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The real "Becky Thatcher" death....
The real "Becky Thatcher" death....
Item # 724992
December 27, 1928
THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass., December 27, 1928
* Laura Hawkins Frazer death (1st report)
* Childhood sweetheart of Mark Twain - Samuel Clemens
* "Becky Thatcher" The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Page 4 has a one column heading: "'Becky Thatcher' Dies in Hannibal" with subhead. (see images)
Complete with 20 pages, light toning and a little wear at the margins, generally nice.
background: Laura Hawkins Frazer (1837–1928), born Anna Laura Elizabeth Hawkins in Hannibal, Missouri, is widely recognized as the real-life inspiration for Becky Thatcher in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. A childhood friend of Samuel Clemens, she captured his youthful imagination with her charm and intelligence, leaving a lasting impression that would shape one of his most enduring literary characters. In 1858, she married Dr. James W. Frazer and had two sons, yet she and Twain maintained a lifelong, cordial correspondence that reflected the fondness of their early years. Later in life, she dedicated herself to charitable work in Hannibal, serving as matron of an orphanage and helping the needy. Her home in Hannibal is preserved within the Mark Twain Historic District as the “Becky Thatcher House,” a testament to her enduring legacy in both Twain’s personal history and American literary culture.
Category: The 20th Century











