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Biography of FORCUM and FORKUM Family History and Genealogy
John Lee Forcum was born on Thursday, December 31, 1891, in or near the
now-abandoned town of Eagle Mills, northern Iredell County, N.C., to James
Franklin Forcum and Mary Elizabeth Halterman. He was born about 10 miles
from where his Great-Great-Grandfather Thomas Forcum had settled in 1782.
His parents may have called him "Johnny Lee", but everyone else
would know him as "Jack". He was born in a devastated South, a
mere 26 years after Lee's surrender and only 15 years after the end of
Radical Reconstruction, and the terminus of Federal military occupation of
the South.
At 16 (in 1907) Jack left home to seek his destiny far away from farming and
rural sobriety. At first he held odd jobs, and when he reached the Ohio River he
was introduced to the enticing showboat river culture. Sometime after 1911 he
pursued his dreams in the theater and entered vaudeville, learning acting on the
stages of the many showboats plying the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. It was then
he met and married fellow actor Mildred E. Robinson in Cincinnati, OH, on May
27, 1917. After his marriage, Jack took a job in Indianapolis, IN, then operated
a job-shop printing press in Oakland City, IN
In Dec 1918 he and Mildred were living in Des Moines, IA, with Mildred's
parents, when their first child, Jeanne, was born at 1023 24th Street. In Des
Moines he formed "The Crow Super Productions," advertised as
"manufacturing motion pictures extraordinary"; he also managed
"The Jack Forcum Attractions.". His stage name "Jack LeElmore
Forcum". Jack, along with Mildred, wrote, directed, produced and acted in
their own plays.
In early 1919, he and Mildred toured with a stage play through southern Indiana
towns.. Mildred's stage-name was "Jeanne Alix". Then they performed
and directed stage productions for 26 weeks on the "America", an Ohio
River showboat. The "America" was a floater and was pushed by a
tugboat. It had its own steam calliope. When the show cruise ended they were let
off in Pittsburgh, PA. Soon, however, they needed a stable income and the
Census, taken on 3 Jan, 1920, showed Jack, Mildred and 15-month-old Jeanne
living at 1221 Locust Street in Cincinnati, with Jack's occupation listed as
"Foreman" of a "Printing Co."
In late 1920 he heard of an opportunity in Chicago, so the young family was off
to the Windy City for three years, where he got his start in the newspaper
business. He soon owned the "The Dawn Publishing Co." at 5508 Harper
Avenue, publishing the weekly newspaper, "The Dawn". He must have
ruffled a few feathers, because the Ku Klux Klan bombed the newspaper offices;
but Jack rebuilt and continued his printing. While in Chicago he also operated
"The Jack Forcum Productions" at 1373 East 55th Street. The newspaper
business had captivated him.
Leaving the composing room for editorial work, Jack advanced to Clearwater (Fla)
Herald, then moved to the. old Birmingham (Ala) Age-Herald and on to the former
Cincinnati (OH) Commercial-Tribune, before coming to The Indianapolis Star.
In the late 1920's he moved to 1536 N. Gale Street, Indianapolis, IN and began
working for The Indianapolis Star as a copydeskman. In 1929, Jack and Mildred
had their second child, Polly Ann. Also in 1929, he began his climb through the
Star by joining the editorial staff as Feature Editor. Later he was promoted to
the Sunday Editor, and by the time of his death he had become the Market Page
Editor. Never able to just do one thing at a time, Jack authored the Hobbyist
Workshop newspaper column, a regular feature of the Sunday Star from 1939
through 1953. The column was carried in scores of other newspapers across the
nation as a Bell Syndicate feature.
He was a charter member of the Indianapolis Press Club. He was a member of the
Methodist Church and Indianapolis Local No. 70 of the American Newspaper Guild,
and also sat on the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Humane Society. A
devotee of flowers, Jack was easily distinguished by the fresh flower he
traditionally wore in his lapel.
Jack was extremely active in the work of the Murat Shrine and other branches of
the Masonic Lodge. In Masonry, he was a member of the Mystic Tie Lodge, Keystone
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Indianapolis Council, RAPER Commandery, Scottish
Rite and Shrine. Jack served as editor of the Murat Shine magazine from 1946 to
1953.
In 1953, while still the Star's Market Page Editor, Jack Forcum was taken from
his home of 25 years on N. Gale Street to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he
passed away in Apr at 61 years of age.
Forcumjr@aol.com
Related Genealogy Resources: Search 60 Years of Everton Data
Search OneGreat Family for Forcum Surname
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