Chillicothe Hall of Fame Inductees are selected by a panel of community members.
INDUCTEES
2022 - Claude T. Smith
Claude T. Smith was born in Monroe City, MO on March 14, 1932. He received his undergraduate training at Central Methodist College in Fayette, MO and at the University of Kansas. He composed extensively in the areas of instrumental and choral music. His compositions have been performed by leading musical organizations throughout the world. Having over 110 band works, 12 orchestral works and 15 choral works, he composed solos for such artists as “Doc Severinsen, Dale Underwood, Brian Bowman, Warren Covington, Gary Foster, Rich Matteson and Steve Seward.
Mr. Smith taught instrumental music in the public schools of Cozad (NE), Center (MO) and Chillicothe (MO). He also served as a member of the faculty of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, where he taught composition and theory and conducted the University Symphony Orchestra. Sacred music was also a deep passion of Mr. Smith as he directed church choirs for 5 years in Cozad NE, 10 years in Chillicothe, MO and nine years in Kansas City, MO.
Smith’s first band composition was entitled “World Freedom.” His first published work, “Emperata,” was published in 1964 by Wingert-Jones Music Inc., in Kansas City, MO. This led to many other works being published by Winger-Jones. In 1978 he also became a staff composer for Jenson Publications, (currently Hal Leonard) and the educational consultant for Wingert-Jones. Claude T. Smith Publications, Inc. was founded in 1993 to publish the works of Smith and to honor his legacy.
Claude T. Smith received numerous prestigious commissions including works for the U. S. Air Force Band, the “President’s Own” U. W. Marine Band, the U. S. Navy Band and the Army Field Band. His composition “Flight” was adapted as the “official March” of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute. He orchestral works include compositions for the Kansas City Youth Symphony, the South Bend Youth Symphony, the Springfield, Missouri Youth Symphony and the 1981 Missouri All-State String Orchestra.
Smith was active as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe. He received many awards for his contributions to music education and for his work in composition. He was a constant recipient of the A. S. C. A. P. Composer’s Award. Following his death, he was awarded the National Band Association Award (A. W. A. P. A.) Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts in 1988, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Central Methodist College in 1988, the Hall of Fame Award from the Missouri Bandmaster’s Association in 1988, the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service in Music Award in 1989, the Hall of Fame Award from the Missouri Music Educators Association in 1992 ad was awarded as School Director of the Year from the Christian Instrumentalist Directors Association in 1994.
Mr. Smith was a member of the Music Educators National Conference, now NAFME, past president of the Missouri Music Educators Association and Hall of Fame member of MMEA. He was a member and Hall of Fame recipient of Missouri Bandmasters Association. Claude was also a member of the National Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha and American Bandmaster’s Association.
Claude T. Smith passed away on December 13, 1987 in Kansas City, MO. He had just completed a Christmas Concert at his church. His wife, Maureen Faye Smith, passed away on May 15, 2016. His daughter, Pam Smith Kelly and Pam’s husband, Jim, founded Claude T. Smith Publications, Inc. in 1993 with the mission of keeping the music and legacy of Claude T. Smith alive and in the hearts of musicians world-wide.
Mr. Smith taught instrumental music in the public schools of Cozad (NE), Center (MO) and Chillicothe (MO). He also served as a member of the faculty of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, MO, where he taught composition and theory and conducted the University Symphony Orchestra. Sacred music was also a deep passion of Mr. Smith as he directed church choirs for 5 years in Cozad NE, 10 years in Chillicothe, MO and nine years in Kansas City, MO.
Smith’s first band composition was entitled “World Freedom.” His first published work, “Emperata,” was published in 1964 by Wingert-Jones Music Inc., in Kansas City, MO. This led to many other works being published by Winger-Jones. In 1978 he also became a staff composer for Jenson Publications, (currently Hal Leonard) and the educational consultant for Wingert-Jones. Claude T. Smith Publications, Inc. was founded in 1993 to publish the works of Smith and to honor his legacy.
Claude T. Smith received numerous prestigious commissions including works for the U. S. Air Force Band, the “President’s Own” U. W. Marine Band, the U. S. Navy Band and the Army Field Band. His composition “Flight” was adapted as the “official March” of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institute. He orchestral works include compositions for the Kansas City Youth Symphony, the South Bend Youth Symphony, the Springfield, Missouri Youth Symphony and the 1981 Missouri All-State String Orchestra.
