Hortense Yvonne Hairston: A Mini Biography

Synopsis

Hortense Yvonne Williams-Hairston, by all accounts, is the oldest living Cornute that we are aware of. She was born in Portsmouth, Ohio in 1923 and has been with us for over ninety (90) years. She has seen and heard a myriad of things over her continuing life; living through the Roaring Twenties, the Big Band Era, the Great Depression, World War II, Korean War, the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, the Space Age, the Cold War and the election of the first black president of the United States. The Family Historian is forever grateful to Hortense and her family for sharing her story, years of knowledge and wisdom with the entire family.

Early Childhood and Family

Parents and Family

Hortense Yvonne Williams was born, in her grandparents’ home, at 924 9^th Street, Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio on June 2, 1923. She was the middle child of five born to Cordell Russell Williams and Genevieve Vivian Cornute-Williams. Her father, who went by Russell C. Williams was born in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio in 1898 and died in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio in 1942 at the young age of forty-four. Russell was the oldest of three children, a sister Gladys and one brother Richard. Her mother, Genevieve was born in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio in 1898 and died there in 1958. She had one older sister, Cordella.

Exactly two months after Hortense’s birth Warren G. Harding, twenty-ninth President of the United States, dies of a heart attack on August 2, 1923 and is succeeded by Calvin Coolidge. Hortense doesn’t remember anything significant about those two and is now into her sixteenth president (Harding to Obama). And, for historical reference, later that year on October 16, 1923 Roy and Walt Disney founded The Walt Disney Company.

Hortense’s parents, Russell C. Williams and Genevieve V. Cornute were married around 1917 in Portsmouth, Ohio and lived with Genevieve’s parents, William L. and Anna Cornute as well as her sister Cordella Cornute. They began to raise their family with the arrival of their first child, Carlene V. Williams in November 1918. Subsequent children born to the couple were Elverson K. Williams in February 1921, Hortense Y. Williams in June 1923, Maxine M. Williams in May 1925 and Marcelene Williams, who died shortly after birth, in May 1926.

Although the young couple was living in a comfortable situation with Genevieve’s parents they still developed a strong work ethic and dedication. Russell and Genevieve both worked to support their growing family. Russell worked a series of jobs including Kroger Grocery Store, which still exist today, Kobackers Department Store, sold in 1961, and Marting’s Department Store which eventually closed in 2003. Russell and Genevieve both worked at Martings for many years where Genevieve was an elevator operator and Russell was the store’s electrician but performed many other general maintenance tasks. Marting’s Department Store, like most, didn’t employ many Negroes and the few that they did were of very light or light brown complexions. They all pretty much worked in service and not customer interfacing jobs like sales. Hortense’s sister Maxine broke that mold when she started at Marting’s in the housekeeping department and worked her way onto the illusive sales floor. Maxine worked at Marting’s for thirty-eight (38) years. Their children were imbued with this dedication and strong work ethic.

Hortense was very close to her parents. She and her mother had many activities that they enjoyed doing together but they especially loved to shop and attend Allen Chapel AME Church services together. The same was true with her dad but she truly enjoyed helping him work on cars in his garage; “he taught me how to change a tire”. He was also an avid cook and Hortense really loved to help him in the kitchen. Hortense carried these early experiences with her through life and drew on them as needed.

Hortense reflected often on her mother daughter relationship and fondly remembers one thing that her mother always told her and her siblings; “I’m not only your mother, but your true friend”. Meaning that should you ever need anything or got into trouble to come to her. She was that strong advocate with a shoulder to lean on, to listen or give help without wanting anything in return. Along with being her children’s true friend Genevieve was also the disciplinarian in the family helping to maintain that needed balance in their lives. Russell reinforced his wife as the disciplinarian by always sending Hortense and her siblings to their mother when discipline was in order.

The moral balance was derived from family and the church as the family was and still is very religious. They were members of the Allen Chapel AME Church in Portsmouth, Ohio where their mother sang in the senior choir and they sang in the junior choir. During those times most families bonded in the church and derived much of their social content from those gatherings.

