture was taken.)

And here is a photo of the Sam Acock family after the children were grown (photo 03a):

03a Sam and grown Children

The caption for this photo is:

from left:
Henry Raymond Adcock (called Raymond)
Mildred Adcock Smith
Elmer Ross Adcock (called Ross)
Samuel "Sam" Arthur Adcock (died May 9, 1954)
Garland Benjamin Adcock

Here is a photo of John Wesley Bear (photo 04):

04 John Wesley Bear

And here is a photo of some of John’s family taken after he had died (photo 05):

05 John Wesley Bear Family

The caption for photo 05 is:

Sylvia (Benage) Bear, wife of William Madison Bear;
Delilah Elizabeth (Dobson) Bear, widow of John Wesley Bear;
Mary Elizabeth (Bear) Adcock, daughter of John Wesley Bear and Delilah Elizabeth Dobson Bear;
William Madison Bear, son of John Wesley Bear and Delilah Elizabeth Dobson Bear

Before discussing the Adcock family I will copy here John Wesley Bear’s biography which is taken from the Goodspeed History of Miller County published in 1889:

Goodspeed’s History of Miller County
P.747 and p. 748

John Bear, former county judge and justice of the peace, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, December 13, 1834, and was the son of George and Elizabeth Vogt Bear, natives of Kentucky and Ohio respectively.

Note: Here is a photo of John Bear when he was a judge on the county court, sitting second from left (photo 06):

06 County Officials 1901 - John Bear 2nd from Left, Seated
Click image for larger view

And here is a photo of John’s parents (photo 07):

07 George and Elizabeth Bear

The family emigrated from Switzerland to America at an early day, and some of the members located in Pennsylvania and others in Virginia. The paternal grandfather, Christian Bear, was a musician in the Revolutionary War. He was a cabinet maker by trade, and followed this principally during his life. He moved from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, from there to Virginia, and thence to Ohio, where he died. George Bear was a mechanic by trade, but his principal occupation in life was farming. When a young man he went from Virginia to Ohio, and settled in Fairfield County. From there he went to Hocking County, and in 1857 he came with his family to Miller County, where he bought and entered a tract of land in Equality Township. Here he and his wife died. John Bear, subject of this sketch, grew to manhood and received his education in Hocking County, Ohio. In 1857 he came with his parents to this county, and in the spring of 1861 he enlisted in the Home Guards, served a few months and then enlisted in the Enrolled Militia, serving nine months. He was in several skirmishes, was captured at Tuscumbia by the guerrillas, but after a short time was paroled. He was a sergeant and was mustered out in the fall of 1864 (photo 08).

08 John Bear in Civil War Uniform

The same fall he was elected county treasurer, and held the office for two years. In 1866 he was elected county judge, and served ten successive years in that capacity, eight years of which period he was presiding judge. He was also coroner some years, and has been justice of the peace several times. He is one of the prominent men of the county, and an intelligent citizen. He is now the owner of 127 acres of land, with fifty acres under cultivation. He was married in 1859 to Miss Laurinda Birdsong, by whom he had three children, two living…Minnie and John. Mrs. Bear died in 1865, and he was again married in August, 1872, to Miss Delilah Dobson, by whom he has three children…Mary Elizabeth Bear, James and William M. Bear. Mrs. Bear is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the Chapter (see photo 05 above).

The Adcock family of Miller County includes two different lines. One branch is derived from a Joseph Still Adcock about which you can read more from Peggy Hake’s narrative on our website.

The Adcocks’ other branch were descendents of Joel Adcock. A definite connection between the two Adcock families in the county hasn’t been established. Here are Peggy Hake’s comments about the lineage of Samuel Adcock’s ancestors:

Joe,

I couldn't find a definite connection between the two Miller County Adcock families, but I am almost certain they may have been kin to one another because they lived in Virginia and then came on to Miller County in the 1830s.

The following is the family lineage for Samuel Arthur Adcock who married Mary Elizabeth/Lizzie Bear (daughter of John and Delilah (Dobson) Bear)........