Smith was active as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe. He received many awards for his contributions to music education and for his work in composition. He was a constant recipient of the A. S. C. A. P. Composer’s Award. Following his death, he was awarded the National Band Association Award (A. W. A. P. A.) Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts in 1988, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Central Methodist College in 1988, the Hall of Fame Award from the Missouri Bandmaster’s Association in 1988, the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service in Music Award in 1989, the Hall of Fame Award from the Missouri Music Educators Association in 1992 ad was awarded as School Director of the Year from the Christian Instrumentalist Directors Association in 1994.
Mr. Smith was a member of the Music Educators National Conference, now NAFME, past president of the Missouri Music Educators Association and Hall of Fame member of MMEA. He was a member and Hall of Fame recipient of Missouri Bandmasters Association. Claude was also a member of the National Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha and American Bandmaster’s Association.
Claude T. Smith passed away on December 13, 1987 in Kansas City, MO. He had just completed a Christmas Concert at his church. His wife, Maureen Faye Smith, passed away on May 15, 2016. His daughter, Pam Smith Kelly and Pam’s husband, Jim, founded Claude T. Smith Publications, Inc. in 1993 with the mission of keeping the music and legacy of Claude T. Smith alive and in the hearts of musicians world-wide.
2021 - R. Warren Roberts
Robert Warren Roberts was born September 26, 1881 near Mooresville, the son of James Nelson Roberts, a farmer, and Rosalee Barron Roberts. Robert was the eldest of eight children.
He graduated Breckenridge High School (there were 11 students in his class). A newspaper write-up said that “Warren Roberts, one of the noblest and best members of the class, spoke in an easy, yet forceful manner upon the subject of “The Value of Character” at the ceremony. He became the principal of the Mooresville schools around 1905 and went on to the University of Missouri where he was a football tackle and guard and played every minute of every game in 1909. (The 1910 “Savitar” yearbook, published by the junior class, said “he was a power of strength in the line, and followed the ball well. Played his first football on the freshman team in 1906. He was the oldest man on the team, 26 years.”) He was also a star athlete in track.
In addition to his athletic accomplishments, the 1910 “Savitar” listed Roberts as “all-senior president,” a member of the staff of the Independent (a studently weekly newspaper), and a member of the senior honor fraternity. A few lines under his senior photograph described him as “a big man with a small smile and a laugh that tickles your ears.”
In 1910 he graduated from the School of Engineering. He went on to receive his master’s degree and taught engineering while also acting as a football coach from 1910 to 1912.
Roberts returned to Chillicothe in 1913 and designed the new Livingston County courthouse, which was completed in 1914. He opened an office for his architecture practice in town and decided to stay.
A year or so later, Company I, National Guard was formed in Chillicothe (Roberts served as a first lieutenant), and in the summer of 1916, the company was called to the Mexican border.
In WWI, Roberts served in the Army as a billeting officer in France. He was fluent in French and was asked to remain in Europe for a few months after the war had ended to assist in post-war recovery.
On October 2, 1920 he married Irene Waugh from St. Louis. They resided at 820 Jefferson Street. One daughter, Madeline, was born to them in 1922.
Roberts was appointed the Livingston County Surveyor and Architect and the Livingston County Highway Engineer in 1915. By 1919 he was involved with the good roads meetings. Part of his job for the county was road, bridge and culvert maintenance. In 1920 Roberts served as the Industrial Representative for the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce. In 1925 he was again appointed the county Highway Engineer, retiring from that position in 1929. He seemed to have picked back up the job of county Highway Engineer in 1931. He was elected County Surveyor and County Engineer starting in 1932, with his last election in 1948. In 1949 he was serving as Chair of the Livingston County Board of Equalization.
During World War II, Roberts was chosen to teach at the State Teachers College in Maryville for the Navy. Starting in 1943, he taught engineering, drawing, and descriptive geometry. He returned to Chillicothe in 1945 and re-opened his office.