Growing up Hortense was closest to her sister Carlene and brother Elverson. She remembers both as being very funny and got into trouble often for “cutting up”. She recollects, “Maxine was the tattletale of the family and was always seeking to get on mother and daddy’s good side.” As they grew older Hortense and Maxine would grow very close while always living near to each other and virtually seeing each other daily. That strong bond and mutual support system between them lasted until Maxine passed earlier this year at the age of 87.

By the time Hortense began to understand and relate to politics her family were supporters of the Democratic Party. She was able to assimilate some of the back-end process as her mother worked at the election polls. The Democratic affiliation for the family was new because her grandfather William L. Cornute was a staunch Republican and was in fact considered the leader of Portsmouth’s Black Republicans. Their party affiliation had more to do with the party’s platforms and values vs. what they were called. Remember there are significant differences between the Lincoln Republicans and today’s Republicans and basically the early Republican platform and values have morphed into today’s Democratic platform and values.

Hortense along with her parents and siblings grew up at 924 9^th Street in Portsmouth, Ohio. The house was a one story seven room dwelling with a garage and a nice backyard and was situated in a white neighborhood. This house was owned by her grandparents, William L. and Anna Cornute at a time when it was not commonplace for black or “colored” families to own their homes. During those times it was quite common for extended families to live together. The Cornutes and Williams remained the only “colored” family living in the neighborhood until Mr. and Mrs. Abe Woods, also “colored”, purchased a home on 9^th Street sometime much later.

The content and material things within William L. and Anna’s home reflected the upper middle-class lifestyle that they were living at the time. The family all wore nice clothes and were able to travel frequently. Within their home they had a piano that grandmother Cornute “mom”, as Hortense called her and her mother played. Along with the piano they had several radios that they listen to shows and music on. They also acquired a telephone later on. Hortense surmised “our family lived a good life”.

Indeed, the good life was enjoyed by Hortense and her family as her grandfather’s barbershop business was doing very well and had grown significantly since 1899 when he initially acquired it. Additionally, her parents provided two incomes to supplement the household financials. This along with William’s status in the community had the family sitting in a very comfortable situation. However, three unforeseen events would threaten and eventually rock the family’s financial stability to its core.

By the time Hortense reaches her fourth birthday her grandfather is no longer the pillar of the family and has relocated to Massachusetts by the first month of 1927. Although William and Anna are no longer together this first event, though a traumatic blow to the family, was not the decisive blow as William had left the barbershop and multiple properties with Anna. Their divorce would become official in 1928. Anna, now heading the household gathered herself, began managing the assets and stabilized the situation. This along with her daughter and son-in-law holding down jobs she was able to maintain that stability over the next few years.

The next event, the Great Depression, was certainly at a cataclysmic level and would leave much devastation in its wake. Five months after Hortense’s sixth birthday the “crash” begins on October 24, 1929 (Black Thursday) and by the 29^th stock prices had plummeted and banks began calling in loans. An estimated $30 billion in stock values will “disappear” by mid-November. Both of Hortense’s parents lost their jobs at Marting’s Department Store as many people did during that time. In fact, by March 1930 more than 3.2 million people were unemployed and that rose to 15 million or about 25% at its highest level over the decade. The percentage for blacks doubled and reached about 50%.

Hortense’s dad, Russell, worked as a mechanic and a plumber and her mother, Genevieve, took on babysitting, worked in a beer garden (an outdoor area in which beer, other drinks, and local food are served) and worked for a private family to help keep things moving forward. Her grandmother “Mom” Cornute was able to maintain the house and other properties she owned deep into the Depression.

Closing out 1936 and heading toward Hortense’s fourteenth birthday she began to wonder what else could go wrong now. Well, the trifecta came in the form of another cataclysmic event namely the Great Ohio River Flood of 1937. This flood began in mid-January 1937 and the rains continued nonstop through January 25^th. It was truly devastating and surpassed all floods from the previous 175 years and to compound the situation relief resources were scarce as it unfolded during the depths of the Great Depression. As devastating as the Great Depression was to Portsmouth the flood of 1937 was even more disastrous.

