Roy Hornbeck

 I am not that motivated to write about my biological grandfather, so I’ll complie the facts then I will be able to let myself say “check. I wrote about every ancestor… so… here goes. 

Roy Alonzo Hornbeck, son of Alonzo Lee Hornbeck and Ethel Clara Snooks. I will write about his  parents, my biological great grandparents when I get to their family group number. In genealogy, you organize by family group numbers. So family group 1 is your dad’s dad’s family, family group 2 is your dad’s mom’s family, family group 3 is your mom’s dad’s family, family group 4 is your mom’s mom’s family, then back to the top and family group 5 will be Roy’s parents. Okay… so let’s get family group one out of the way. My dad had so many half siblings. 

 Roy’s children were as follows:

 Caroline Kinze (DNA match, half-aunt)

Frank Hornbeck

Roy B Hornbeck (son of Grace)

Roy Eugene Hornbeck (son of Mildred Faye Gallaway)

 Roy Wayne Hornbeck (son of Mary)

 Vicki (mother unknown, DNA match, half-aunt)

Roy James Hornbeck (son of Laura Atkins) 

Frank James Hornbeck (son of Patrica Mary Hughes) 

Roy Lee Hornbeck (son of Mamie Lee Hall )

Roy Patrick Hornbeck (son of Margaret Monett) dna match

Michael Jay Hornbeck (son of Betty Ann Grimes) my dad

Roger Preston Hornbeck (son of Anna Rhodes), DNA match

Roy John Hornbeck (son of Florence Hornbeck)

Walter Montell (mom unknown, adoption) DNA match 

Roy Joseph Hornbeck, DNA match, didn’t get back to me on who his mom is

Kimberly Ann, mom unknown, DNA match 

Ronnie Alonzo Hornbeck, DNA match, didn’t get back to me o who mom is 

Robert Orrick, unknown mom, adopted, DNA match 

Chelsea Hornbeck, DNA match, didn’t reply on which one is her mom 

Garland Gardner, adopted, DNA match

Margaret Tipson, DNA match, didn’t reply on who mom is. 

1941- Grade 3- Roy Hornbeck won first place in field and track day at school. Highest jump and furthest jump and furthest shot put. One of his sons, Roger, was a big sports star in McKinney Texas. 

Age 18: Drafts, order number 13096, serial number W-434, Roy Alonzo Hornbeck of Popular Bluff, Missouri, Roy was 5 ft 11, 146 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, ruddy complexion, registered on his 18th birthday

1950  Tattoo on left arm, dodge drafter, lodger. 

Roy married Mildred Faye Gallaway twice. First time November 25, 1950 in Saline, Arkansas, then divorced and he married someone else, then they divorced and he married her again October 7, 1952 in Tarrant, Texas. They also show up as ages 22 and 18 in 1950 then age 24 and 20 in 1952. You see his parents take custody of their son in 1951 (Newspapers.com) and you see them getting married again in 1952 even though Roy now has another girl pregnant. 

Speculations I have: Did Mildred leave her baby? Did Roy’s parents take the baby away from Mildred? So many questions. 

 There are many facts showing these are two separate events between the same two people.   In the family trees, people merge this as one event, choosing one or the other, rather than taking the time to carefully look at the documents, showing different officiants and witness and courthouses. The software won’t let me add both marriages. That frustrates me.  

My aunt, his sister, the twins, they vehemently hated me when I tried to contact them to visit. They wanted to deny any of these children existed. They knew I existed, but they found it an affront to them that my dad dropped Hornbeck and took Conner when Paul Conner, the 21 year old guy his mom married decided to legally adopt my dad. So… he kept Conner even after my grandbetty’s other husbands offered to let him take their last name too, but he kept Conner instead of going back tto Hornbeck. So… the Hornbeck family is full of strife. I want to just skim over this and get on to family group 2… but I promised myself I would be through. 

Newspaper stories I found: 

1954 - Roy Alonzo Hornbeck ordered to take notice that his parents Alonzo Lee Hornbeck will be adopting Roy Wayne Hornbeck and terminating Roy’s parental rights and hereby ordered to cease all contact with the natural family. (Oh!!! So that’s why Grandbetty never got to meet her in-laws. I wonder what story Roy fed her to explain why they can’t just go to Poplar Bluff to meet Roy’s family. 

1960- my dad is born, but my grandbetty is moving back to Arkansas with her parents in May, when my dad was just 3 weeks old. My dad already has many half-siblings. Maybe my grandma didn’t know, or maybe she thought she’d be different. I don’t know.  

1961- Roy Hornbeck, chief of police in Yellville, AR I guess I need to look into if I can look at Yellville, AR police records from 1961-1963. Look at how my grandma left him to go back to Harrison… from Wichita.

His name shows up many times 1961-1963 in Mountaineer Echo as Yellville’s city marshal, just reporting on simple crimes like ticketing people riding bicycles on the sidewalk, simple burglary, and so on. 

1963 - Harrison Daily times- my grandma posted a warning against Roy every week for six months. Same thing every week. That probably helped make sure Roy Hornbeck lost his job as chief of police in Yellville.  Roy formally resigned as chief of police in Yellville, AR on April 5, 1963, ironically my dad’s 2nd birthday. He already had more sons by then anyhow. 

January 17, 1963 Roy Hornbeck was admitted to the hospital. Doesn’t say why. But what is interesting is who accompanied him…  Anna Rhoades. That’s Roger’s mom…. While he’s still supposed to be married to Roy William Hornbeck’s mom. And this year is also when many other half uncles/aunts are born. He was busy! The DNA matches confirm that they’re all from the same father. 

1964-  Roy William Hornbeck, age 18 months drowned in a bucket of water when left alone with his mother, father Roy reports. (Hmmm… I  do not trust his word. What really happened?) I think the fact he was chief of police made them believe him over the mother. And he had a son born this year too- Roger. How was he in both places at once? Granted both were in Texas, but…  wait wait… Roger told me that he never knew his dad growing up, so maybe he knocked up Anna and bailed. Didn’t stick around to actually be a father. 

1978 Roy Hornbeck, arrested at barn dance for fighthing. Keep in mind, we don’t know which Roy this is. 1978, all of those Roy’s are now teenagers or early 20’s. 

1969 March-  Roy Hornbeck in hospital recovering from heart attack 

1969 March- Roy Hornbeck wanted after electrocuting livestock belonging to brother of wife. This one is one of the sons, not the grandpa Roy. 

1970 February- Roy Hornbeck, warning to all bars to not serve him. This is not grandpa Roy, but one of his sons. 

1989 - Summons to Roy Hornbeck to appear in court or be ordered to pay child support of minor child. That means I have an aunt/uncle my age OR that’s one of my Uncle Roy Hornbecks also running away from his children. 

1963- Yellville, AR summons to Roy Hornbeck to pay $13 to surrender parental rights of minor child. My dad would’ve been 3 then, however, this could be a different child that I haven’t found yet. 

1997 Roy John Hornbeck to wed- 

2009- Funeral notice- one of the uncle Roy’s had son Roy 3rd, grandson Roy 4th, and great grandson Roy 5th. 

When he died, he was a cook at the Florissant City Cafe. So… he’s had a colorful life. There. I wrote about my biological grandpa. Now I can move on.