Articles transcribed from the Adair County News

Wednesday, October 23, 1901 (two entries)

Mr. B. Cravens and daughter, Lineville, Iowa, and several sisters of Mr. Cravens' were visiting Columbia last Friday. [Columbia is the county seat of Adair.]

*

Family Re-Union

One day last week Mr B.B. Cravens, a native of Adair county, but who has been living in Lineville,* Iowa, for the past forty years, conceived the idea of that a day could be happily spent on the grounds where he and his sisters were partially reared--the old Elijah Cravens place, on the waters of Russell's creek, two and a half miles from town. Accordingly, his five sisters, Mrs. Malinda Montgomery, Mrs. Ann Garnett, Mrs. Fannie Pierce, Mrs. J.P. Hancock and Mrs. W.E. Hancock, the husbands of the latter two and the children of the whole party and Mr. Cravens and his daughter went to the site where the older ones "here mentioned" played in their boyhood and girlhood days.

It has been forty years since Mr. Cravens left that scene, and many changes had taken place. The old homestead where he spent so many happy days and nights were gone, and the dear old mother and father, who bade him farewell when he started on his western trip were long since gone to their reward--sad but never to be forgotten memories. He drives them away and takes up more pleasant reflections. The yard and trees and the scenery about the old place look familiar, and the group spread and partook of a bountiful dinner. It was a happy event, a day at the old homestead that will never be forgotten.

Wednesday, June 17, 1906 (In the "Personal" column)

Mr. B.B. Cravens and Mr. Carl Petty, of Lineville, Iowa, are visiting in Adair county. Mr. Cravens is a native of Adair, having left here some forty-nine years ago. When a young man he spent a great deal of time in Columbia. The boys in that day, as now, all had nick names. Mr. Cravens was known as "Turkey" and in speaking of him to this day Dr. J.N. Page never fails to call him by any other name than "Turkey."

Wednesday, October 27, 1909

Family Reunion

Mr. B.B. Cravens, of Lineville, Iowa, who left Adair county fifty-two years ago, is back on a visit. It is his second visit during that long period, having been here eight years ago. Mrs. Elizabeth Hancock, Mrs. Ann Garnett, Mrs. Malinda Montgomery, Mrs. W.E. Hancock and Mrs. Fannie Pierce are his sisters. They are all in good health and the combined ages of the five sisters and that of Mr. Cravens make 438.

Last Thursday they all met at the home of Mrs. W.E. Hancock and enjoyed a delightful dinner and talked over events of their childhood days.

[Mr. Cravens and his sisters were the children of Elijah & Susan (Bowmar) Cravens, who were married in Adair County in 1824. * Lineville is appropriately named, as it lies athwart the Iowa-Missouri line.]