Generation I--
  Samuel Arthur Adcock 1871-1954
m. Mary Eliz./Lizzie Bear 1874-1938
    Their Children:
     Henry Raymond     1900-1979 m. Thelma Alice Price
      Elmer Ross            1905-1992 m.  Ocra Wyrick
      Mildred                  1906-1982 m. Harvey Sylvester Smith
      Garland Benjamin 1908-1993 m. Edna Olive Abbott

Gen. II----James Henry Adcock 1844-1882
m. Amanda Minerva Starling

Gen.III----John Madison Adcock 1815-1893 (born SC)
 m. Caroline Matilda Clark-Allen (photo 09)

09 John Madison Adcock and Carolina Matilda Clark Adcock

Gen. IV---Joel Adcock 1792-1876 (born VA)
 m. Elizabeth Childers

Gen. V----Joseph Adcock 1725-1810
m.  Susan Cason

Gen. VI---John Adcock  1625-1735 (born in England)
 m. Mary Carter

Our museum director Nancy Thompson has prepared for this narrative two very complete and detailed genealogical studies of the Joel Adcock family. The two studies follow different formats but each contains much information about the extended Adcock family. I have attached both of these genealogies for those readers who want to explore in detail not only the descendency patterns but also many interesting details about various members of the family (photos 10 and 11).

10 Joel Adcock Family
Click image to view entire document in PDF format

11 Joel Adcock Family
Click image to view entire document in PDF format

One of the interesting members of the Joel Adcock line was John William Adcock, brother to Samuel Adcock (photo 12).

12 John William Adcock

John was one of the better known of the family and quite a lot has been written about him. Mostly, he is recognized as being one of the early steamboat captains on the Osage River. You can read about him at these three locations on our website:

http://www.millercountymuseum.org/homesteads/stillwell.html

http://www.millercountymuseum.org/bios/bio_t.html

http://www.millercountymuseum.org/archives/070616.html

Sam Adcock also worked on the steamboats for a while, but not in as illustrious positions as his older brother, although he probably served occasionally and unofficially as a pilot (mostly, he was probably a deck hand). Phil Smith remembers his great Uncle John's visits with his grandpa, and he loved to listen to their stories, especially those of their steamboating days. One of those was about a time when they were together on a boat when it got froze in at St. Louis, and they subsequently walked all the way back to Tuscumbia!

Tarney Smith, wife of Phil, has put together a transcript of a report submitted by John William Adcock, Pilot of the towboat Daniel Boone, to the Corps of Engineers detailing activity for the ten-day period from May 1 to May 10, 1915. The work consisted primarily of moving barges loaded with willows or rock. You can read Tarney’s most interesting report here (photo 12a).

12a John William Adcock
Click image to read entire document in PDF format

Some of the older residents of the county will remember Phillip Smith’s father, Harvey Smith, who was the husband of Phillip’s mother, Mildred Adcock. For that reason, I am copying here a memorial Phillip wrote of his father several years ago:

A Tribute to Harvey S. Smith
Written and delivered by his son, Phillip H. Smith

Harvey Sylvester Smith was born March 31, 1909 at Canaan, Gasconade County, Missouri. He was raised on the farm of Scipio and Eudora, his parents. He attended school at Immaculate Conception in Owensville, Missouri. He worked at various jobs, principally the Brown Shoe Factory in Owensville, where he met and fell in love with Mildred Adcock of Tuscumbia, Missouri. They were joined in holy wedlock at St. Mary's Church in Mary's Home, Missouri, on December 26, 1931 (photo 13).

13 Harvey and Mildred Adcock Smith - 1957

They were blessed with the birth of a daughter, Joyce Audrey, September 2, 1932. Shortly after, the little family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Harvey obtained employment at the Cheverolet Factory. They lived in St. Louis about two years. This being the height of the Great Depression, the factory cut back production and laid off most of the employees. They returned to the farm of Mildred's parents, Samuel and Elizabeth Adcock in Miller County, where Mildred, who was once again with child, gave birth to a son, Phillip Harvey, June 17, 1935.

Harvey found employment in the Miller County area on the "Farm to Market" road construction projects. Mildred had become ill and was hospitalized at Jefferson City, the nearest medical facility. Harvey later worked for the company that installed the poles and wire cables (commonly known as the "Hi-Line") from the new Bagnell Dam to the Union Electric Company Station at St. Louis. Upon completion of the Hi-Line in about 1939, he once again went to work at the shoe factory in Owensville. Mildred worked there as well. They bought a small house where Harvey, with the help of some of his brothers and friends, built a large addition. The expanded building was outfitted as a dormitory and dining room for male boarders who worked at the shoe factory.

Just after the Second World War began, in early 1942, Harvey started work in St. Louis again at what was commonly known as the "Small Arms Plant," where ammunition was made for military use. Shortly thereafter, Harvey and Mildred purchased a house at 5963 Romaine Place. The family moved there and became members of the parish, St. Barbara's, where their children attended school. They later relocated a short distance away to a different home at 5917 Theodosia Avenue, still in St. Barbara's Parish. The Small Arms Plant closed after the end of World War II, and Harvey found a position at Wagner Electric Company as a millwright for the maintenance department, similar to that he had previously at Small Arms.