Hortense: “During the 1937 flood my sister Maxine got separated from the family and we were looking for her with the help of the Red Cross. We didn’t know that her picture appeared in the Columbus Dispatch, a Columbus newspaper where Aunt Dora and her husband lived. Aunt Dora (Preston) Doll and her husband Charles, who was an attorney, saw the article and rescued her. She stayed with them until it was safe for them to return her to Portsmouth.”

Reeling from these events her grandmother “Mom” Cornute was talked into taking out a loan against the house to help relieve some of the financial burden. Subsequently, the tenants in her other properties couldn’t pay their rent, so ultimately she couldn’t pay the bank and lost her properties. This was a common tactic by banks during that time. The family then had to move into a rental home a few streets away from the family home around 1938.

As the decade long Depression began drawing down and Portsmouth’s reconstruction from the flood was beginning to pick up steam jobs were still somewhat illusive and in high demand. Hortense’s parents decided to try their luck in Cleveland, Ohio; her father’s parents and his siblings had already made the move. Russell and Genevieve left Hortense and her sisters with their grandmother, Anna Cornute and made the trip to Cleveland. Her mother soon returned to Portsmouth while her father stayed there. Russell contracted Pulmonary Tuberculosis around the end of February 1942 and died on March 10, 1942.

Growing up Hortense and her sisters helped out with the housework: washing dishes, dusting and making beds. Her brother, Elverson, was responsible for taking out the trash and he also helped their father work on cars. She learned her initial cooking skills helping her dad in the early years but perfected it by watching “mom” Cornute (Anna) creating her specialties in the kitchen. Hortense also remembers all of the girls helping in the kitchen by cutting potatoes, shucking corn, sorting beans and things like that.

Hortense, now at ninety years old doesn’t cook at all these days but her children have acknowledged that she was a good cook and that some of their favorites were her beef stew, chicken and dumplings, potato salad and baked ham. She declared that she wasn’t much of a baker but made rice and bread puddings. However, she did admit that she baked birthday cakes and lots of them with eight children.

The family loved group activities especially listening to the radio. The radio was a great source of entertainment in the thirties and by the end of the decade there were more than twenty-eight million radios in homes across the country. Radio provided a source of inspiration with heroes like the Lone Ranger, soap operas and news. They loved to go to Tracy Park where they played games and had fun. One family activity that Hortense looked forward to was the weekend car rides to visit the Cornutes in Ironton, Ohio one weekend and the next weekend traveling to Chillicothe, Ohio to visit the Preston family, her Grandma William’s family.

Hortense’s father, Russell, was a very family oriented man and ensured that the family stayed in touch as often as possible; those weekend car rides was his way of ensuring that it happened. Russell owned several cars but Hortense vividly remembers riding in his green Chevrolet with yellow wire wheels as he drove them to their weekend adventures. Those weekend family visits continued until around 1940, after that period her father was in Cleveland most of the time.

Big family gatherings always occurred around the major holidays. Christmas was a remarkably joyous time when all out of town family came to Portsmouth to celebrate and have a big meal. The family always had several trees decorated during the Christmas season.

Hortense’s brother “Fritz” moved and settled in Youngstown, Ohio to raise his family. That event created other opportunities for family gatherings because he always held big family cookouts. Those cookouts drew large crowds and were attended by everyone. One of Hortense’s favorite memories is of the “Hawaiian Luau” that “Fritz” hosted where he roasted a whole hog.

Hortense’s immediate family still gathers for holidays and special occasions, to this day, that always includes good food, laughter and now sharing the family history that she remembers.

