Alonzo Hornbeck and his wife Clara.

 Alonzo Lee Hornbeck was born on November 11, 1892 to Francis Marion Hornbeck and Susan Beales in  Vandalia, Indiana. His mother died 4 years later 150 miles to the west in Greenville, Illinois. His father married again to Mary and 4 years later, they’re living in Black River Township, which coincidentally has a county seat called Greenville. 

As of 1900, his household had his dad, his stepmother Mary, siblings Chester, Alice, Ransom, Maggie and a stepbrother Benjamin Waddle. I am still searching for Alonzo on the 1910 Census. I find him in Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri in 1912 getting married to Ethel Clara Snooks. He was 19 and she was 13. 

Ethel Clara Snook was born August 20, 1898 in Pekin, Illinois. When she was two, her family moved to Spring Lake, Illinois, in the same county. In 1908, her parents moved to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, she was ten years old. She appears on the 1910 census with her parents. Then we find her marrying Alonzo on June 4, 1912 when she was 13. They have a daughter the following year. Lillian Hornbeck was born September 13, 1913. Then they had many more children: Martha May Hornbeck (Stephens) 1915, Charles Hornbeck 1917, Leo Edward Hornbeck 1919, Bertie 1921-1921, Mary Hornbeck (Whitmer) 1922, twins Irene and Pauline (both married brothers) 1924, Roy Alonzo Hornbeck 1926, Alta Hornbeck 1928, Alfred Hornbeck 1929, Lloyd Melvin Hornbeck 1931, Rodney Hornbeck 1933, Richard Hornbeck 1936, Susie Hornbeck 1938

Alonzo was employed by the Missouri Works Progress Adminstration. That involves building public structures such as fire stations, police stations, schools, fire towers, and planting the forest back up after being overlooked. He also registered for the draft but did not get sent to war. On the records, it says Alonzo had a large mole on his chest as a distinguishing mark. When the pandemic is over, I will be able to go to the records office to get records of exactly what his tasks were with the WPA.  In 1938, he gets hired by Pearce Company as a transporter. I am not finding clear documentation on what this is. My research shows that the Pearce Company is an architect. Maybe he drove materials to sites? As of 1940, Alonzo, Clara and their children lived at 156 N. E. St, Poplar Bluff, Missouri. That house is no longer there. 

Alonzo and Clara Hornbeck appear in the city directory in 1952 living at 602 Magnolia St, Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The house is also no longer at this site, it is now the back parking lot of a gas station. They appear in the city directory every year from 1953 to 1965 at the same address, with him still employed for the Pearce Company as a transporter.

Alonzo died August 23, 1973 which is when Clara moved out of the Magnolia street home. I believe Clara lived with her son Richard until she passed away on June 13, 1983.