While working at Small Arms and later at Wagner, Harvey became active in the labor unions. Very early on, Harvey became aware that the Communist Party was infiltrating the labor unions of this country in an attempt to subvert the government. By controlling the labor force, they hoped to take control of the country. In contrast to current thinking, this was a real threat. He fought this in the union meetings, in the courts, and with his physical force. His life was in danger. He was assaulted and injured several times, to the point that he carried a pistol to protect himself. This proved a good tactic as he warded off attacks on two occasions by flourishing this weapon. Subsequent to this, threats were made against him, his family, friends and property. Secret meetings were held in his basement. Plans were made by Harvey and the other leaders, and through a protracted series of events (some frightening or exciting depending on your point of view), a new union was formed. Through this organization and the courts, the authority to represent the labor force was wrested from Communist control. This pattern was used throughout the country to free other local unions of this threat.

Harvey gained the respect of many through his forthrightness and courage in these events. He was appointed and elected to a number of offices in the local as well as national union organization. Harvey was asked to serve as an organizer of new labor unions in the Indiana and Kentucky areas, and was successfully employed in that endeavor for approximately two years. He was well regarded and respected when he left to resume his prior occupation at Wagner Electric.

Once back to work at his old job, he threw himself wholeheartedly into the task of improving the workers' conditions applying to wages, benefits, safety and other related matters. Harvey was consistently re-elected to serve on the contract negotiating committee because the "rank and file" (as they were called) knew that he got results. Many of his innovative ideas were accepted, and were beneficial to the workers and company alike. His efforts to form a program to train apprentices for skilled factory work came to the attention of federal employees in the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training (BAT), a division of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A new job title was conceived and put into effect by BAT, and Harvey was installed in that capacity at about double his former salary. He remained in this position for 18 months before resigning, because he felt that, due to government red tape, he could accomplish more for workers back at his old job. He continued in this manner, accomplishing many things that, as with all the things mentioned before, he was well satisfied with. He was very proud of the gains he had made for working people and spoke of them often.

Harvey had a very bad accident on the job as a millwright in 1973, when he was 63 years old. He was in a coma for several days, and hospitalized a number of weeks thereafter. We almost lost him then. This was very traumatic and convinced him to retire to his home in Chesterfield, where he had moved with his wife Mildred, daughter Joyce and son Phillip in May of 1952. Mildred had cut off a foot in a lawnmower accident in May of 1958, and her health faded slowly from that time until she went to be with Jesus in February, 1982. Previously, Harvey's daughter Joyce, who had been married about one year, passed away, as well as her eight month old unborn son. This occurred in July, 1962. Harvey bore these unsettling events bravely.

Harvey enjoyed many varieties of activities, among them the breeding and raising of registered beagle hounds and bee keeping. He stopped his kennel operation after disease ravaged his dogs and he could no longer bear to see the animals he loved sick and dying (photo 14).

14 Harvey and Dogs

He was forced to divest himself of his bees and hives after being stung a number of times, until finally one last sting almost caused his demise.

Harvey had been a musician in his youth, playing fiddle, guitar and calling square dances. When his oldest granddaughter, Mona, started violin lessons, his interest in music was rekindled. He began to collect old violins, banjos, guitars and mandolins, and practiced to re-sharpen his playing skills on these instruments. He enjoyed this very much and never failed to attend any musical presentations in which his grandchildren were performing.

Harvey also enjoyed, and with the help of Tarney, Phil's wife, became quite proficient at researching family history. He led a varied and interesting life, many things of which the details are too numerous to mention here. Suffice it to say, his life was a very full one.

Harvey's last years were clouded by his failing mental capacity, and then a recent fall that caused him to be hospitalized for a broken leg. He was strong, courageous and brave, but finally succumbed to the inevitable in the early morning hours of February 21, 1998, at St. John's Nursing Care Facility in St. Louis County, Missouri, near the land grant his ancestors had first settled in 1798. He was 88 years old.

He is survived by his son Phil, and Phil's wife Tarney, four grandchildren, Mona, Kurt, Lenora and Burt, six great-grandchildren, Matthew, Mary, Melinda, Jimmy (Mona's children), Kyle and Billy (Kurt's children), two sisters-in-law, Ava Smith and Edna Adcock, nieces, nephews and many friends.

In 1964 a family photo was taken by Harvey Smith which included all the known living descendents of Samuel and Lizzie Adcock (photo 14a).