Ancestors and Relatives

Hortense’s paternal grandfather Harvey O. Williams was born in Belpre, Ohio in 1870, he had three sisters. His parents came from Tennessee and Virginia but Hortense never knew them. Her paternal grandmother Mary (Preston) Williams was one of thirteen children born in Chillicothe, Ohio in 1876. Her parents came from Virginia and Ohio. Hortense’s paternal grandparents lived in Chillicothe and Dayton, Ohio before she was born and then lived in Portsmouth just down the street from their family home, so she saw them often.

Hortense: “Grandma Williams always wore long dresses with long sleeves and her hair pulled back. I remember baking sugar cookies with her and sometimes she would put raisins in them. Granddad Williams was very handsome with hazel eyes and he was a barber, like his father. He came to Portsmouth after answering an ad my Granddad William Cornute placed looking for barbers to work in his shop.”

The barbers on both sides of the family worked together for a short time until Harvey Williams opened his own barbershop with three chairs; which was considered pretty big at the time.

While her paternal great grandparents, on her paternal grandmother’s side, lived in Chillicothe the family would travel there to visit them. Hortense’s great grandparents Charles Preston and Martha (Byrd) Preston owned a single story brick home. And, as we learned earlier they had lots of children, thirteen to be exact, so Hortense and her siblings had a lot of great aunts and uncles.

Hortense: “Great grandpa Preston was a quiet man and always hugged us kids and called us his “babies”. He always wore a black felt hat with an Indian feather, he had long dark hair and he loved being outside. I remember always having a big meal and baking cookies with great grandma Preston. She was a small lady and my sister Maxine looked just like her.”

Hortense’s Grandpa and Grandma Williams are buried in Cleveland, Ohio and Great Granddad and Great Grandma Preston are buried in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Hortense’s maternal grandfather William Lunsford Cornute, son of Tate Cornute and Maria Wilson, was born on 07 Apr 1869 in Ironton, Lawrence, Ohio and died on 13 Apr 1940 in Worcester, Massachusetts. William had one brother, Clark T. and two sisters, Frances E. and Addie. He married her maternal grandmother Anna Edna Lucas on 12 Feb 1896 in Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio. Anna, the daughter of Jesse Lucas and Emily Turner, was born on 10 Dec 1877 and died on 07 Jun 1946 in Portsmouth, Scioto, Ohio. Anna had two brothers but Hortense never knew Anna’s parents or her brothers.

Hortense: “Granddad Cornute was very handsome”. She continued, “Grandma Cornute we called her “mom” was very pretty with long dark hair, she was smart. She never worked outside the home; she was a really good cook.”

William was a successful and well-connected entrepreneur who purchased a barbershop in 1899. This was extraordinary, during this period in history, for an African American to accomplish the acquisition of a business with white people in his employ. William continued to manage and grow his business until it became the largest barbershop in southern Ohio, with six chairs and manicurist; his clientele were white business men. His more notable clientele included attorney James Bannon and Congressman & attorney Henry Towne Bannon representative for Ohio’s sixth district during the 59^th and 60^th congresses (1905 – 1908). He employed black barbers, young men along with family to work in his shop.

Hortense’s maternal grandparents, William and Anna, divorced officially on 18 Apr 1928 while she was just five years old. However, William left the barbershop to Anna and departed for Massachusetts at the beginning of 1927. Although Hortense was very young when he left Portsmouth, she remembers playing at the barbershop and hearing stories about him.

William eventually remarried and opened a barbershop in Worcester, Massachusetts. She only remembers him visiting Portsmouth once after he left, but he always sent money and gifts. One winter she recalls he sent all of them pea coats. After he died his wife, Mabel, sent a letter to Hortense’s mother letting the family know what had happened.

Hortense never met Tate Cornute, her maternal great grandfather, since he had died in early 1916, but was told the story of how his father, John Cornutt was a white slave owner in Virginia who had four children with a house slave. He emancipated them and they had to leave Virginia and were brought to Ohio. However, she did know, great grandma Maria (Wilson) Cornute, she had been born a slave, and met Tate at the end of the Civil War while he was still in North Carolina. She never heard Maria talk, because she had suffered a stroke, but she would watch them play. They owned a single story house that was very nice inside with a big porch. Hortense also met her grandfather’s siblings Frances, Clark T. and Addie along with many of her cousins while visiting Ironton, Ohio. Tate and Maria and other family members are buried in Ironton, Ohio.