Locally, Roberts worked on many building designs; undoubtedly the following lists are far from complete. He was the architect for the grand Adams Automobile and Supply Company on Locust Street in 1915. Drs. Grace and Simpson hired him to design their colonial office building at Clay and Washington Streets. He is credited with most of the downtown facades as of 1925. He designed the new City Hall in 1925 after the previous one burned down. He also designed the old Chillicothe High School on Calhoun Street as well as the First Christian Church in 1926. He was responsible for a new commissary, cottage and hospital unit at the Industrial Home for Girls in 1923. The gym at the Chillicothe Business College was designed by Roberts. He completed work on the facades of the People’s Trust Company on Washington Street and the new Clark building at the corner of Locust and Jackson Streets. It is reported that he also designed private residences in the area. He also designed the school in Braymer, Utica and Avalon. He had completed the plans for the First Presbyterian’s new church shortly before his death in 1950.
Roberts’ work extended beyond Livingston County. He designed the Ray County courthouse in Richmond, Missouri. In Columbia, Missouri he designed the new Missouri Store on Lowry Street and the new Penn Drug store. He is responsible for the City Hall in Brunswick. He designed the gymnasium/auditorium at the Grand Pass High School east of Waverly. The new high school at Macon was also his design.
Roberts died in a car crash while in Waverly, Missouri. Dr. Clarence Grace, a close friend, was badly injured in the wreck, but survived for a short period of time before he succumbed to his injuries. They had stopped for a school stop sign when they were rear-ended, and the car burst into flames. Dr. Grace was able to crawl out with his clothing on fire. Roberts never got out. He is buried in Edgewood Cemetery.
Thank you to Missouri 7th District Representative Rusty Black and his wife Karie for sponsoring this exhibit piece.
2019 - Maurice Dorney
Maurice Dorney, 1866 - 1948, grew up on a farm south of the Grand River as a young man but opted early to operate a barber shop in Chillicothe rather than take on an agrarian lifestyle. In 1898 Mayor Thomas Hoge asked Dorney, because of his gentle demeanor and his popularity around town, whether he might be interested in law enforcement. Two days later he laid down his shears to begin his life-long career as Chillicothe’s Police Chief that spanned nearly a half century.
Dorney carried into the office a rare combination of kindness and a belief in his fellow man, the reserved patience of a good investigator, and yet possessing the toughness required of a law enforcement officer. He attributed his successful accomplishments to good judgement, shrewdness, and acts of kindness towards the disadvantaged. He was told by many hardened criminals that because of his methods they chose not to give him trouble. Dorney came in direct contact with many well-known villains during his 48 years as Chief, including John Dillinger.
Dorney has arrested criminals of all kinds from those engaged in chicken thieving to bank robbers. Probably the most important arrest made by him occurred when he and two patrolmen arrested four bank robbers who dynamited the safe in the Iowa State Bank at Udell, escaping with several thousand dollars. The robbers were in a saloon on the South side of the Square when Chief Dorney and two of his men entered the saloon with drawn revolvers. Each of the robbers carried two guns but were not quick enough for the Chillicothe.
Chief Dorney married Miss Wilhelmina Schneider in 1915 at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church and they had 5 children: Maurice Dorney, Jr., Helen Dorney Hecker, Mary Dorney Gatson, Elizabeth Dorney Venable and Gertrude Dorney.
Chief Dorney was the first and only police chief of Chillicothe until his death in 1948 at the age of 81. He was elected in 1900 and he was elected to office 24 times.
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2018 - Three Inductees
Charles F. Adams
Charles F. “Frank” Adams was born in Vermont in 1863, the son of Charles A. and Elizabeth Adams. His family moved to Livingston County, Missouri when Frank was a small boy, attending school in Rich Hill Township. He quit school when he was 16 years old to help his father on the family’s dairy farm.
Frank and his father established the Adams & Son Creamery, marketing their produce, notably their butter, both nationally and internationally. Queen Victoria of Great Britain thought so highly of their butter that she awarded the Adams & Son Creamery a medal in recognition for its excellence. Starting in 1876, Fred Harvey built a coast-to-coast chain of 45 “Harvey House” restaurants and hotels, as well as 20 dining cars, all associated with nationwide railway systems. Harvey used the Adams’ butter exclusively in his diners and restaurants for years.
