Obituary: Gertrude “Trudy” Hampton Adams (1923-2007)
Gertrude “Trudy” Hampton Adams was born in Jackson County, NC on September 13, 1923, and died on July 7, 2007. She was the daughter of Annie Coward Hampton and W. Oscar Hampton, the granddaughter of Lou Norton and Jonathan David Coward, and the great granddaughter of Nathan Coward. Although born in Sylva, because of her father’s profession as an educator, Trudy lived in many places, finally taking up permanent residence in Birmingham, AL when she married Robert A. (Bob) Adams, a photographer and artist whom she met after graduating from the University of Montevallo. The story of their meeting is family legend: Trudy won the Birmingham News Secretary of the Week contest, and Bob, who photographed for the paper, was assigned to take her picture for publication. He came away smitten and a few days later asked her out. The rest is history. They remained married for 56 years, a testament to love and character.
Trudy and Bob adopted three brothers (Charlie, Jerry, and Bill) when the boys were aged 2, 4, and 6. Several years later, they gave birth to a fourth boy, Casey. Trudy was the grandmother of twelve and the great grandmother of nine. She died shortly after the birth of Casey’s youngest son, Ryan Alexander.
Her love of the history of her family began with her first reunion with her mother, Annie Coward Hampton and continued for 35 years. After becoming editor of the Coward Family Newsletter, Trudy became the “go to” person for information and stories of the family, always bringing trees, charts, and scrapbooks to the reunion. Her research was accurate and from the original sources, typically actual court and library documents. Son Casey notes that she never met a cemetery, courthouse basement records room, or historical library document that she didn’t love. Her family members recall visiting many a cemetery when Trudy rubbed numerous headstones that couldn’t be read with the naked eye with pencil and paper so she could document who was buried in the grave.
Family remained very important to Trudy until her death. She always stayed in touch with her cousins, and her love for family connections led her to travel extensively researching her roots., the result of which was the publication of the family history Dave Coward and Lou Norton, Their Descendants and Ancestors.
Traveling for research purposes wasn’t the only reason Trudy traveled. She traveled because she just LOVED it! She and Bob have traveled to all fifty of the United States, have taken several driving trips in Ireland and England, took a month long train trip across Europe, and have embarked on several cruises. Almost to the end, Trudy was hoping for one more cruise!
Trudy is survived by her husband, Robert Abner Adams; sons William Patrick Adams, Jerry Robert Adams, Charles Terry Adams, and James Casey Adams, as well as by 12 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
The Coward family is appreciative of Trudy’s dedication to the sharing of its rich history. Thank you, Trudy. You will be missed.
(Coward Family Newsletter, November 2007)
Gertrude “Trudy” Hampton Adams was born in Jackson County, NC on September 13, 1923, and died on July 7, 2007. She was the daughter of Annie Coward Hampton and W. Oscar Hampton, the granddaughter of Lou Norton and Jonathan David Coward, and the great granddaughter of Nathan Coward. Although born in Sylva, because of her father’s profession as an educator, Trudy lived in many places, finally taking up permanent residence in Birmingham, AL when she married Robert A. (Bob) Adams, a photographer and artist whom she met after graduating from the University of Montevallo. The story of their meeting is family legend: Trudy won the Birmingham News Secretary of the Week contest, and Bob, who photographed for the paper, was assigned to take her picture for publication. He came away smitten and a few days later asked her out. The rest is history. They remained married for 56 years, a testament to love and character.
Trudy and Bob adopted three brothers (Charlie, Jerry, and Bill) when the boys were aged 2, 4, and 6. Several years later, they gave birth to a fourth boy, Casey. Trudy was the grandmother of twelve and the great grandmother of nine. She died shortly after the birth of Casey’s youngest son, Ryan Alexander.
Her love of the history of her family began with her first reunion with her mother, Annie Coward Hampton and continued for 35 years. After becoming editor of the Coward Family Newsletter, Trudy became the “go to” person for information and stories of the family, always bringing trees, charts, and scrapbooks to the reunion. Her research was accurate and from the original sources, typically actual court and library documents. Son Casey notes that she never met a cemetery, courthouse basement records room, or historical library document that she didn’t love. Her family members recall visiting many a cemetery when Trudy rubbed numerous headstones that couldn’t be read with the naked eye with pencil and paper so she could document who was buried in the grave.
Family remained very important to Trudy until her death. She always stayed in touch with her cousins, and her love for family connections led her to travel extensively researching her roots., the result of which was the publication of the family history Dave Coward and Lou Norton, Their Descendants and Ancestors.
Traveling for research purposes wasn’t the only reason Trudy traveled. She traveled because she just LOVED it! She and Bob have traveled to all fifty of the United States, have taken several driving trips in Ireland and England, took a month long train trip across Europe, and have embarked on several cruises. Almost to the end, Trudy was hoping for one more cruise!
Trudy is survived by her husband, Robert Abner Adams; sons William Patrick Adams, Jerry Robert Adams, Charles Terry Adams, and James Casey Adams, as well as by 12 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
The Coward family is appreciative of Trudy’s dedication to the sharing of its rich history. Thank you, Trudy. You will be missed.