Hortense shared some additional memories about her favorite aunts and family stories.

Hortense: “Aunt Addie, was Granddad William Cornute’s sister, she had a beautiful deep voice. She sang in the choir at the Methodist church in Ironton, Ohio and was a frequent guest singer at my family church, Allen Chapel AME, in Portsmouth.”

Hortense: “Aunt Etta Preston, lived in Chillicothe, she was a hairdresser and managed a beauty shop. She always said I was her favorite great niece. I remember she had long pretty dark red hair.”

Empire Detroit Steel Mill hired blacks but Clem, Maxine’s husband, was the first black foreman. He worked there almost twenty-five years as a brick mason and the place closed around 1980. Clem was made a foreman the later part of his career and got some initial push back from those employees that reported to him. Clem stood his ground by letting them know he was fair but that he was now the foreman!

Cordella Cornute, Genevieve’s sister was a wonderful pianist and played in many orchestras. She also traveled with her own orchestra and was friends with Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. She mostly lived in Cleveland, Ohio after leaving Portsmouth but eventually moved to Toledo, Ohio later in life. There, she married Mack Danner but they didn’t have any children due to their ages. Cordella would visit Portsmouth occasionally but more often than not the family traveled to visit her at their home in Toledo, Ohio. She died in Toledo, Ohio.

World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. Hortense’s brother Elverson “Fritz” Williams was a single man, without dependents, and twenty-four years old nearing the end of this conflict. Elverson was working as a salesman when he enlisted in the army on June 13, 1945. His Enlistment was for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law.

Hortense and her family understand the personal value of keepsakes and family heirlooms and have kept a couple of pieces moving through the family lines. Her maternal grandmother Anna Cornute’s diamond ring was passed down to her mother Genevieve and then to her older sister Carlene. When Carlene died it made its way to her and now she has passed it on to her oldest daughter Jenny. Additionally, after her father Russell died her sister Carlene had his gold and diamond cuff-links made into a ring and this was also passed on to Jenny.

Community

Portsmouth, Ohio where Hortense grew up and still lives is a small town on the Ohio River, which had a big industry base at one time: N&W Railroad, Shelby Shoe Company, Williams Shoe Company, Wheeling Steel Corporation/Empire Detroit Steel, Mitchell Shoe Lace, OSCO Industries (casting plant), department stores and hotels. The depression along with the massive 1937 flood wiped out many homes and businesses.

The decline of the steel industry in the United States, shoes being made cheaper oversees lead to the closure of many businesses and the further decline of Portsmouth. Many companies are gone and new ones have opened but despite these new businesses Portsmouth has faced a continuous decline in population. Never the less, it remains Hortense and some of her children’s home.

Portsmouth is the home to Shawnee State University and it is thriving here. Additionally, Portsmouth is also known for a series of murals painted along its Ohio River flood walls. These murals depict the community’s history from prehistoric times to modern day.

Portsmouth, however, was no different than any other town in America where discrimination was pervasive through the seventies; neighborhoods, schools, facilities and other services were segregated. The name for black or people of color was “colored” or “Negro” on a good day and there were neighborhoods that they just didn’t live in; like Indian Hills, one of the wealthier areas of Portsmouth, and the “hilltop area”.

Hortense remembered that during the reconstruction after the 1937 flood and the Depression the government built apartment housing complexes for families. First, Wayne Hills located more east of town primarily for whites and a year or so later they built Farley Square, North-end, which was primarily Negro.

The black “colored” community was mainly in the north end of Portsmouth, it had many social clubs, Masonic organizations and churches were an important part of the community. People worked in the steel mills, hotels, department and grocery stores, also in private families as housekeepers and chauffeurs. There were black teachers, hair dressers, tradesmen and barbers like Hortense’s grandfathers.

