Goodbye to my Cousin JOE NATHAN HORNBEAK a/k/a JOE JUNIOR HORNBEAK

By Gloria DULAN-Wilson

Gloria Dulan-Wilson

 

I was devastated to learn of the passing of my cousin JOE NATHAN HORNBEAK - OR JOE JUNIOR, as we called him when we were kids. 

 

Joe Nathan Hornbeak

 

 

The first time I saw him was when we were kids, running up and down the gully in front of my Grandparents home in the all Black town of Burneyville, Oklahoma. 

 

My Grandmom, his aunt, was Cornelia Hoenbeak Gaines - a member of the Hornbeak Clan - as was an entire branch of my Mom's family.  As his cousin, I really didn't pay Joe Junior much attention until I was about 15 years old, when I had the opportunity to watch him play basketball and literally carry the entire game. And. while I was proud of him, I probably would not have noticed him then had it not been for my friend Sylvia Carroll Perry who was visiting my grandparents with me, and immediately developed a crush on him. Until then, I really hadn't noticed how handsome my cousin had become. To me he was just tall and lanky, always cracking jokes and eating like there was no tomorrow. 

 

It would be nearly 50 years before we saw each other again - and sadly, it was at my mom, Ruby Love's funeral in April 2014. Joe Junior was as tall, handsome and lanky as ever; but this time his hair was all white, and he was a college professor at LANGSTON UNIVERSITY - Oklahoma's only HBCU - where practically every member of the DULAN Family had attended. 

 

Following the funeral, at our home, he and I began to catch up on old times, and found that we both had a love of history and were interested in sharing the rich history of our family's heritage and Blacks in Oklahoma with the world. 

 

I remember talking about my two favorite portraits of my grandparents that used to hang on the wall of Grandmom's dining room. They were of my very handsome grandfather, Enoch Gaines, and my equally beautiful grandmom, Cornelia Hornbeak Gaines.  They disappeared shortly after my granddaddy passed.  I was 13 at the time.  I told him I suspected Cousin Maudie as having stolen it - and he corroborated my suspicion. We  even talked about how to get them back.  We also bragged on Burneyville being an All Black Town, and how things were different from the rest of the cities in Oklahoma. His wife had also begun some of the research as well. We were having fun and had actually promised to cooperate in putting the threads together to trace the different family lineages. However, it was something that did not take place. 

 

In fact, a few years ago I tried to reach him at Langston, but was unable to do so because he retired shortly thereafter - so we lost touch. 

 

When my brother, Sylvester, told me that Joe Junior had passed, I felt like someone had bunched me in my heart.  Especially since I had just called Syl to inform him of my childhood friend, Tessya Smith Polk's passing. It was like being hit with a double whammy. 

 

 I keep saying we had to do better about keeping in touch with each other - and then it doesn't happen. So I want to apologize to members of the Hornbeak clan for not being more vocal or visible. I'm going to do better going forward. 

 

My younger brother, Sylvester DULAN had planned to attend Joe Junior's service and represent the family, but now will not be able to do so because of other pressing family issues.

 

So I extend my love and condolences to his widow, his children, friends, fans and the entire Hornbeak Clan. I know Joe Junior is resting in peace and power with our Ancestor/Angels. 

  

Stay Blessed 

 

 

Gloria Jeanne DULAN-Wilson

Daughter of Ruby Gaines DULAN

Proud Granddaughter of Cornelia HORNBEAK Gaines and Enoch Gaines of the Hornbeak Clan of the Cherokee Nation of Marietta, Oklahoma