(Coward Family Newsletter, November 2007)
Obituary: Gertrude “Trudy” Hampton Adams (1923-2007)
Gertrude “Trudy” Hampton Adams was born in Jackson County, NC on September 13, 1923, and died on July 7, 2007. She was the daughter of Annie Coward Hampton and W. Oscar Hampton, the granddaughter of Lou Norton and Jonathan David Coward, and the great granddaughter of Nathan Coward. Although born in Sylva, because of her father’s profession as an educator, Trudy lived in many places, finally taking up permanent residence in Birmingham, AL when she married Robert A. (Bob) Adams, a photographer and artist whom she met after graduating from the University of Montevallo. The story of their meeting is family legend: Trudy won the Birmingham News Secretary of the Week contest, and Bob, who photographed for the paper, was assigned to take her picture for publication. He came away smitten and a few days later asked her out. The rest is history. They remained married for 56 years, a testament to love and character.
Trudy and Bob adopted three brothers (Charlie, Jerry, and Bill) when the boys were aged 2, 4, and 6. Several years later, they gave birth to a fourth boy, Casey. Trudy was the grandmother of twelve and the great grandmother of nine. She died shortly after the birth of Casey’s youngest son, Ryan Alexander.
Her love of the history of her family began with her first reunion with her mother, Annie Coward Hampton and continued for 35 years. After becoming editor of the Coward Family Newsletter, Trudy became the “go to” person for information and stories of the family, always bringing trees, charts, and scrapbooks to the reunion. Her research was accurate and from the original sources, typically actual court and library documents. Son Casey notes that she never met a cemetery, courthouse basement records room, or historical library document that she didn’t love. Her family members recall visiting many a cemetery when Trudy rubbed numerous headstones that couldn’t be read with the naked eye with pencil and paper so she could document who was buried in the grave.
Family remained very important to Trudy until her death. She always stayed in touch with her cousins, and her love for family connections led her to travel extensively researching her roots., the result of which was the publication of the family history Dave Coward and Lou Norton, Their Descendants and Ancestors.
Traveling for research purposes wasn’t the only reason Trudy traveled. She traveled because she just LOVED it! She and Bob have traveled to all fifty of the United States, have taken several driving trips in Ireland and England, took a month long train trip across Europe, and have embarked on several cruises. Almost to the end, Trudy was hoping for one more cruise!
Trudy is survived by her husband, Robert Abner Adams; sons William Patrick Adams, Jerry Robert Adams, Charles Terry Adams, and James Casey Adams, as well as by 12 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
The Coward family is appreciative of Trudy’s dedication to the sharing of its rich history. Thank you, Trudy. You will be missed.
(Coward Family Newsletter, November 2007)
Gertrude “Trudy” Hampton Adams was born in Jackson County, NC on September 13, 1923, and died on July 7, 2007. She was the daughter of Annie Coward Hampton and W. Oscar Hampton, the granddaughter of Lou Norton and Jonathan David Coward, and the great granddaughter of Nathan Coward. Although born in Sylva, because of her father’s profession as an educator, Trudy lived in many places, finally taking up permanent residence in Birmingham, AL when she married Robert A. (Bob) Adams, a photographer and artist whom she met after graduating from the University of Montevallo. The story of their meeting is family legend: Trudy won the Birmingham News Secretary of the Week contest, and Bob, who photographed for the paper, was assigned to take her picture for publication. He came away smitten and a few days later asked her out. The rest is history. They remained married for 56 years, a testament to love and character.
Trudy and Bob adopted three brothers (Charlie, Jerry, and Bill) when the boys were aged 2, 4, and 6. Several years later, they gave birth to a fourth boy, Casey. Trudy was the grandmother of twelve and the great grandmother of nine. She died shortly after the birth of Casey’s youngest son, Ryan Alexander.
Her love of the history of her family began with her first reunion with her mother, Annie Coward Hampton and continued for 35 years. After becoming editor of the Coward Family Newsletter, Trudy became the “go to” person for information and stories of the family, always bringing trees, charts, and scrapbooks to the reunion. Her research was accurate and from the original sources, typically actual court and library documents. Son Casey notes that she never met a cemetery, courthouse basement records room, or historical library document that she didn’t love. Her family members recall visiting many a cemetery when Trudy rubbed numerous headstones that couldn’t be read with the naked eye with pencil and paper so she could document who was buried in the grave.
Family remained very important to Trudy until her death. She always stayed in touch with her cousins, and her love for family connections led her to travel extensively researching her roots., the result of which was the publication of the family history Dave Coward and Lou Norton, Their Descendants and Ancestors.
Traveling for research purposes wasn’t the only reason Trudy traveled. She traveled because she just LOVED it! She and Bob have traveled to all fifty of the United States, have taken several driving trips in Ireland and England, took a month long train trip across Europe, and have embarked on several cruises. Almost to the end, Trudy was hoping for one more cruise!
Trudy is survived by her husband, Robert Abner Adams; sons William Patrick Adams, Jerry Robert Adams, Charles Terry Adams, and James Casey Adams, as well as by 12 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
The Coward family is appreciative of Trudy’s dedication to the sharing of its rich history. Thank you, Trudy. You will be missed.
(Coward Family Newsletter, November 2007)
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