Her grandfather’s barbershop serviced the white business men of the community and his presence was larger than life. This afforded the family some luxuries as they lived in a nice neighborhood with single family homes that was predominately white. Growing up Hortense and her siblings had white playmates while at home and black playmates while at school.

Tracy Park where Hortense played was predominately white, she and her siblings played freely there and got along with kids. When Negro children made their way to Tracy Park it always seemed to end with fights. In the North-end the Negroes had Bannon Park, when Hortense and her siblings went to this park they always encountered problems.

Hortense and her family shopped mostly at Marting’s Department store because her parents worked there and it was very convenient. Most shops were located downtown and were within walking distance of their home.

Outside of her local community Hortense had the opportunity to visit a couple of larger cities while visiting relatives as a young woman. She recalls, “I visited Toledo, Ohio when I was a teenager; I was really fascinated by the “Big City” the number of people and the size of everything.”

Early Schooling

Portsmouth, Ohio where Hortense went to school was no different than the rest of America in the 1930s. Her elementary school was segregated; black children attended the Booker T. Washington School from 1^st through 8^th grade. Hortense and the other girls always wore dresses or skirts and the boys wore shorts to school. The faculty was all black at Washington school, Hortense: “I remember the principal Mr. Gentry we all called him “Pap Gentry””. After completing the last year you had to pass a test to move on to high school.

Hortense: “I really enjoyed school and was a good student. I played an Indian Chief in a school play. I had two really good friends, Rosemary “Jackie” Parker and Jay Johnson; we did our homework and ran around together”.

Hortense: “I had several favorite teachers over the years: Miss Walker, 1^st grade; Miss Penman, 3^rd grade; and Mr. Clayton, 6^th grade”.

These early school years were also the time that Hortense came to the full realization that discrimination and hatred didn’t solely emanate from white people. She felt the raft of her black classmates simply because she looked different, wore nice clothes and lived somewhere other than the north end.

Hortense: “My siblings and I were bullied by some kids; they cut our hair, ripped our clothes and picked fights, because of our complexion and hair”.

Aside from playtime at school Hortense really enjoyed going to Tracy Park and playing games, listening to the radio and just being with her friends. They played “hide n seek”, jacks, marbles and roller skated. She carries many great memories from this time period.

This was the typical age when many children often dreamed about what they aspired to be when they grew up and Hortense was no different; she really wanted to be a nurse but ended up a Head Start teacher.

Teenage Years

Teenage years always seem to be rebellious in nature as the kids are getting older and seemingly seeking more independence but Hortense kept an even keel as she entered these years. By the time she reached thirteen he had a part time job babysitting after school that provided her with spending money while out with her friends. That even keel extended to her relationship with her parents which continued to be very good as she had no real conflicts with them. Her chores stayed basically the same, mainly helping around the house, cooking and running errands.

Hortense began dating around fifteen or so, there were parties and social events that kids went to. Her mother didn’t talk to her about the “birds and bees”. She learned these facts from her cousin Vivian “Sis” Cornute who came to stay with them for a while when they lived on 9^th Street.

Hortense attended Portsmouth High School which was integrated by that time. She continued to be a very good student in high school while excelling at math. She also enjoyed science and Latin which were taught by Mr. Jackson and Miss Ball respectively. Her favorite teachers in high school also happened to be those two as they made class interesting and were very nice people. These were the classes, especially science, that made Hortense consider nursing.

Hortense had a flare for the arts and she participated in operettas in high school which were light hearted and fun opera style plays but used spoken word instead of singing all the parts. She also belonged to a club called “Just Friends”; it was a card club for young single women. Occasionally they would allow boyfriends to attend their activities.