In 1881, at the age of 18, Frank moved to Browning, Missouri where he worked in the mercantile business but then moved to Chillicothe in 1885 and established the Adams & Sons Wholesale Grocery. They quickly became one of the largest wholesale grocery suppliers in northern Missouri. Frank Adams was active in this business until 1928.
Seeing the future of the automobile, he became a dealer for the Dodge Brothers Automobile Company, erecting the three-story brick building at 440 Locust Street in 1916. This building served as both a showroom and had an automotive repair shop on the third floor.
In 1888, he married Mary Jones and they had six children: Alice, Forest, Mildred, Charles Jr., George and Dorothy.
Adams also served his community. He was Mayor from 1907 to 1909 and subsequently a member of the board for Public Works for a number of years. While President of Chillicothe Municipal Utilities, he made sure that Chillicothe had one of the best equipped and most efficient electrical generation plants in Missouri.
Frank Adams was president of three highway associations at the advent of the automobile and helped dub Chillicothe “The Highway City.” He was instrumental in the formation of the Pikes Peak Ocean-to-Ocean Highway which connected New York to Los Angeles via Chillicothe and Salt Lake City, and eventually north to San Francisco; Route 36 roughly follows the same route. Serving as the Ocean to Ocean Highway Association’s first President for 9 years, from 1911 – 1920, Adams was afterwards elected a lifetime member of advisory committee.
Adams passed from pneumonia on January 30, 1933 at his home in the 300 block of Vine Street and was buried in Edgewood Cemetery here in Chillicothe.
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This project has been endorsed by the State Historical Society of Missouri 2021.
Frank Bench
Marion Franklin (Frank) Bench was born near Utica, Missouri on November 7, 1883, son of James J. and Sarah E. (Reynolds) Bench. He was a graduate of Utica High School class of 1901. After graduating he attended college in Dubuque, Iowa, most likely at Bayless Business College. He also worked part-time in a bakery and learned about the commercial production of bread while in Iowa. It is here that it is believed he first met Otto Rohwedder.
In 1906 he married Miss Lillian Bornhauser and they were the parents of one son who died in infancy and one daughter, Geraldine. Lillian passed away in 1909 and Geraldine was raised by family members including Frank’s parents and possibly her maternal grandparents as well her maternal grandparents in Iowa. Between 1909 and 1915 Frank lived in several places including Ogle, New Mexico and Browning, Missouri. He remarried in 1915 to Miss Hattie Ellen Ferguson, a teacher from Utica. They moved to Browning, Missouri where Frank had a bakery/grocery store/restaurant business. One son was born to them, the late Marion F. Bench, Jr., who was killed in action over Holland in World War II.
In 1916 Frank moved to 252 Clay Street in Chillicothe and established Bench’s Modern Steam Bakery next door at 433 Martin Street. In 1921 he built a brick bakery at the corner of Elm and First Streets. His new Chillicothe Baking Company held its grand opening on September 27, 1921 and featured state of the art baking equipment and had an oven capable of producing 700 loaves of bread per hour, or 1800 loaves of bread per hour when running at full capacity. The bakery employed eight people and catered wholesale to north central Missouri as well as home consumption in Chillicothe.
Bench was not only a baker, but an inventor in his own right. In 1923 Frank and his brother Charles created a metal folding box in which to ship bread. Bench’s folding box was one of three being considered for use with the U.S. Postal Service. Bench and Rohwedder, who also had an interest in the invention, went to Washington D.C. to present the box to a federal committee. It is assumed the box was not selected by the post office as no further information could be found.
Bench also produced mayonnaise and thousand island salad dressing. This venture was apparently so successful that in 1923 he had to re-open his original bakery next to his home to enlarge the operation and produce more for local customers as well as clients in St. Joseph and Topeka, KS.
Bench and Rohwedder collaborated on a design for a bread display rack and applied for a patent in March of 1925, which was granted in July of 1926.
In 1927 there was a “Constitution Cooking School,” free classes given by Mrs. Frances Northcross at the Christian Church sponsored by the Constitution newspaper. This school used “special bread” from the Chillicothe Baking Company exclusively. They also used only “Diamond A Salad Dressing” from the same source. Mrs. Frank (Hattie) Bench managed the dressing side of the business at this time.
