"History and Folklore of Searcy County, Arkansas" 1977; edited by Mary Frances Harrell; New Leaf Press, Inc, Harrison, AR., page 240: Elwanda Horton, wife of Lewis Horton was buried in the Horton Cemetery. Citation: 1937-1940 records from Coffman Funeral Home.
Viola Elwanda Isbell Horton was the daughter of William Joseph Isbell and Molly Russell. Orphaned in 1925, she was adopted by Ed Eli Horton & Harriet Johns Horton, who renamed her Elwanda Elizabeth Horton. She married Ed's nephew Lewis Horton 28 April 1934 at Gilbert, Searcy County, Arkansas.
Ed Horton and Harriet had no children so they adopted a daughter, Carmon Horton (1919-1997). When Carmon refused to go to school because she didn't know anyone or have any friends there, they decided to adopt a sister for her. They let Carmon pick her out of a photo from the Little Rock orphanage and she chose Viola Elwanda Isbell.
Elwanda's granddaughter, Wanda Thompson, said: "So Grandma Harriet sent for a picture of all the little orphans. Grandma laughed because she picked the tiny sickliest little girl on the page. Grandma couldn't go get her so they sent the train fare. When they picked her up, I think at Leslie outside of Marshall, Ar., she had been under the care of the conductor while on the train. He cried when he saw Grandma and he said bless you, bless you. She just blossomed under grandma's care and she was on the front porch playing with Carmon when they sent someone to check up and make sure she had gone to a good home. He saw that she was so happy and he said he could see that she was being taken care of and never came around again. A lot of people adopted children for the wrong reasons back then. They just wanted to have someone to love because Grandpa had mumps that made him sterile and they couldn't have any kids. I still have the letter from the orphanage where they asked Grandma to send the coat that she came with back for the orphans. So actually she didn't even come with a coat on her back."
Elwanda was reunited with her brother, Jesse D. Isbell, before her death, and he had contact with their brothers Joe and John.
Lewis Horton's parents owned a farm next to the Horton cemetery at Gilbert as well as a hotel in Harrison and lived at both places.
Wanda Thompson, said: "When Elwanda had my mother, it was upstairs in the hotel, very hot room. It was late January. The doctor got hot and raised the window by her bed. She ended up with pneumonia and died 10 days later. When she died, Grandma Harriet's sister Aunt Dorothy was with her. Aunt Dorothy said right before she died my Grandma said, 'Aunt Dorothy, just look who's looking at us in the window.' Aunt Dorothy wouldn't look because she knew it was an angel that came for Elwanda."
The Horton cemetery "is at the point where Buffalo River and Bear Creek merge. Turn to the right and look back up to the ridge and that's where it is. Part of the Buffalo River National Park now."
Ed Horton built a little fence around Elwanda's grave. All but a couple of the graves there are unmarked or unreadable. Wanda also said, "She's supposed to be buried by Louis's little sister and another baby who died but none of them have a marker."
Viola Elwanda Isbell Horton was the daughter of William Joseph Isbell and Molly Russell. Orphaned in 1925, she was adopted by Ed Eli Horton & Harriet Johns Horton, who renamed her Elwanda Elizabeth Horton. She married Ed's nephew Lewis Horton 28 April 1934 at Gilbert, Searcy County, Arkansas.
Ed Horton and Harriet had no children so they adopted a daughter, Carmon Horton (1919-1997). When Carmon refused to go to school because she didn't know anyone or have any friends there, they decided to adopt a sister for her. They let Carmon pick her out of a photo from the Little Rock orphanage and she chose Viola Elwanda Isbell.
Elwanda's granddaughter, Wanda Thompson, said: "So Grandma Harriet sent for a picture of all the little orphans. Grandma laughed because she picked the tiny sickliest little girl on the page. Grandma couldn't go get her so they sent the train fare. When they picked her up, I think at Leslie outside of Marshall, Ar., she had been under the care of the conductor while on the train. He cried when he saw Grandma and he said bless you, bless you. She just blossomed under grandma's care and she was on the front porch playing with Carmon when they sent someone to check up and make sure she had gone to a good home. He saw that she was so happy and he said he could see that she was being taken care of and never came around again. A lot of people adopted children for the wrong reasons back then. They just wanted to have someone to love because Grandpa had mumps that made him sterile and they couldn't have any kids. I still have the letter from the orphanage where they asked Grandma to send the coat that she came with back for the orphans. So actually she didn't even come with a coat on her back."
Elwanda was reunited with her brother, Jesse D. Isbell, before her death, and he had contact with their brothers Joe and John.
Lewis Horton's parents owned a farm next to the Horton cemetery at Gilbert as well as a hotel in Harrison and lived at both places.
Wanda Thompson, said: "When Elwanda had my mother, it was upstairs in the hotel, very hot room. It was late January. The doctor got hot and raised the window by her bed. She ended up with pneumonia and died 10 days later. When she died, Grandma Harriet's sister Aunt Dorothy was with her. Aunt Dorothy said right before she died my Grandma said, 'Aunt Dorothy, just look who's looking at us in the window.' Aunt Dorothy wouldn't look because she knew it was an angel that came for Elwanda."
The Horton cemetery "is at the point where Buffalo River and Bear Creek merge. Turn to the right and look back up to the ridge and that's where it is. Part of the Buffalo River National Park now."
Ed Horton built a little fence around Elwanda's grave. All but a couple of the graves there are unmarked or unreadable. Wanda also said, "She's supposed to be buried by Louis's little sister and another baby who died but none of them have a marker."