The racial discrimination that Hortense and her siblings endured during their earlier years at Booker T. Washington School, at the hands of their black schoolmates, lessened at Portsmouth High. It lessened despite the fact that they were now catching hell from both the white and black kids. None the less, with Portsmouth High being integrated they found solace among some white and black friends. One thing that stuck with Hortense was the fact that although the school was integrated, blacks were not allowed to attend the school prom.

Hortense also shared the aspirations of her siblings: Her brother Elverson wanted to be a mechanic and work on cars like their father. He joined the military and later worked for Wean United, a steel mill in Youngstown, Ohio. Carlene wanted to be a model and she was a great seamstress that made some of her own clothes; she also loved makeup. She didn’t become a model, but she worked in department stores working with clothes and makeup in Cleveland, Ohio.

Hortense maintained a close relationship with best friends Rosemary “Jackie” Parker and Jay Johnson throughout her school and later years. They still enjoyed hanging out and listening to music like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, The Ink Spots and Benny Goodman.

Adult Years

Hortense was thrust into adulthood at a very early age when she married her first husband, James Biggs, in 1939 and had one son, Dennis. They divorced in 1946.

Her oldest son Dennis was born at home and she recalls that was a difficult birth. He was raised with the rest of her children and, as she says, “he is a big kindhearted man”. Dennis worked for many years,  doesn’t have a family of his own and still lives in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Hortense married Edward H. Hairston in 1951. She knew him pretty well; his and her parents were friends and he and her sister Carlene were close in age and came up together. So he was always around. Edward was a quiet mild mannered man with a good sense of humor who was primarily self-taught and very smart on many subjects. They lived simple lives and enjoyed socializing with their friends; Edward especially enjoyed playing poker with his friends.

They decided it was time to expand the family and started planning for children. Edward “Bud” Hairston and Hortense had seven children together, three boys then four girls, along with Dennis. Gary was the first to arrive in 1952, Russell in 1954, Richard in 1956, Jenny in 1959, Tracey in 1963, Kathey in 1965 and Valerie in 1968. Hortense recalls that during those days they put women under light anesthesia in the hospital, so she doesn’t have any clear memories of going through childbirth.

Her husband was a self-employed entrepreneur who owned the Smoke Shop, a pool hall type business, and The Silver Moon Club in partnership with his father, John R and his brother John W from 1946 to 1955. Hortense and her husband socialized with friends at The Silver Moon as it was a very popular social spot for blacks, in fact, a young Nancy Wilson performed there. They changed the club’s name to The Acme Athletic and Social Club in 1955 and it continued in operation until 1976 when the doors finally closed. Edward also worked as a custodian at the Scioto County Courthouse and a foreman for Ferguson Construction Company. Hortense worked as a housekeeper and in department stores until Russell was born in 1954. She became a stay at home mom until 1970.

Mothers know their children best and Hortense is no different in that regard, she says that each one has a unique personality, some quiet, others more outgoing. She said that her kids where typical, they had fights and arguments but mainly they got along. They always had a built in playmates, played outside all the time; Hortense: “they loved going to the park and riding their bicycles and I played right along with them.” Popular games were kickball, red light green light, hide and seek. They also liked playing with jacks and marbles. The Fourteenth Street Community Center gave the kids a safe place to hang out, there were pool tables, ping pong, shuffle board, volley ball and dances on Friday nights. Unlike Hortense Edward didn’t actively play with the kids but he did take them on drives, which they all looked forward to, talked with them and he was considered a great listener. Hortense, like her mother, was clearly the disciplinarian in the family whereas Edward was a talker that wanted the kids to think about what they did wrong. He strongly believed that education was their key to a successful life and did whatever he could to support them.

Hortense provided some insight into her children’s personalities: “Gary, a Human Resources Director, and Jenny (oldest girl), a retired Audit Manager, are typical older siblings; very responsible, more serious and usually making sure everything and everyone is taken care of. Russell, a City Housing Manager, was quiet as a child but today he is the life of the party. Richard was very curious, he took things apart and put them back together, he’s an engineer. Tracey was very social always on the go, today she works in customer service. Kathey was somewhat shy, but had many friends. She works for Southern Ohio Medical Center in the Accounts Department. Valerie, a Realtor, was somewhat quiet, but a typical youngest kid, she liked to get her way.” She added. “My children did very well in school and participated in school activities. Most of them pursued a college education.”