In 1928 he was approached by Otto Rohwedder to try out his new Breadslicing Machine. In fact, the two had been working on perfecting the design for the past several years. Up until this point, Otto had been turned down by every baker he approached. Their concern was that once bread was sliced, it would become stale very quickly. Frank became the guinea pig and on July 7, 1928, the first loaves of sliced bread were produced. Kleen Maid sliced bread was an instant success and bread sales increased 2,000 percent in the first two weeks alone. Bakers from as far afield as St. Joseph and Kansas City wanting to get in on the latest innovation in baking, brought truckloads of bread to the Chillicothe Baking Company to be sliced while they waited for their own bread slicing machines to be manufactured.
Bench never got rich from any of his inventions, ingenuity or hard work. The success from sliced bread was overwhelming and short-lived as the country became caught up in the Great Depression and he ended up losing his bakery. By 1931 he had sold the building and business.
It seemed Bench was never idle. He was quite active in politics. He ran for Republican Councilman-as-large in 1923, but did not win. In 1926 he organized a county-wide “Proctor” for Senator club, that is David M. Proctor for U.S. Senator. From 1929 to 1931 he served on the Chillicothe City Council for the Third Ward. Mrs. Hattie Bench was elected City Treasurer in 1931 and it appears Frank did not run for any office in this election.
In 1926 he took the examination and was under consideration for the post of postmaster; he was 1 of over 1800 on the list. For a time he even helped out at the front desk at the Strand Hotel. He worked as a construction foreman in Neosho, Missouri building Camp Crowder and in Muskagee, Oklahoma building Camp Gruber. Later in 1942 he was hired as the construction foreman for the Sunflower Ordnance plant in Eudora, Kansas. Though often taken out of town by work, he still considered Chillicothe his home.
In 1948 he was elected to the position of Street Commissioner, a position he held for eight years. He died in 1963 and is buried in Utica Cemetery.
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This project has been endorsed by the State Historical Society of Missouri 2021.
In 1906 he married Miss Lillian Bornhauser and they were the parents of one son who died in infancy and one daughter, Geraldine. Lillian passed away in 1909 and Geraldine was raised by family members including Frank’s parents and possibly her maternal grandparents as well her maternal grandparents in Iowa. Between 1909 and 1915 Frank lived in several places including Ogle, New Mexico and Browning, Missouri. He remarried in 1915 to Miss Hattie Ellen Ferguson, a teacher from Utica. They moved to Browning, Missouri where Frank had a bakery/grocery store/restaurant business. One son was born to them, the late Marion F. Bench, Jr., who was killed in action over Holland in World War II.
In 1916 Frank moved to 252 Clay Street in Chillicothe and established Bench’s Modern Steam Bakery next door at 433 Martin Street. In 1921 he built a brick bakery at the corner of Elm and First Streets. His new Chillicothe Baking Company held its grand opening on September 27, 1921 and featured state of the art baking equipment and had an oven capable of producing 700 loaves of bread per hour, or 1800 loaves of bread per hour when running at full capacity. The bakery employed eight people and catered wholesale to north central Missouri as well as home consumption in Chillicothe.
Bench was not only a baker, but an inventor in his own right. In 1923 Frank and his brother Charles created a metal folding box in which to ship bread. Bench’s folding box was one of three being considered for use with the U.S. Postal Service. Bench and Rohwedder, who also had an interest in the invention, went to Washington D.C. to present the box to a federal committee. It is assumed the box was not selected by the post office as no further information could be found.
Bench also produced mayonnaise and thousand island salad dressing. This venture was apparently so successful that in 1923 he had to re-open his original bakery next to his home to enlarge the operation and produce more for local customers as well as clients in St. Joseph and Topeka, KS.
Bench and Rohwedder collaborated on a design for a bread display rack and applied for a patent in March of 1925, which was granted in July of 1926.
In 1927 there was a “Constitution Cooking School,” free classes given by Mrs. Frances Northcross at the Christian Church sponsored by the Constitution newspaper. This school used “special bread” from the Chillicothe Baking Company exclusively. They also used only “Diamond A Salad Dressing” from the same source. Mrs. Frank (Hattie) Bench managed the dressing side of the business at this time.
