Third Graders Bring Missouri History to Life
By Emilie Rumble
The community at large enjoyed an evening of learning about some of the famous Missourians from the past during the annual 3rd Grade Missouri History Night held at Knox County Elementary School on Tuesday evening, April 14, 2026.
A musical “Heartland Hoedown” featuring famous Missourians and the importance of Missouri history was presented. Songs performed were Heartland Hoedown, City of the Large Canoe, Westward Trail, Surrounding States and the beautiful Missouri Waltz.
Students of Mrs. Handzus’s class and the famous Missourian they portrayed were: Sofia Anthes – Katherine Bain, St. Louis Physician of Children’s Health; Jett Barnhill – Daniel Boone, Frontiersman; Alijah Boatman – Thomas Benton, American politician, Attorney, Senator and Regionalist Painter; Jack Cameron – Satchel Paige Major League Baseball Player with the Kansas City Monarchs and St. Louis Browns; Love Florea – Betty Hearnes, American Democratic Party Politician and former 1st Lady of Missouri to Governor Warren E. Hearnes; Lee Greenley – White Cloud, Chief Leader of the Mahaska Tribe; Brantley Handzus – Mark Twain, Author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn; Emma Harrison – Freda Josephine Baker, Entertainer, French Resistance Spy and Activist; Caroline Henry – Nell Donelly Reed American Fashion Designer and Manufacturer; McKenna Holdren – Jane Froman, American Actress and Singer; Mika Jones – Mary Jane Guthrie, Professor and Researcher at Missouri University; Kreed Lay – Walt Disney, Animator and Films; Sam Russell – George Skouras, Movie Theater King of St. Louis; Addie Sparks – Emma Newell Blair, Suffragist and Writer; Reata Witherow – Elizabeth Schwarts, Artist, Author, Photographer, Film for Wildlife Conservation; Carson Worthington – Enoch Crowder, U.S. Army General and Military Attorney.
Mrs. Hoffman’s Class: Poppy Brenizer – Katherine Bain, St. Louis Physician of Children’s Health; Hunter Bunch – Thomas Hart Benton, American politician, Attorney, Senator and Regionalist Painter; Emersyn Cardwell – Gwen B. Giles, Missouri Senator; Harleigh Davis-Baze – Virginia Minor, Founder of American Women’s Suffrage Association in Missouri; Porter Gamm – Curt Flood, St. Louis Cardinal Star Center Fielder, 7 Gold Gloves Winner and Supreme Court Case Right of Free Agency; Teagan Harvey – Jane Froman, American Actress and Singer; Karsyn Hudson – Ozzie Smith, St. Louis Hall of Fame Shortstop, 13 Golden Gloves Winner, 15 All Star Winner; Ruthie Kelly – Molly Brown, Titanic Survivor and Activist; Delilah Leckbee – Betty Hearnes Missouri First Lady; Kelsey Moore – Nell Reed, American Fashion Designer and Manufacturer; Addy Murphy – Martha Gellhorn, Pioneering 20th Century War Correspondent, Author, Journalist for 60 years; Adeline Scoggin – Margaret Truman, First Daughter of President Harry S. Truman, Classical Soprano, Author/Radio Host/ Television Person of Capital Crimes; Grant Smith – Daniel R. Fitzpatrick, Two Time Pulitzer Prize Winning War and Editorial Cartoonist; Mary Jane Starr – Rose O’Neil, Artist, Illustrator, Author, Sculptor of Kewpie Dolls; Jameis Wolf – Yogi Berra, Legendary Hall of Fame New York Yankees Catcher and 3-time American League MVP.
