HORNBACK, Emma L. (1920-2022)

HORNBACK

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/2/2022 at 00:07:07

Emma Louise Hornback
(June 26, 1920 - February 4, 2022)

Emma Louise Hornback of Des Moines went to be with the Lord on February 4th, 2022. She passed away peacefully at the age of 101.
Emma Hornback was born in Burlington Junction, Missouri to Samuel and Julia (Huffman) Williams in 1920. She is the 9th of 11 children. At a young age she went to live with her sister, Bess, in North Kansas City. Emma enjoyed spending the summers with her sister, Ethel, in Des Moines. She went to high school in North Kansas City and graduated in 1939. She moved to Des Moines after graduating from high school and worked in a pickle factory. During this time, she met Charles Hornback Sr. shortly after she started her job. They fell in love and were secretly married on August 3rd, 1940. Chuck and Emma settled in Des Moines. They purchased their house in 1941, and Emma stayed in the house for 81 years up until January 2022. Emma gave birth to their son Charles Hornback Jr in 1943 while her husband was away fighting in WWII. Emma raised their son alone for two years until Chuck came back from the war. Emma and her son often took the train back to Burlington Junction, Missouri to stay with her parents during that time. Once Chuck returned from the war, Emma was a full time Mom and housewife. Emma started working at JCPenney in downtown Des Moines as a display designer and in the shoe department. She worked at JCPenney for 38 years. She also later worked at Younkers in gift wrap. Emma took pride in her home and all that she was able to maintain by herself for 50 years. She enjoyed fashion, interior design, dogs, cats, gardening, crocheting, knitting, and her family. She was a grandmother to 7, a great grandmother to 13, and great-great grandmother to 3.
Emma was proud of her son and was devoted to him and all of her grandchildren. She was extremely thoughtful. If you received a gift from her, it was wrapped elegantly. She never forgot a birthday. She always had a Coke and a Milky Way on hand for any visitor that graced her door. Emma loved coffee. She even gave each of her grandchildren “coffee milk” in their bottles. As they grew older it was a treat to go to Granny’s and have your own cup of “coffee milk” in a miniature tea cup. If you ran into her outside her home, she always had a hat on, and wore pink almost every day. She adored her niece Betty, and thought of her as more of a sister.
Emma is survived by her son Charles (Sharon) Hornback Jr; her grandchildren Kristin (John) Carmody, Wendie (Todd) Discher, Michael Sean (Traci) Hornback, Mark (Patricia) Hornback, Sarah (Joe) Swackhamer, Jonathan Hornback; great grandchildren Alex Carmody, Blaine (Holly) Johner, Tyler (Alysha) Discher, Samantha Hornback, Ryan Countryman, Takota (Ariel) Discher, Stephen Countryman, Elaine Swackhamer, Kayla Hornback, Alissa Hornback, Jacob Hornback, Josiah Swackhamer, Ethan Swackhamer; great-great grandchildren Jaxon Johner, Jace Johner, Laken Discher; her beloved niece Betty Krohne; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She is preceded in death by her parents Samuel and Julia Williams, her siblings Ethel, Hattie, William, George, Bessie, Robert, Roberta, Lula, Ralph, and Jerry: her beloved granddaughter Michelle Hornback (Nikki), and several other loving family members.
Services will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, February 11, 2022 at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola, Iowa 501 West Ashland Avenue Indianola, Iowa 50125. The visitation will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Friday prior to services. Burial service will be in her home town Burlington Junction, Missouri at Ohio Cemetery on February 12th at 1 p.m.
We would like to thank the staff and nurses at Good Sam in Indianola for taking such patient loving care of our Granny after breaking her hip, and helping her transition peacefully to her heavenly body. This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, http://www.overtonfuneral.com/