Edward and Hortense were very generous, not that we were well off by any means, but they would share what they had with those less fortunate. Their kids recall that they would take food to a family struggling to put food on the table or loan money to a friend to cover a bill or get through a rough time.

Hortense began thinking about contributing outside the home when her youngest daughter, Valerie, was two years old when a timely opportunity presented itself. One of the school principals came to her in 1970 and inquired if she was interested in becoming a teacher’s aide for a new program called Head Start. The program was initially operated within the Portsmouth City Schools during the summer only. She accepted and did that for a few years then decided to pursue becoming a teacher for the program.

Hortense attended the Portsmouth branch of Ohio University  and became a Certified Child Development Preschool Teacher. She worked at the Eden Park Head Start location that enrolled children from poor rural and city communities. She focused not only on preparing children for elementary school but their social and emotional development as well. Many kids had very little and Hortense often put care packages together with basic underclothing, clothing and hygiene items for them to take home. She continued teaching for twelve years and retired in 1987.

Her legacy in Portsmouth was solidified as her children often remembered kids from her classes, now grown with kids of their own, commenting on how she made a positive impact on their lives. Hortense was especially proud of exposing her classroom kids to different options while building their self-esteem through learning.

Hortense and Edward were together almost thirty-five years and raised eight children together, including Dennis, when he died in 1984. Hortense offers the following advice to young couples starting out. “Make sure that you are friends and can talk with each other. Couples should agree on what they want out of life and work together to achieve it.”

The Family Historian would again like to thank Hortense and her family for sharing a bit of her life with the Cornute family at large and hope that everyone enjoyed it and gained something from it. We certainly enjoyed putting it together and most certainly learned much from the experience. So, in closing Hortense offers us the following:

TFH: What has provided you the greatest satisfaction in life?

Hortense: “Raising responsible and productive children is one of my greatest accomplishments. The other is going back to school after having my children and getting the education to become a teacher at Head Start. Another is having good friends to share life with.”

TFH: How would you say the world has changed since you were young?

Hortense: “The world is very different, there are more opportunities for blacks and we can go anywhere and you can become anything you work hard for.” She continues. “Changes in technology happen so fast now and people are always connected.”

TFH: How did the family manage through the Great Depression?

Hortense: “My family lost a lot during the Depression but relied on each other and made it through.”

TFH: What are your thoughts of the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s & 60s?

Hortense: “I just remember there was racial turmoil everywhere but it was necessary to obtain the rights we were entitled to.” Continuing she says. “I recall when the community came together and forced the high school to give black girls the opportunity to try out for cheerleader. Black boys could play sports but our girls couldn’t be on the sideline cheering them on.”

TFH: How did you cope with discrimination growing up?

Hortense: “I come from a mixed race heritage, there was discrimination on how we looked by blacks and whites. My parents told us to keep our heads up and be proud of whom you are.”

TFH: Do you remember your first contact with such significant inventions as radio, television, or a computer?

Hortense: “One of my favorite memories is listening to shows and music on the radio with “Mom” Cornute. We didn’t have television until I was older. I have never used a computer and I think I’m too old to learn, but I’ve seen my children and grandchildren use them.”

TFH: What president do you remember most?

Hortense: “President Kennedy and President Clinton, both had a lot of appeal to the people. I have a letter from President Clinton acknowledging my 80^th birthday.”

TFH: What are your thoughts on the election of President Obama?

Hortense: “I remember when he was first elected I thought I would have never lived to see a black president, but I did. He is such an intelligent and well educated man. I think he is working hard to make positive changes in our country, but he has a tough fight from the conservatives. Some don’t like him simply because he’s black, but he was re-elected and that shows progress.”