In 1928 he was approached by Otto Rohwedder to try out his new Breadslicing Machine. In fact, the two had been working on perfecting the design for the past several years. Up until this point, Otto had been turned down by every baker he approached. Their concern was that once bread was sliced, it would become stale very quickly. Frank became the guinea pig and on July 7, 1928, the first loaves of sliced bread were produced. Kleen Maid sliced bread was an instant success and bread sales increased 2,000 percent in the first two weeks alone. Bakers from as far afield as St. Joseph and Kansas City wanting to get in on the latest innovation in baking, brought truckloads of bread to the Chillicothe Baking Company to be sliced while they waited for their own bread slicing machines to be manufactured.
Bench never got rich from any of his inventions, ingenuity or hard work. The success from sliced bread was overwhelming and short-lived as the country became caught up in the Great Depression and he ended up losing his bakery. By 1931 he had sold the building and business.
It seemed Bench was never idle. He was quite active in politics. He ran for Republican Councilman-as-large in 1923, but did not win. In 1926 he organized a county-wide “Proctor” for Senator club, that is David M. Proctor for U.S. Senator. From 1929 to 1931 he served on the Chillicothe City Council for the Third Ward. Mrs. Hattie Bench was elected City Treasurer in 1931 and it appears Frank did not run for any office in this election.
In 1926 he took the examination and was under consideration for the post of postmaster; he was 1 of over 1800 on the list. For a time he even helped out at the front desk at the Strand Hotel. He worked as a construction foreman in Neosho, Missouri building Camp Crowder and in Muskagee, Oklahoma building Camp Gruber. Later in 1942 he was hired as the construction foreman for the Sunflower Ordnance plant in Eudora, Kansas. Though often taken out of town by work, he still considered Chillicothe his home.
In 1948 he was elected to the position of Street Commissioner, a position he held for eight years. He died in 1963 and is buried in Utica Cemetery.
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This project has been endorsed by the State Historical Society of Missouri 2021.
Olive Rambo Cook
Olive L. Rambo was born in August 26, 1892 to George and Effie Rambo, and raised for the first few years of her life in Avalon, then moved to Chillicothe after the death of her mother.
Attending Chillicothe High School, she was a star basketball player and it is in a Cresset yearbook that she may have published her first story about having missed a Valentine’s Day party by 24 hours.
During the spring of 1917 Olive Rambo took a “manual training” class. The school offered projects suitable for high school girls at that time, but Olive built a 15-foot flat-bottomed skiff dubbed “The Black-Eyed Susan.” In August of 1917 she launched her hand-crafted boat into the Grand River just north of Chillicothe.
For three weeks, Olive and her cousin Mabel rowed, floated, tugged, negotiated around rocks and trees, fished, hunted, survived storms, sank the boat, uprighted and bailed water from the boat, and otherwise drifted over 150 miles all the way to the confluence with the Missouri River, then followed the Wide Missouri down to Glasgow where they finally had to pull the Black-Eyed Susan out. Had there been a few more days of calmer weather and they would have made St Louis, their destination.
Olive didn’t slow down after her river adventure. She graduated from the Chillicothe Business College where she studied bookkeeping. She then worked at the Chillicothe Trust Company and went to Washington D.C. for a 6-month Civil Service stint beginning January 2, 1919.
On August 7, 1920, Olive Rambo married Frank Cook. They had one child, George, born in 1923.
Olive was a teacher at Washington School. She also taught arts and crafts at the Industrial Home for Girls. Olive was elected Chillicothe City Clerk in 1921.
Olive Rambo Cook authored several youth stories reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie. “Coon Holler” was her first published book, which was first printed when she was age 65. This was followed by, “Serilda’s Star,” “Locket,” “The Sign at Six Corners,” “The Magic of the Golden Gourd,” and posthumously, “The Trail to Poosey.”
Olive did not slowdown in her later years and took up painting in earnest. She had her first art exhibit at the age of 80 while living in Mountain View, California.
Olive Rambo Cook died Christmas Eve, 1981 at the age of 88. She maintained her truly humble demeanor even after her passing: by her own wishes she was buried in a plain black pine box in the Avalon Cemetery. The small headstone that marks her grave simply reads, “Olive Rambo Cook 1891-1981.” No dates, because they really didn’t matter to her. It’s what we do for others in between those dates that matter.
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This project has been endorsed by the State Historical Society of Missouri 2021.