"History and Folklore of Searcy County, Arkansas" 1977; edited by Mary Frances Harrell; New Leaf Press, Inc, Harrison, AR., page 240: Elwanda Horton, wife of Lewis Horton was buried in the Horton Cemetery. Citation: 1937-1940 records from Coffman Funeral Home.
Viola Elwanda Isbell Horton was the daughter of William Joseph Isbell and Molly Russell. Orphaned in 1925, she was adopted by Ed Eli Horton & Harriet Johns Horton, who renamed her Elwanda Elizabeth Horton. She married Ed's nephew Lewis Horton 28 April 1934 at Gilbert, Searcy County, Arkansas.
Ed Horton and Harriet had no children so they adopted a daughter, Carmon Horton (1919-1997). When Carmon refused to go to school because she didn't know anyone or have any friends there, they decided to adopt a sister for her. They let Carmon pick her out of a photo from the Little Rock orphanage and she chose Viola Elwanda Isbell.
Elwanda's granddaughter, Wanda Thompson, said: "So Grandma Harriet sent for a picture of all the little orphans. Grandma laughed because she picked the tiny sickliest little girl on the page. Grandma couldn't go get her so they sent the train fare. When they picked her up, I think at Leslie outside of Marshall, Ar., she had been under the care of the conductor while on the train. He cried when he saw Grandma and he said bless you, bless you. She just blossomed under grandma's care and she was on the front porch playing with Carmon when they sent someone to check up and make sure she had gone to a good home. He saw that she was so happy and he said he could see that she was being taken care of and never came around again. A lot of people adopted children for the wrong reasons back then. They just wanted to have someone to love because Grandpa had mumps that made him sterile and they couldn't have any kids. I still have the letter from the orphanage where they asked Grandma to send the coat that she came with back for the orphans. So actually she didn't even come with a coat on her back."
Elwanda was reunited with her brother, Jesse D. Isbell, before her death, and he had contact with their brothers Joe and John.
Lewis Horton's parents owned a farm next to the Horton cemetery at Gilbert as well as a hotel in Harrison and lived at both places.
Wanda Thompson, said: "When Elwanda had my mother, it was upstairs in the hotel, very hot room. It was late January. The doctor got hot and raised the window by her bed. She ended up with pneumonia and died 10 days later. When she died, Grandma Harriet's sister Aunt Dorothy was with her. Aunt Dorothy said right before she died my Grandma said, 'Aunt Dorothy, just look who's looking at us in the window.' Aunt Dorothy wouldn't look because she knew it was an angel that came for Elwanda."
The Horton cemetery "is at the point where Buffalo River and Bear Creek merge. Turn to the right and look back up to the ridge and that's where it is. Part of the Buffalo River National Park now."
Ed Horton built a little fence around Elwanda's grave. All but a couple of the graves there are unmarked or unreadable. Wanda also said, "She's supposed to be buried by Louis's little sister and another baby who died but none of them have a marker."
Viola Elwanda Isbell Horton was the daughter of William Joseph Isbell and Molly Russell. Orphaned in 1925, she was adopted by Ed Eli Horton & Harriet Johns Horton, who renamed her Elwanda Elizabeth Horton. She married Ed's nephew Lewis Horton 28 April 1934 at Gilbert, Searcy County, Arkansas.
Ed Horton and Harriet had no children so they adopted a daughter, Carmon Horton (1919-1997). When Carmon refused to go to school because she didn't know anyone or have any friends there, they decided to adopt a sister for her. They let Carmon pick her out of a photo from the Little Rock orphanage and she chose Viola Elwanda Isbell.
Elwanda's granddaughter, Wanda Thompson, said: "So Grandma Harriet sent for a picture of all the little orphans. Grandma laughed because she picked the tiny sickliest little girl on the page. Grandma couldn't go get her so they sent the train fare. When they picked her up, I think at Leslie outside of Marshall, Ar., she had been under the care of the conductor while on the train. He cried when he saw Grandma and he said bless you, bless you. She just blossomed under grandma's care and she was on the front porch playing with Carmon when they sent someone to check up and make sure she had gone to a good home. He saw that she was so happy and he said he could see that she was being taken care of and never came around again. A lot of people adopted children for the wrong reasons back then. They just wanted to have someone to love because Grandpa had mumps that made him sterile and they couldn't have any kids. I still have the letter from the orphanage where they asked Grandma to send the coat that she came with back for the orphans. So actually she didn't even come with a coat on her back."
Elwanda was reunited with her brother, Jesse D. Isbell, before her death, and he had contact with their brothers Joe and John.
Lewis Horton's parents owned a farm next to the Horton cemetery at Gilbert as well as a hotel in Harrison and lived at both places.
Wanda Thompson, said: "When Elwanda had my mother, it was upstairs in the hotel, very hot room. It was late January. The doctor got hot and raised the window by her bed. She ended up with pneumonia and died 10 days later. When she died, Grandma Harriet's sister Aunt Dorothy was with her. Aunt Dorothy said right before she died my Grandma said, 'Aunt Dorothy, just look who's looking at us in the window.' Aunt Dorothy wouldn't look because she knew it was an angel that came for Elwanda."
The Horton cemetery "is at the point where Buffalo River and Bear Creek merge. Turn to the right and look back up to the ridge and that's where it is. Part of the Buffalo River National Park now."
Ed Horton built a little fence around Elwanda's grave. All but a couple of the graves there are unmarked or unreadable. Wanda also said, "She's supposed to be buried by Louis's little sister and another baby who died but none of them have a marker."
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