Jesse Almerian VAN HORN

                       Mary was born on a farm northeast of Valley Falls, Kansas. When she was born, her parents named her Mary Belle, probably being named after Isabell Helme Mitchell, who was called Belle, and her mother Carrie Belle. She did not like the name and went to the court house and had it changed to Mary Ann. Since she was the same age as my father, who was her uncle, we called her Aunt Mary, even though she was our first cousin. Jesse went to Hickory Grove school. He was the son of George Burdette Van Horn and Maretta Louise (called Mettie) Pierce. For a number of years Mary and Jesse lived and worked a farm which belonged to George Van Horn, the father of Jesse. In the year 1927, they bought 40 acres from him. In 1933, they bought another 40 acres that joined the first, and made their home there until 1959. At that time, Jesse retired from farming and they moved into a ranch style house that Jesse had built in Nortonville on Railroad Street. He continued to do carpenter work for other people.
    Mary was a homemaker and kept a very neat, clean home. She enjoyed and made beautiful crocheted doilies. Through the years, she had a vegetables garden and also many lovely flowers. She always kept plants inside the home, as well. They brought much cheer to her home and on cold winter nights she got up during the night to stoke the wood stoves so the house plants did not freeze. She and Jesse belonged to the Seventh Day Baptist Church. When older in 1959, they built a home in the town of Nortonville, Kansas and retired from farming. Jesse and Mary were very compationate people. They cared for both of her parents, Carrie and Joseph Matthews when they were unable to care for themselves. Joseph lived with them for three years preceeding his death. Mary fell and broke her arm in 1962. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in November 1964. He was in the Winchester Hospital and then Stormont Vail Hospital at Topeka when he died of a collapsed lung.
    When Mary became ill and was unable to keep house, she went to Seneca, Missouri to stay with her son, Harry. She was not happy there, being so far from her many friends. In 1974 she moved to the Senior Citizens Sunset Haven Apartments at Valley Falls, Kansas. In 1976, she had arthritis in her legs very badly. They were bent and she could hardly get around. After a stroke she entered the Winchester Geriatrics Center 8 May 1979, where she died the following March.