Bessie SMITH STAR

Dr Elmer Gordon
Mar 5, 1884 - July 3, 1921
Bessie
Aug 12, 1886 - Feb 16, 1938

MRS. BESSIE VIOLETTE DIES ABOARD SHIP

Married Here Dec. 25; Husband Sends Word from Amsterdam; Body Will Arrive Here In Two Weeks.

Mrs. Bessie Starr Violette, a well-known Kirksville woman who was married to Prof. E. M. Violette on December 25, last year, died Wednesday while she and her husband were aboard a ship bound for Europe, according to a cablegram received yesterday by her son, Gordon Starr, of St. Louis.

Mr. and Mrs. Starr came to Kirksville late yesterday to inform his grandmother, Mrs. Emma Smith, of her daughter's death.

The cablegram stated that death was due to a serious illness, which evidently had developed after they sailed from New Orleans on February 1. Gordon stated that a letter from his mother, mailed at Havana, Cuba, stated that she had been seasick for the two days they had been at sea, and this is believed to have continued and developed into a serious illness. Mrs. Violette has always been frail, although seldom sick.

The ship on which they sailed arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday, and Mr. Violette cabled that he was returning with her body, expecting to arrive in about 12 to 15 days.

Prof. and Mrs. Violette had planned to spend several months abroad while Mr. Violette engaged in research in London.

Mrs. Violette, who was 51 years old, has lived in Kirksville practically all her life and was a member of one of Kirksville's best known families. Her father, W. H. Smith, died about 30 years ago.

Mrs. Violette was a graduate of the Kirksville High School and State Teachers College, and had been prominent in school and club work. She had been an instructor in world history and French for nine years before her marriage on Christmas Day and continued teaching until January 14, the end of the winter semester. Prior to that she had been librarian at the Junior High School. She is a past president of the Sojourners Club, a charter member and past president of Chapter OW, P.E.O., and a member of the Monday Club.

Mrs. Violette joined her husband in Columbia, Mo., where he had been doing research work while on leave of absence from the University of Louisiana where he had been teacher of English and European history since leaving the Kirksville State Teachers College faculty several years ago.

Kirksville Daily Express
Kirksville, Missouri
February 20, 1938

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Mrs. Violette's Funeral Saturday

The body of Mrs. Bessie Starr Violette, who died Feb. 16 from seasickness while on a voyage to Europe, is expected to arrive in Kirksville Saturday morning at 1 o'clock.

Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the First Methodist Episcopal Church, conducted by the Rev. Joseph W. Thompson, assisted by the Rev. E. N. Garrett.

The body will lie in state from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the church.

Mrs. Violette taught in the High School here until the opening of the second semester in January, having resigned to be married to Mr. Violette on Dec. 25. Mr. Violette, former history teacher at the state college here is a member of the faculty at Louisiana State University and was en route to London for research work when Mrs. Violette died.

He was scheduled to land at New York today with her body.

Kirksville Daily Express
Kirksville, Missouri
March 2, 1938

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Mrs. Violette's Funeral Tomorrow

The body of Mrs. Bessie Starr Violette, former High School teacher, who died Feb. 16 on an ocean liner en route to Europe, is scheduled to arrive here late tonight. The funeral will be held tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at the Methodist Episcopal Church, conducted by the Revs. Thompson and Garrett. The body will lie in state at the church from 10 a.m. until time for the funeral ceremony. Burial will be in Forest Cemetery.

Kirksville Daily Express
Kirksville, Missouri
March 4, 1938

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Mrs. Bessie Starr Violette Buried Here

The Methodist Episcopal church auditorium was packed by those who paid last respects to Mrs. Bessie Starr Violette, during the funeral Saturday afternoon at 2:30.

Mrs. Violette. former French and history teacher in the Kirksville high school, who resigned her position to be married to E. M. Violette last Christmas, died at sea Feb. 16, with a sudden illness of seasickness.

Mr. Violette, a professor in the state university at Baton Rouge, La., and his wife were to spend several months abroad on a honeymoon and the professor's research work, but the same day the ship docked the body was transferred to a second for the return trip.

The funeral was conducted by Rev. Joseph Thompson and burial was in Forest cemetery.

Weekly Graphic
Kirksville, Missouri
March 11, 1938

Parents:
William Henry Smith (1859 - 1909)
Emma Dunkin Smith (1862 - 1942)

Spouses:
Elmer Gordon Starr (1884 - 1921)
Eugene Morrow Violette (1875 - 1940)
Burial:
Maple Grove Cemetery
Trenton
Grundy County
Missouri

Children:
Gordon E. Starr (1912 - 1965)


Kirksville has never been so profoundly shocked as it was Sunday afternoon when the announcement reached here that Dr. E. G. Starr, proprietor of the E. G. Starr Drug Company had met death while swimming in the Chariton river at Yarrow. Dr. Starr owned an interest in a cabin near the river and he and his family were spending Sunday there camping and enjoying an outing. While fishing just below the Weber dam, his hook caught on a snag and he sent his son Gordon, 9 years old, to the cabin for his bathing suit. The boy brought his father's bathing suit and his own, and after going out and disentangling the hook, Dr. Starr told Gordon that he would take him across the river on his back. They started across about 40 feet below the dam, and when about half way across Dr. Starr began to sink. The lad shouted the alarm, as his father's head went under the water. Kenneth Dodson, Paul Johnson and three or four other men were standing on the bank, when the alarm was given. Mr. Dodson sprang into the water and reached the boy as he was going down the third time and seizing his arm pulled him to shore. Other men took the boy in charge and by rolling him on the sand quickly relieved his lungs of the water he had swallowed. He then ran to the cabin and told his mother what had happened. About fifteen minutes after Dr. Starr went down his body was taken from the water, and for more than an hour every effort was made to resuscitate him but without success. Dr. Starr was an expert swimmer, and at first it was thought he had been seized with cramps, but it was later revealed that he died of heart trouble as there was no water in his lungs. Dr. Starr was born in Halsey, Oregon, and was 37 years old. He graduated from the American School of Osteopathy in 1903. He was married to Miss Bessie Smith in 1905 and is survived by his wife and two sons, William and Gordon. He is also survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. T. Starr, of Halsey, Oregon, a brother, Geo. Starr, of Oregon, and two sisters, Mrs. Basil Witzig and Mrs. R. B. Kenoyer of Montana. Dr. Starr was an ideal citizen and business man. He was devoted to his home and friends and no man stood higher in the community, and his untimely death has saddened the people of Kirksville and Adair county. Funeral services were held at the home Tuesday afteruoon [sic] at 4 o'clock conducted by Rev. H. McNamee. Burial in Forest cemetery.

Weekly Graphic
Kirksville, Missouri
July 8, 1921

Parents:
Philo Thomas Starr (1849 - 1921)
Fannie Ellen Penland Fry (1863 - 1953)

Spouse:
Elizabeth Smith Violette (1886 - 1938)

Children:
Gordon E. Starr (1912 - 1965)

Photo contributed by Larry and Susan Olson lolson60@cableone.net

Contributed on 1/15/16 by hawkinsdonna48
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Record #: 782600

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