Dr. Grady Early, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, taught math and computer science at Texas State University for 29 years, serving briefly as interim chair of the newly-formed Computer Science department. After retirement, Early began researching his family history and gained some familiarity with various research tools: ancestry, familysearch, newspapers, San Marcos Record archives, findagrave and many more. This made it easy for him to segue into the histories of non-family members, which is how he began to write a story about Southwest Texas Normal in San Marcos, also known as San Marcos Normal, which is now Texas State University. This series will highlight the first staff at Southwest Texas Normal.
The 1907 Pedagogue’s rather amusing evaluation of Willie Swann Foster’s teaching methods was that he: “is a historical specialist; quickly relieves persons afflicted with ignorance; recommends for historical students a prescription to be filled with seven drachms ‘West,’ 8 ounces ‘Colby,’ 2 scruples ‘Myers,’ and 19 grains ‘Perseverance.’” Foster was the daughter of Thomas Rowan Swann, a cotton buyer in Tyler. Fitzhugh Foster, a merchant, was the son of Marcellus Aurelius Foster, a merchant in Pembroke, Kentucky. John Moore Hons was the son of Henry Hons, a German immigrant and farmer in Washington County. In time, these three lives would be forever linked.
Foster was born in 1871 in Tyler. She graduated from Tyler High School, then went to Sam Houston Normal, Huntsville, where she received her teaching certificate. Back in Tyler, she and her sister Maud were appointed to teach at the Tyler schools in 1893, thus beginning a teaching career that, for Foster, would last until 1941.
1895 was significant for Foster; she began teaching at a new Houston school named Cascara, which had opened in 1893, and she married and became a Foster. Swann’s teaching career was interrupted; in short order, the Fosters had two children, Lois and Wilella. Tragedy struck when her husband died in 1902, and she went back to work at the brand-new Southwest Texas Normal school in San Marcos, hired by Tom Harris to teach history.
In 1905, the Houston Post reported that Foster had gone to Chicago to study history and do some special work in other departments. It also reported that she was chair of history at the San Marcos normal; she was not; she was assistant of history; W.A. Palmer was still chair.
Another resident of San Marcos at the time was Dr. John Moore Hons. Attracted to medicine at an early age, Hons began his study of medicine with Drs. Petty and Richardson in Union Hill, Washington County. He continued at New Orleans school of medicine 1868 to 1869, the University of Virginia in 1870, B.A., and Tulane University School of Medicine 1870 to 1871, M.D. He supplemented that training with several specialty courses in New York.
In 1872, Hons began his practice at Shelby in Austin County, then in Fayetteville, Fayette County, Burton in Washington County, and finally to Hays County by 1900, where he became a valued citizen.
Of all medical specialties, Hons seemed to prefer surgery. One operation was so unusual that it was reported in the Brenham Weekly Banner on July 22, 1880. About a month before, Hons had a patient who presented with a bladder stone some four inches in circumference, about 1.27 inch diameter. Hons successfully removed the stone, and the patient was “now entirely well.”
In 1873, Hons and Jennie Bell Turner married; it was short-lived. On Aug. 25, 1875, their child Jennie Moore Hons was born in Washington County. Jennie Bell died on Sept. 13, 1875.
With a child to care for, Hons married Sarah E. “Sallie” Hendley who bore him four children from 1877 to 1888. On April 26, 1908, Sallie died in San Marcos. Hons was once again a widow.
In 1906, the State Board of Education appointed Hons as a member of the board of managers (local Board of Trustees) of SWTN, where Swann was teaching history. One of Hons’ first tasks as a member of the Board of Trustees was to help examine, and select from, bids for campus building renovations.
In the Austin (TX) Statesman from March 5, 1908 to April 1, 1908, there was a notice to contractors that stated, “Bids will be received and opened by local board of trustees of SWTN school at San Marcos, Hayes [sic] county, Texas, on the 6th day of April 1908, for the following: First — The supplying and installing complete eleven water closets, seven in main building and four in the science building and one urinal, including each and everything in connection therewith; Second — The furnishing and laying a line of pipe to connect said closets with the sewer system in San Marcos, Texas; Third — The flooring, partitioning, etc. of room where said closets will be installed in the man building; Full and complete plans and specifications of all said work may be seen at the office of W.J. Joiner, architect, San Marcos, Texas. Certified check for $200 must accompany each bid, and the right to reject any and all bids is hereby reserved. Ed. J.L. Green, S.V. Daniel, J.M. Hons, Local Board of Trustees.”
Water closets, indeed. Imagine conditions beforehand when the ladies wore skirts that almost swept the floor. Reminds me of a short bit of my childhood when I lived in a house best described as “three rooms and a path.”
Also, in 1906, Hons represented Hays County at the state Democratic convention. In 1910, he became a member of the board of the Coronal Institute in San Marcos.
Swann paid close attention to her teaching duties at SWTN but still had time for an active social life. She attended or hosted numerous gatherings: The Merry Wives of San Marcos, the Mother’s Club of the San Marcos public schools, the Y.W.C.A. and Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs, among others.
Hons was also active. He was a stockholder in the local telephone company, was one of three incorporators of Hans-McNulty hardware company (Michael McNulty was Hons’ son-in-law), etc.
Both Foster and Hons were active members of the San Marcos social scene. Inevitably, they met. Almost inevitably, they married on May 24, 1910, an event that was “a complete surprise” to their friends. They took the train to Mexico City as a wedding tour. That marriage also occasioned the resignation of Foster from SWTN. She was replaced by A.W. Birdwell who would later become president of Stephen F. Austin Teachers’ College in Nacogdoches.
By the 1920 census, Hons had retired from his medical practice. In 1922, Foster went back to work teaching history at the San Marcos high school where she sponsored the junior class and, later, the senior class.
In 1924, Hons died at home.
In addition to teaching history at San Marcos high school, Foster was also dean of girls. In 1931, it appears that she concentrated on being dean of girls and librarian; then in 1934 — librarian. After years of being referred to as Mrs. J.M. Hons, she seems to have become known as Mrs. Willie Swann Hons.
On April 15, 1937, she was re-elected to the faculty of San Marcos high school. Those re-elections continued at least through 1941.
Foster died on May 31, 1947 in Nacogdoches.
Information about her grave can be found at findagrave # 108867080.