14a Adcock Reunion - 1964
Click image for larger view

Here is the narrative sent me by Tarney Smith regarding the photo:

The picture contains all of the descendants of Sam and Lizzie (Bear) Adcock who were living at the time the picture was taken. Two granddaugters (Betty Lou Adcock and Joyce Audrey Smith) died previously, and one more great grandchild was born in 1966 (Burt Everett Smith), as follows:

Front row (children): Mona Smith, Julie Adcock, Linda Adcock, Kurt Smith, Kim Adcock, Lenora Smith on lap of Nikia Adcock, Patricia Wickham, Susan Wickham.

Kneeling behind children: Thelma (Price) Adcock, Pat (Bolinger) Adcock, Garland Adcock.

Standing, from left: Ray Adcock, Gene T. Price, Mary (Cooke) Adcock, Raymond Adcock, Phil Smith, Tarney (Sandifer) Smith, Mildred (Adcock) Smith, Ocra (Wyrick) Adcock, Ross Adcock, Harold Wayne Adcock, Harold Wickham, Edna (Abbott) Adcock, Patsy (Adcock) Wickham, Howard Adcock standing behind Marie (Wickham) Adcock.

The photo was taken about 1964 by Harvey Smith at the home of Raymond and Thelma Adcock in Owensville, Missouri with Ray Adcock's camera.

Tarney Smith

One of the Adcock family, Patsy Adcock Wickham, who is a niece of Mildred Adcock Smith mentioned above, has been very supportive and helpful to us at the museum. She is the daughter of Garland and Edna (Abbott) Adcock, granddaughter of Samuel and Lizzie (Bear) Adcock and was raised in Miller County. Many may remember that for years Garland and Edna operated the grocery and gas station on Highway 17 just south of the Osage River Bridge. The building now is a restaurant (Red Oak Inn) owned by Wes Horton (photo 15).

15 Red Oak Inn

Patsy finds some of the most interesting items for our museum which have included a beautiful embroidered pillow (photo 16), a “hair ball” (photo 17), a large chiffarobe which was made by George Bear, Patsy’s great great grandfather (photo 18), and a long stem corn cob pipe which belonged to her father, Garland (photo 19).

16 Embroidered Pillow

17 Hairball

18 Chiffarobe owned by George Bear

19 Patsy Adcock with father Garland Adcock's Corn Cob Pipe

I am appreciative of the time Tarney Smith took to send us some of the photos used for this narrative as well as providing the story of Harvey and Mildred Adcock Smith’s story after they left Miller County.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the gift to the museum of a large collection of Jewel Tea China by Gary Flaugher.

Nancy Thompson and the museum staff now have a display set up which features this rare and beautiful china which Gary and his wife, Freda, have collected over the last twenty five years. Here are some photos of the display (photos 20 - 24):

20 Jewel Tea Display

21 Jewel Tea Display

22 Jewel Tea Display

23 Jewel Tea Display

24 Jewel Tea Display

In our military history display at the museum we have a large collection of photos of those who have served our country during its various military campaigns. We have invited those who have photographs of loved ones in uniform who served in the U.S. military up through WWII to send them to us for posting on our display board. Recently, former Miller County resident Warren Kallenbach PhD sent a photo of his father, Frederick (Val) Kallenbach, and another of his wife, Patricia’s father, Patrick Adams. Here are the photos and captions (photos 25 and 26):

25 Frederick Valentine Kallenbach

“Frederick Valentine (Val) Kallenbach served on a U.S. Navy troop ship, the U.S.S. Finland, during World War I. He crossed the Atlantic 14 times as a U.S. Navy Boatswain’s Mate. Later he worked for the Anchor Milling and Lumber Co. branch yard in Eugene, Mo. He was born August 5, 1896 on the Kallenbach farm 3 ½ miles north of Tuscumbia near the Little Saline Creek. Val died June 8, 1989 in Mexico, Mo.”

26 Patrick Adams

“Patrick (Pat) M. Adams, Master Sergeant, U.S. Army Signal Corps. He served in France during 1917-1918. Patrick later was a telegrapher for the Rock Island Railroad in Eldon. Missouri.”

We are very grateful to Dr. Kallenbach for his submission of these historical photos of Miller County soldiers who fought in our country’s first World War.

I’ll close this week’s Progress Notes with an old Christmas Card sent out many years ago to family and friends by Ida Hauensein Hix, who was the daughter of Phil Hauenstein (photo 27).

27 Christmas Card from Ida Hauenstein Hix

That’s all for this week.

Joe Pryor

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